Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-07-17
Congressional Salaries.
The Increase VOted-RetrOactiv
C1ause-A Full Statement of the Case
by Gen. Packard.

LAPoRTE, IND, June II, 1878.
Editor South Bend Register:
1 have waited patiently for some weeks
for the newspaper press to give to the peo-
pie the facts in regard to the late act of
Congress affecting the salaries of Sena-
tors and Representatives, hoping that
they would at least pub lish the votes ta-
ken, and the enactment itself; but having
waited and hoped in vain, deem it due to
the people of this Congressional District
that they should be placed in possession
of facts of the case. 1t is evident that the
subject is totally Inexperienced. The
people have had little means of ascertain
ing the truth, since their usual channels
OF information have either been silent, or
have given but ne-siued statements with
out any apparent desire to arrive at the
whole truth. | am impelled thus to come
before the public also by the fact that a
private letter to citizens of Porter county,
not intended for publication, but written
simply to correct an error of fact in some
resolutions passed by oranges of that
county, and in a vein of pleasantly be-
cause private, having, to my surprise
found It's way into the newspapers, has
been commented on with great deal of
unnecessary harshness, and heated as
though intended it for public defense.
think may with reason expect that
a sense of fairness will constrain the pa.
pers of the District to publish this state
ment that the people may have an oppor-
tunity to look at the subject on both sides
having been fully presented, not always
in the most courteous terms, by most o.
the newspapers of this District.
The enactment that has been so round
| ly denounced, is itself an answer to mucl
of the denunciation. Let it be read be
fore proceeding further, that we may SCI
Just what it is, and thus form an intellI
gent idea of the subject of the discussion
THAT Senators and Representatives. ant
Delegates in Congress, including Senators
Representatives ana Delegates in the AZ
Congress holding such office at the pass
age of this act, and whose claim 10 a sea
has not been adversely decided shall re
ceive seven thousand five hundred dollar
per annum each, md Hts shall be In lien Z
alb pGy and aV0eCdhces, except actual indi
vidual travelling expenses from thei
homes to the seat of government, by th
most direct route of usual travel, once 70
each session CT the House to which sue
Senator, Member or Delegate belongs, t
be certified to under his hand TO the dis
bursting officer, and rled as vouche
Procided, That in settling tie pay and a
/, lowances of Senators, Members and DELI
gates in the 42d Congress all milcae
Shall be deducted, and no allowance mad
for expenses of travel"
There is the enactment, being part {
the Legislative, Executive, ard Judici
; Appropriation Bill ; and in regard to tn
clause, 1t is asserted that it gives to men
bers of Congress al unreasonably hig
salary, being 2,530 more than heretOfor,
that The retroactive clause" as it is cal
ed, puts into the pockets of mem5e
$4,000 each additional and that this l.;
added enormously to the expenses of Il
government and the burdens of the pc
pie.
|. TIE INCREASE OF SALARY.
The actual pay of member of Congre
n prior to the change was: