Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-03-03

fnl whether those men will be paid
Certainly the House should passion
such resolution as that offered by the
gentleman from Washington, GMr
!. Vankirk. These men should be paid
at least for the time they have been
here. Now, my Judgment is that il
we lot this matter run on to the end
of the session, those men win 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, do not think tho 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 believe we could Go so with Justice
to the men brought here from thciI
homes l do not believe that the
House has too many officers. If We
have, it is question for us, and the
responsibility lies with the members
and their constituents but it is en-.
tirely wrong for US to keep these mer
here with the risk of letting them &c
after the adjournment without pay
for their services This resolution
should be made joint resolution.
At the time the resolution of the gen.
tleman from Tioga [ Mr. Strangl 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. l was entitled to hand
in thcname 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 never
gave 10 his name. will stand by the
caucus of the party, and / will stand
by the House. l 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, 50 that
it may receive the concurrence Of the
Senate, and these men he paid for the
time they have been here. do not
think the resolution as it stands will
do any good.
I Mr.. NICHOLSON, (Rep. Beaver Mr.
Speaker, think things are getting a
little mixed up. Let us try to unravel
this bushes. When the resolution
providing for additional officers was
passed, |, contrary to my own judg
ment, acquiesced. 1t was said that
we needed more officers, and | believe
we did need some. They were ap,
pointed with the distinct understand.
ing-l wish to call the attention OF
the ex.Spcaker (Mr. Davis, Phila.) to
this--that they took the risk Of receiv.
ing no pay at 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 i:
another power somewhere about the
hill that has something to do with il
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 il
only reminder or instruction TO the
Clerk. Most assuredly we can in.
struct the Clerk.
Mr.. DAVIS. (Philadelphia.) | wish
to mako it joint resolution to pro.
vide for the payment Of these men.
Mr.. NICHOLSON will como to that
if the gentleman will wait. Let us
pass this resolution which is in accord
ance with the contract aud the expec
tation Of these men aud then let us
pass joint resolution 70 pay them on
its own merits. Let US end this mat.
ter. The difficulty will be much great.
or If 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 great deal of nerve, even
on the part Of wise man, to say al
was wrong" There are few who
can doit-you and ], 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 pay? Let
us pass this resolution, and then pass
a joint resolution providing for their
payment, and fight il ont on that line
until the end Of the session.
Mr. Rooms. (Dem) philadelphia.
| think that the Senate having refused
TO concur in the resolution first intro.
duced by the gentleman from Tioga,
GMr. strang,] viii not stultify them.
selves by adopting this resolution if il
should be made a joint resolution. At
the time the first resolution was before
the House several gentlemen on this
side of the chamber-myself among
the numbcr-made the point that it
was contrary TO law. The gentleman
from the Tenth district of Philadelphia
Mr. Davisl being then in the chair,
ovorruled the point. He said that the
House could choose its own officers
undcr the Constitutions Tho 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 this
resohtiohf The point then made
was that it required joint resolution
to change the act Of 1868 The dis
bursing officers of the Commonwealth h
hnveatistainc.i the an then t.tfoo