Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-11-22
Communicated.
Communicated.
Payment Of the Members Of the Legisla-
ture.


ture.
Mr.. EDITOR Sir, 1 present my
views on the above special subject, thus
The Legislatures of Pennsylvania have
established each and every Office in the
State, and. suppose, constitutionally'
and to each and every Office they have
affixed salary or fees; but to their own
Office it appears that each Legislative
body afixes their own salary or fees, and
that not quite constitutionally for they
professedly do the work and then come
in with their bills, and sometimes extor.
tionably take just as much as their eyre
gious and covetous souls can well carry
home-and who dare say unto them
What doest thou 7" They take enough
to pay e1travagant wages, and have q
surplus left sufficient to put them through
the next campaign. thinking Lo man dare
say, IN did yer" Now. is it not time
that this is taken cognizance of by the
people. Look how it works in the city
of New York. Philadelphia, and else.
where. Is it possible that there is leak
in that hot place, aud that some of the
evil spirits are rowing about, seeking
whom they may devour. Now as rem
edy. l propose that the people petition
the coming Legislature for law of this
kind. thus That the first grand jury
that shall assemble in any county in any
new year shall be required under their
oaths to vote by ballot. marking figures
representing dollars and cents-each ju.
ror voting. according to his judgment,
how much he believes his representatives
in House and Senate ought to have per
day in full satisfaction for their services
as members. After voting, the foreman
Of said jury shall appoint two clerks.
when the foreman or some one chosen by
him shall take ont ballot and call out
said figures, and said clerks shall each
make list thereof, and when done, cast
up the whole and divide by "a or the
number of jurors present, and that aver
age shall be clearly reported and read
aloud to said jurors, after which the said
report shall be signed by the foreman
and countersigued by the two clerks, and
then put into an envelope and mailed to
the Auditor General of Pennsylvania.
This being done in each and every coun.
ty of the State at the first Quarter Ses-
sions, and the counties having reported
to the Auditor General, then on a certain
day, to be affixed by law, cay in early
May, let the Auditor General, in the
presence of all who may be concerned.
open said reports. frs: having chosen two
clerks to record every figure. After the
reports from all the counties are recorded
and added up, then divide by 66, or the
number of counties having 60 reported,
and this average or division shall be the
per diem allowance. The said grand
jurors shall be limited in their voting,
none voting less than 81 and none more
than $40: This result will not effect the
present legislative bodies, but those only
who will be nominated anG chosen there.
after. So that any man desirous of being
4 member will, like all other officers,
know beforehand what he can expect if
chosen.
Now let us see who are the grand
Jurors of Pennsylvania If the iuries in
each county are full, it makes 1884 men.
These are chosen by lot, being taken
promiscuously from amongst the citizens
AND taxpayers. old and young. rich and
poor, laborers, mechanics, farmers, mer-
;hants and private gentlemen. Surely
ne average private judgment Of over
fifteen hundred men could not be far
wrong and if it could be shown to be
wrong one year, it could be corrected
he next.
Taxpayers, you are all interested in
his hence get up your petitions, aud
:ry aloud and spare not, until your work
8 accomplished. and let reformation,
bringing directly from the people. be
accomplished in high places; and. Mr..
Editor, 1 ask that you request other pa
'ers, with which you exchange, to insert
his, and see whether it will or will not
'ecome popular measure in Pennsylva-
Tia H.
The above communication is from a gen
leman of character and standing in his own
ownship, and is favorably known through
ut the entire county.-ED.
A DESPATCH from Indiana on the 10.
ays mob, last night, at Brookville,
indiana, forced the jail, and attempted to
axe out McDonald Cheek, confined for
he murder Of his father-in-law. Cheek