The Portland daily press., 1867-01-31

Compensation Of Members of Congress.
The following correspondence between one
of our Oldest citizens and a distinguished
member OF Congress from Ohio, is published
by request. The name OF Mr.. Goddard's cor
respondent is withheld, because although he
would probably have not the slightest objec-
tion to its appearance in this connection, his
consent to its use has not been definitely Civ
en-:
siGg PORTLAND, Dec. 13, 1866.
s. DEAR SIR: Though personally an entire
stranger, as fellow citizen OF our republic, l
address you with my thanks that in your pub
lie capacity you recognize that claim of equi-
ty in pecuniary matters exists on the part OF
constituencies, OIL those who fill places of pub
lie trust.
have for three fourths of long life been
looking on with somewhat of amazement at
the practical disregard OF common honesty
shown by our national public men ON the one
hand the apathy, which during a gene
ration past has been manifested by their con-
stituents on the other, in relation to advanc-
ing from tine to time the compensation OF
their public servants; which with certain re
strictions had been confidingly placed in their
hands.
Many years ago, (nearly 4O.) when their de-
partules from rectitude in this respect had
been rare, and less fragrant than during the
last ten years, MIR. Benton. whom / then ad-
dressed on the subject in a personal interview
remarked, that when Congress made the first
experiment in increasing their per diem from
81 to IS, most OF those who voted for it were
set aside at the subsequent election, that even
Mr.. -, scarcely retained his seat.
To avoid trOuhnr vor with ,,nnooossorx
details, win as briefly as possible refer to the
first gross departure from the strict line oil
honesty in their dealings with the Treasury
nearly ~ years ago, when the purSer, or indi-
Vldual, by whatever name called, not known
to the Government, but appointed by them
selves fOr their own convenience, to keep their
several accounts with the treasury, and pay
them as they called for it, became defaulter,
and abscOnded with some 30 to $4,000 OindeDt-
edness, which he had received for them, Dut
had otherwise appropriated. An alarm was
distance from Washington-but bemg iound
to haue nothing, in the course OF lew days,
thou voted tn mt their own hands into the
Trcasnrv and lake duplicate OF what their
AGENT had taken before; but from fear OF what
Enrone would say-or that their subscription
j;Sts would suffer by exposing the act--tbe
,,ress throughout the land, instead of DOING
When 1 trace from this act, which cross as it
was as matter OF injustice to our national
Treasury, and therefore to their constituents.
had the plea in mitigation, that their case was
a bard one and justice apart, the nation could
easier bear the loss than themselves, the pro-
gress OF both Houses OF Congress since, in pro
viding for themselves, in course, as / consid-
er, OF injustice to their employers, am some
times tempted to exclaim, Alas for my coun-
try
With temptations from necessities of living
less than in private life-knowing the previ-
ously fixed income, and able therefore better
than in private life, to adapt their eXpen-
ses to it-in an important sense entrusted with
the moral reputation OF the people, IS wen as
in an unlimited sense, with their own,-havins
also virtually contracted in their candidate
shin. to-receive that, aud no mOre----and then,
as In two instances during the last ten years,
towards the end OF two long sessions, under