New-York tribune., 1873-12-18
WASHINGTON.
THE SALARY BILL.

| THE SALARY BILL.
| ANOTHER DEBATE AND FINAL ACTION BY The HOUSE
| 4 BILL FLING MEMBERS SALARIES Al S6,V0
PASSED AFTER A HARD srRUGGLE-THE SALARIES
| OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS UNToUcHED-THE
DEBATE EXCITING AND LARGELY or PERSONAL
CHARACTER-BUTIRR MAKES A VIOLENT BUT
EFFECTIVE sPEECH-A COARSE AND SAVAGE
ATTACK ON THE PRESS.
fBr TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUSE.l
WAsHINGToN, Dec. l7.-H the people have ex-
pected that the House of Representatives would
be any improvement upon its predecessor the result
of tO-days work will undeceive them. An increase
of salary of 800 year tempted tie last House,
and it fell. The petty sum Of $500 was sufficient to
tempt the present House. After two weeks OF
blatant and hypocrcal profession of desire to obey
the plainly expressed will of the people. the ma
jority turned their backs npon the long record
of their votes on the salary question, and
voted themselves a clear $500 increase on the
old rate of pay besides liberal allowance as COM
mutation for mileage and stationery. They thought
they could compromise with public opinion, and.
keep part OF the grab made by the last Congress
The people had denounced the $4,000 increase as
steal but the thrifty representatives thought the
small amount Of $500 might be regarded as Justih-
able pckings The net result of the days work. ac-
complshed after a nine hours session. and in spite
of the best men of both parties, is as follows:
The pay of Senators and Members is fixed AT
80, 600; which is $1,000 increase on the old rate
and $500 more than the former pay, mileage and
stationery allowance combined The reduction
from the rate of 81 500 voted last March, is to take
effect not from the beginning of the Congress, but
from the date of the passage of the bill. The In
creased salaries of the army of officials from Presi-
dent and Cabinet Ministers down to doorkeepers
and errand boys. left untouched. Inc
effect of the bill upon members OF Congress is that
each will retain of the increased salary the amount
drawn since March about $1,000, and will get
$500 a year advance on his old pay and alowapces,
making 900 for the two years OF the Congress,
the total of bis receipts his whole salary being
therefore about $1,000 The grand total OF increased
pay for Senator'S Members, and Delegates, over the
old rate, will be over Sl,O0O0O0
The old salary grabbers made their raid on the
Treasury when it was over6owing and when the
country was the high wave of prosperity. The
new salary grabbers propose to divide million Of
dollars among them when the Treasury is on the
verge of bankruptcy. and the country Is suffering
the agOnas of great financial disaster This is the
promised reform to which the new Congress treats
the people. The brefes outline of the struggle over
the BILL extending as it did from noon until9 o'clock
1t shows, however through what devious ways the
final result was reached
When the House began work on the bill the sub
sttute of Mr. Kass0n repeating all increase Of salary
made by the bill of March and providing for the
refundng of the excess Of the pay OF members over
the old salary received since March 4. was under
consideration This had been passed yesterday, and
a motion to reconsider was pending. The motion TO
reconsider was tabled. throwing the bill, amended
by the substitute, open for further debate and
amendment Mr Hale of New-York led OFT
by motion to strike out the pros
pective repeal of the Presidents increase
of pay. Against this and in favor of complete re-
form, Hester Clymer made ringing speech, In
which he referred pOntedly to the storm Of aroused
public opinion that had swept over Pennsylvania,
rendering frauds in elections and corruption IN legs-
lation hereafter impossible. Mr. Tremain tried to
save the Vice President Speaker and Cabinet officers
from the operations of the bill. Mr.. Dawes opposed
this amendment, saying it would put the Cabinet
officers in the position of clutching at increased
salaries with one hand and gathering new taxes
from the people with the other. After few mern
bers had attempted, in speeches that got few isten
ers to justify their taking of the back pay, vote
was taken on Mr.. Treman's amendment and it was
lost by Yeas, IS Nays 1873. Mr.. Hale's amendment
then shared the same fate, by Yeas 20; Nays, lS6.
The Democrats, at this stage of the proceedings
got in some sharp hits at the President interruping
Republicans to ask if he had returned his increased
salary and to suggest that provision should be put
in compelling him to do so. Mr.. Poland offered his
amendment compelling members TO return the back
pay they drew in the last Congress. Mr.. Holman
followed with an amendment to make Mr. POlands
more explicit The debate wandered from
the main feature greatly, at times getting
off upon the Franking Privilege and the
postage on country newspapers, and occasionally
running into personalities that exhibited the under
living excitement and bad temper of the House Mr..
Hale of Maine tried to stop the tedious and profit
less discussion, but was beaten on his demand for
the previous question by q tremendous majority.
Then the virtuous new members all tried to make
the old ones disgorge the back pay, by supporting
Mr. Holman's amendment, which was carried by l56
Yeas to 1Ol Nays.
The bill in the shape in which il was now was .
thorough measure Of repeal and restitution. 1t was
far too thorough for the vacillatpg House to pass
undecided as the members were between their own
selshness and the fear Of their constituents So an
absurd amendment, offered by Mr.. Butler was
loaded upon it to break il down. This amendment
required such members as took back pay in the
XXXIyth and XXXIXth Congresses to also refund.
1t was carried a rising vote by lis in the afirma-
tive to "A opposed and 80 anxious were
members to kill the bill if they could do without
making record, that the Yeas and Nays were re-
fused. Before the vote was taken, Mr. Parker of
New Hampshire said that The TRIBUNE had slan-
dered him in stating that he had spoken against the
back pay on the stump last March, and then taken
il after he had been reelected He acknowledged
that he had taken the pay, but denied that he had
ever spoken against it, or authorized anybody to do
20 for him.
The adoption of yr. Buffers amendment was re-
garded on all hands as running the Kasson bill The