Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-03-03
fnI whether those men will be paid,
Certainly the House should pass some

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fnl whether those men will be paid.
Certainlythe House should pass some
such resolution as that offered by the
gentleman from Washington, lMr,
Vankirk These men should be paid,
at least for the time they have been
here. Now, my judgment is that II
we lot this matter run on to the end
of the session, those men viii remain
here, doing the work assigned to them,
and in the spring leave without pay
or at least there is danger Of that. II
this resolution is made joint resolu.
tion, 1 do not think the Senate would
refuse to concur though they have
positively refused to pay them for the
entire session. / would be in favor OF
standing by what the House has done,
if l believe we could 60 so with justice
to the men brought here from their
homes | do not believe that the
House has too many officers. If we
have, it is a question for us, and the
responsibility lies with tho members
and their constituents but it is en-
tirely wrong for us to keep these men
here with the risk of letting them go
after the adjournment without pay
for their services This resolution
should be made a joint resolution.
At the time the resolution of the gen.
tleman from Tioga Mr. Strang1 was
passed, believed, after mature con-
sideration and careful examination OF
it and the law. upon the subject, that
these men could not be paid, unless
the Senate concurred in and the Gov.
ernor signed the bill providing for the
payment. The disbursing officers OF
this Commonwealth have decided in
the same way. / was entitled to hand
in the name of one man, whom wish
ed TO appoint from my district He
was poor man, and preferred that
he should board at home with his
family to boarding here without re.
ceiving pay in the spring; and l Inever
gave 10 his name. will stand by the
caucus Of the party, and / will stand
by the House. | will 60 as far as any
but we must pay these men or dismiss
them. The resolution is eminently
proper it should be passed this morn
\ ing, If passed at ALL | move to amend
by making il joint resolution, SO that
it may receive the concurrence Of the
Senate, and these men be paid Tor the
time they have been here. / do not
think the resolution as it stands will
do any good.
Mr.. NICHOLSON, rep Beaver. Mr.
Speaker, ! think things are getting a
little mixed up. Let us try to unravel
this business When the resolution
providing for additional officers was
passed, |, contrary TO my own judg.
ment, acquiesced. 1t was said that
we needed moro officers, and i believe
we did need some. They were ap,
pointed with the distinct understand.
ing-I wish to call the attention Of
the ex.Spcaker Mr.. Davis, Phila.) to
this---that they took the risl, of receiv.
ing no pay az all. | think you, Mr..
Speaker, and two or three others OF
us, at least, know that it requires botl
branches of The Legislature to pass an
act of Assembly, and | think there is
another power somewhere about tho
hill that has something TO do with it
Now let us not mix up the matter
The contract with these men was that
they were to be dismissed when the
Clerk thought their services were not
necessary. Now, this resolution i.
only reminder or instruction 10 the
Clerk. Most assuredly we can in,
struct the Clerk.
Mr.. DAVIS. (Philadelphia.) wish
to make it a joint resolution to pro.
vide for the payment of these mon.
Mr.. NICHOLSON. Twill como TO that
if the gentleman will wait Let us
pass this resolution which is in accord
ance with the contract and the expec
tation of these men; and then let u'
pass a joint resolution TO pay them on
its own merits. Let US end this mat
ter. The difficulty will be much great
or II we continue these men TO the END
of the session; for in that case ] am
satisfied the Senate will never agree
to pay them. Whether right or not
the Senate has taken its position, and
it requires a great deal of nerve, even
on the part Of wise man, to say 81
was wrong" There are few who
can doit-you and l. and few Others
can say sos but everybody will not
The Senate has said over and over
again, and | think have heard some
whisperings from that other quarter
to which / alluded, that this should
not be done Now, is it wise on the
part of the friends of these twenty
seven officers to insist on their staying
here five, six or eight weeks more, aud
increase the chance of no payg Let
us pass this resolution, and then pass
II joint lesolutioa providing for theii
payment, and fight it ont on that line
until the end Of the session.
Mr. RoGERs, (Dem.) Philadelphia.
| think that the Senate having refused
to concur in the resolution first intro
duced by the gentleman from Tioga
! tMr. Strang,] ] will not stultify them.
selves by adopting this resolution if il
sbouldbc made a joint resolution AT
the time the first resolution was before
the House scveral gentlemen on this
side Of the chamber-myself among
the numbcr-made the point that il
was contrary to law The gentleman
from the Tenth district OF Philadelphia
Mr. Davis1 being then in the chair,
overruled the point. He said that tho
House could choose its own officers
under the Constiiution The Senate
thought differently, and I think gen.
tlemen on both sides of this chamber
now think that decision was wrong.
II not,where is the necessity of tliis
resohtioht The point then made
was that it required a joint resolution
to change the act of 1868 The dis.
bursting officers Of the Commonwealth
havesnstaincd thepositi0nthen taien,