Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-12-17
Forty-Third Congress.

ferred to Committee on Finance.
Mr.. Edmunds, while he would be glad to
see such Legislation, thought Congress had no
power except in the District of Columbia and
territories:
Financial measures were discussed and Mr..
Hamilton of Nd submitted an amendment to
the Constitution declaring that the United
States should make nothing but gold and
silver coin legal tender for the payment Of
public or private debts.
House. Mr.. Phillips of Kansas introduced
e resolution of sympathy with the Cubans
and in favor of recognizing them as belliger'
ents; referred to Committee on Foreign
Affairs.
MIR. Dawes offered resolution of inquiry
as to the tampering with the mails said to
be done by revenue officers in Boston and
New York; adopted.
A bill passed increasing number of enlisted
men in navy from $500 to 10000.
The Salary bill was then discussed, Messrs.
Tremaine, Hawley, Kellogg, Niblack, Dur
ham and others advocating its repeal.
Mr.. Dawes. made the principal speech in
favor of repeating the law of last winter. He
reviewed the whole subject of salaries in the
civil service and wanted general reform.
The Presidents salary and allowances, no
said, amount to $l00, 900 per year, and be
thought the old law ought to be restored; it
was sufficiently liberal. Many other salaries
| ought to be reduced besides those covered BY
this bill or the amendment.
THURSDAY. Senate. Viee-President Will
son being absent Senator Carpenter was elect
ed President pro tenn; receiving 80 votes to
16 for Mr.. Thurman. Mr.. Carpenter speech
was "Senators, please accept my grateful
thanks"
Mr.. Sumner made speech in favor Of an
early return to specie payments.
The bill removing the political disabilities
of Thomas S. Bocock, of Virginia, John Il
Reagan, of Texas, and others, was passed.
The Senate adjourned to Monday.
House. Mr.. Poland spoke on the Salary
bill and the substance of his remarks will be
found elsewhere. lie was followed by Alex
II. Stephens. Mr.. Stephens was allowed
double time and was closely listened to by
the House in this his first Congressional
speech since the rebellion.
He was assisted to arise and spoke leaning
on his crutches. He spoke so rapidly and
bis voice was 50 weak that at times his re-
marks were inaudible in the galleries. Re-
lerring to the comments Of the press on what
it denounced as the salary grab, or back pay
steal, he decried the manner in which the
measure had been characterized. de regard
ed the position of journalist as the highest
| in the land, and he would, in all sincerity
say to the press, that in speaking to the
mass of the people the greatest care should
| be taken in looking to the correctness and
truth of its statements. Abiding TO the ex-
preston made by MIR. Tremaine of New
York, relating to demagogism, he said there
never was a statesman that was not DEM
| agogue. To be a statesman it was necessary
that he should be a demagogue and reflect
| the best Judgment of the people. But there
are two kinds of demagogues -the genuine
real statesman aud the sham demagogue.
The genuine one leads the people; the sham
panders to their errors and preJudices. The
real demagogue reasons and consults the
people. He feels the popular pulse; under
stands it, and if faversh administers the
remedy. The sham falls IN with the fancy
of the patients. He cited Chatham as the
greatest statesman of England; reclted an
anecdote showing his anxiety to consult and
know the popular sentiment, and by his elo-
queuce brought the masses to his support
as to the responsibility OF the measure, be
said the analysis of the votes he had seen
showed about an equal proportion of Demo-
cratic and Republican support OF the meas
ure. He sustained the position taken by
Mr.. Tremaine, that the Constitution left il
for each Congress to TX the pay of its own
mem bers, and declared it a wise provision
In the early history of the Government,
some of the brightest ornaments OF the coun-
try had voted an increase of their own salary
Were they salary grabbers? Without refer
ring to the question Of the expediency of the
act. lie maintained that those who voted fol
the increase had a perfect constitutional and
moral right to vote Tor the retroactive feature
and no stigma could rest upon them. Had
he been a member of the last Congress
whether he voted for the bill or not, he
should have drawn the back pay. If the
press doubted the expediency OF the act, let
them saw SO, and not attack the morality anC
virtue o: those who thought 1t expedlent.
representative in the halls of Congress ought
to be man of mental callbre, Intelligent
education and training TO command the high
est wages he said there was scarcely
merchant with brains and skill OF high order
that did not make from $780, 900 to SIS 900
a year. There was scarcely lawyer, emf
nent in his profession, that did not carr
from $40, 900 to SIS 900, and scarcely pro
fession or occupation where brain and skilled
labor would not return an equal amount
The science of government was one OF the
highest attachments. Everybody had an in
terest in good government. The laws passed
here affected the interest and pocket OF ever,
citizen. There was required here the high
est order of intellect, and there was vas
deal of labor and thought demanded. III
said, when he was member OF Congress il
former DAYS. he had never received dolla
Al IL, NF do, H. l..
be had collected on claims over $500 900
but had never accepted any commission
There were, he declared, numbers of capable
men who would not come to Congress be
cause they could not afford it; and be argue,
that the country often lost valuable service
, owing to the lack of compensation. In
former Congress, when he expected never t.
return, aud, therefore, was uninhuencei b.
any personal feelings, when the total expen
ditures were only $4,000 900, he had givel
) his opinion that the salaries of Representa-
tives should be $4,000, and of Senators
SIS 900; the Chief Justice OF the Suprem
Court at least $50 900; the associate justices
S25, 600; the President, $780, 900, and for
eign Ministers, at least twice what they are
| He considered the abolition of the franklin
privilege as by far the most unwise featur
of the whole measure. No Government coul
last unless the PEOPLE understood it's nature
and were devoted to its principles The
must have information relating to the actio
of the Government, and the Constitution ba
. wisely provided that the action of the Gov
eminent should be open to them; and be re
garded the ranking privilege as ono of th
t great instrumentalities of Tree republica
Government to add to the enlightenment @
the people.
opposed the repeal.
Mr. Croker of Mass. described the unce,
e tainty of his mind after the adjournment {
d the last Congress as to what he should d
with his back pay, every cent of which b
had collected, and finally thought it woul
: be safest in one of his banks He then gre,
g grievously sick (laughter,) while sick be tol