Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-05
PAYING THE LEGTsIATURE IN
GOID-WHO II RfSPONSIBLE?

PAYING THE LEGTsLATURE IN
GOLD-WHO II RFSPONsIBLE?
The Press and Times makes this state.
ment
"The Rebel newspapers are clamoring
over the resolution Of the Legislature or
dering the payment Of the per diem Of its
members upon a specie basis. Bnt ihey
have not candor enough 10 tell the public
that the resolution was introduced by
Joseph Carrigan, of Lincoln county, the
leader of the Conservatives in the Senate,
and uniformly hostile to Governor Brown
lows administration. Nor dc they tell the
public that nearly every Conservative men,
Der of the Legislature voted for Mr.. Carri-
gan's resolution. What an hon est set of
newspapers the Conservative organs arew
Now what are the facts2 On the 18th
Of February last, Mr. Carrigan offered a
resolution in the Senate to pay the mem
bers and officers of the Legislature their
per diem in gold, or its equivalent in
greenbacks. fixing the equivalent at six
dollars for the former and eight for the
latter, hut providing that no member
who resigned his seat shall he entitled to
the benefits Of this resolution This
resolution was referred to a special COM
mittee of five, composed, by appointment
of the Speaker, Messrs. Carrigan, Hall,
Trimble, Keith, and McElwee, all Radi-
Gals but Mr.. Carrigan If the Radicals
were opposed to lhis measure, now was
the time for them to show it, by recon-
mending the rejection of the resolution
bat they did no such thing. This com
mittee, composed Of four Radicals and
one Conservative, reported a resolution
on the 26th Of February providing as
follows
"That the compensation Of the speak
era. members and officers of this General
Assembly ought to be and is payable in
specie from October, 1866, to the close Of
its term, while in session. and that the
Comptroller audit the accounts Of the
speakers, members, and officers from OctO-
Der, 1865, 10 the close Of this session on a
specie basis, and issue warrants to each on
the State treasury for the sum due him,
payable in specie or its equivalent, and
that the same be so provided for in the
general appropriation bill
This resolution was adopted in lieu of
that of Mr. Carrigan, and then adopted
by the Senate by the following vote:
Ayes Mes5rs. Aldridge, Cypert, CARR
gan, Frazier, Hall, Mckinney, McElwee.
Powell, Patterson, Thompson and Robin
son-1l.
Noes-AIessrs. Bosom, Cate, Keith,
Muse, Mcfarland, Nelson, Trimble and
Speaker FTierson-S.
The resolution as reported by the com
mttee and adopted by the Senate, Is
notable for 4 very important change from
that offered by Mr. Carrigan 1t makes
no provision against the advance to mem
bers who resigned their seats
This resolution was concurred in BY
the House Of Representatives on the Goth
of February, by the following vote
Ayes,-Measrs. Anderson Of Hamilton, |
Anderson Of White, Baker, Cleveland, |
Clingan, Doughty, Dowdy, Duggan, Fuson,
Garner, Gilmer, Hudson, Jones Of Clai- 1
horne, Kerchiyal, Lasater, Maxwell, Nc. |
Nair, Mullins, Murphy, Moore, Oyersireet,
Parks, Patton. Porter, Pickett. Pearson, /
Raulslon, Rogers, Symmetry, Sinclair,
Smith of Hardeman, Smith OF Obion,
Snodderly, Street, Thompson, Walker,
Wines, Woods, and Speaker Muiloy--39.
Noes-Nlessra. Brown, Blackman, Brew
er, Coleman, ColyiIle, Coward, Donaldson,
Elliott Hale. Jarvis, Lellyett, Loughmil-
Ter, Mason, Melton, Norman. Num-, Rich
ards, Schmittou, Sheppard, Shultz, Taylor,
Underwood, Waters. Warren and Wood
'ock-25.
II thus appears thas in the Senate
Eight Radicals and three Conservatives
and in the House thirty two Radicals and
'eyen Conservatives voted for the rrsolu-
ion 1t was taken mp and carried
through the Legislature, only ten Cons
'ervatives voting Cor it The Radical
members are responsible for it, and the
people will 40 hold them Not one of
hem SO far has refused to take the adj
rance and all but two or three Of them
rave closed up their accounts
If additional evidence were wanting Of |
he responsibility Of the Radical members
II the Legislature for paying themselves
n gold, it viii he found in the twentieth
'ecti0n Of the act of March s, 1907,
where provision il made for paying the
members and officers not only their per
liem hut their MILEAGE "in specie or its
Equivalent at forty per cent" Perhaps
very member and officer of the Legisla-
ure had received his warrant from the
which was a final settlement,
L the close Of the session in July, 1866.
Iut the Radical members found way to
ct round his final settlement nv the I
wenty-third section Of the act Of March
, 1867
THAT all warrants issued 1y the Comp
roller to the officers and members OF this
General Assembly for mileage and per
lem, from Oct. ., 1865, 10 the 9TH. oC |
'eNtnpeT loOor DC, And TIE same be nun |
nd void. ndthat the Treasurer of the State
eentitled toa credit for the amount that he
a. heretofore paid the respective officers
nd members of this General Assembly !
81 eager were these Radicals 10 Get the
pay which this golden idea
ould give them, that they absolutely an /.
alled, by a formal net Of the Legislature, :
lie settlement they had previously made
ith the State, in order to get the forty 4
n cent which they, resolved their ser
ces were worth from the "a Of 0stoher,
% And this increse an their paw has G
st the taxpayers Of the State about
A 600 almost the half interest on the
ate debt to be paid an July r
We have thus shown that this is not a
bat q Radical measure
nj instead Of nearly every Conservative A
sn'eer Of the Legislature veting Tor Mr.
rrrigan resolution, only teD voted for :
substitute offered by Radical cons
itee sud adopted by the Senate, while n
-ty Radicals voted Tor at The record =