The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-01-26

81 tAe two cases are. Il 4 true. very widely
different foF whereas the public printing Qf
1881 wna siu-ply that Of tie Ordinary nASt-
ness Of keeping In motion N exis5, 5 ko .s-
that of NOS only the ordinary bpsincss "a
keeping wmotion an existing government,
but was furthermore. that Of the extraorui-
nary business Of erecting on the ruins OF an
old government the whole fabric or = new
one, And while the payments for the ex-
neT1ses Of the state rovernment I'm 1861 and
l665 were D<~as In funds &C par, the pay
menfs for the expense Of the State govern
ment In 1870 were made In funds &C dis
count Of from thirty 70 forty per cent
ed disparity in the two cases fully: out they
may not. The printing bill was approved
by me without personal knowledge OF the
rates. ON the best information bt my service.
While / am not prepared 20 atnrm snat
these rates are exorbitant, j feel 1t my duty
60 urge upon your considHTation the ques-
ton whether or not Gle prizes for pFtnaPg
laid down in the present law on the suDJect
are of character 70 make the cost OF last
years printing over the COST OF Ordinary
wears. an injustice to the State
The cause Of the excess of the cost OF
the public printing in 1870 may not he IN
the prices. The testimony Of skilled PRINT
ers, submitted to me when the bill was pre-
scented for my approval went 90 clearly en- en-
tablish the propriety of the rates In All
probability the excess of the cost OF pubic
printing In 1870 will be found In the amount
of orders given for the work. PosslDly the
printing of some of the many blIls that
were sent to the Public Printer might very
well have been dispensed with. / submit in
view of an economy i'm this direction, that
legislative bodies generally are governed Dy
a sense of good nature which frequently re-
suits in pleasing individual members at the
cost of the account of public printing.
|. The legislative expenses of 1870 presents
on their face, startling comparison with
those of 1861 As in the case OF puoilc
printing. so in this case, the circumstances
are widely different.
EXPENSES OF THE LEGIsLATURE-MILEAGE OF
MEMBERS.
The mileage of members in 1870 was $29,-
664 whereas, in 1865 il was but $22l2o.
invite YOUR consideration to the fact OF this
difference. While the per diem OF clerks
was in 1865 but $5,S61, it was in 1870 sc
much as $28 cola factthat while explain
ed to great extent by the very much
broader field of duty in the case Of the leg
islation of 1870, may yet embrace within II
some conditions of future economy.
PER DIEM OF MEMBERs-ANoTHER COMPARE
soN-$46, 900 IN 1865, $166, 900 IN 1870.
The per diem of members in 1866 was but
$40 1862: in 1870 it was $l66,632. The ex-
traordinary amount of work before them
may be a sufficient justification of this
marked difference; but the fact of so greal
a cost for the legislation incident TO a revo-
luton. may well lead US to consider whether
now, under a state of facts less exceptional
that cost may not be greatly reduced, Ex-
| cessiye legislation is ordinarily one OF the
abuses of representative government; ano
now that we are about to pass from the ex-
| traordinary to the ordinary, may well Ok
| considered an evil to be remedied. Witt
| that view, further, of general economy, i
recommend earnestly that the temptation
offered by a system of per diem to an I'M
necessary lengthening oflegislative sittings
be obviated by giving the compensation o.
members the form of an annuity. AS two
months ought to be ample under ordinary
circumstances for the work of legislation,
recommend that the per diem and mileage
of our Legislators be committed in future Dy
stipend of $500 year.
PAY OF CLERKS $1,000 IN 1865, $4,000 II
1870.
The per diem of clerks was in 1866 s.,
| SOL; in 1870 it was SIS, POI, in warrants, o.
| $IS339 in cash. This difference in the two
cases may be accounted for by the fact o
| the large amount of committee work neces
| sary in the creation of a government. Ii
| Justice to the clerical officers of both houses,
| may observe here that several committees
deemed it proper to employ clerks, bat now
| that things have settled down to the ordinary
conditions, L trust that it may be founC
practicable in the future to avoid that un
usual expense.