The New York herald., 1873-12-11


created for the benefit or the public, but for the
benefit OF the incumbents, and were willing to
trample under foot the honest old doctrine OF
the common law, that every public Office was
created for the public welfare and that every one
who accepted public ONCE did so with the implied
condition that ms duty should be discharged solely
with view TO the public welfare. AS an extra
ordinary example OF that class OF public officers he
referred the House to one who had once been
member OF that body, who subsequently neld ONCE
In the city OF new York, and who, by means OF con-
spracy with other ofiice-hOlders used public once
for the ACKNOWLEDGMENT oil his own fortune. That
man had suffered the penalty which sooner or later
comes to punish those who violate the laws OF God
or Or man; Those who . wished t /, 10 profit mt, by %
cell No. "a OF the Penitentiary on BIackwell's
Island. After classical and amusing alluson to
he had given him yesterday, Mr.. Tremaine went on
to say that this was time when members should
be willing to make personal SACRIFICES The coun-
try was passing through crisis OF unparalleled
severity and OF embarrassment OF commercial,
manufacturing and agricultural interests. Hun.
ment. and In the meanwhile the pressure OF
taxation TO. meet the interest Of the ma
tlOnal debt was resting most heavily on the in
dustry OF the country. The people had lavished
their confidence on their representatives and they
should prove worthy OF that confidence. He hoped
to see substantial unanimity on this question The
angry waves OF partlsanship which recently ragged
50 furiously were gradually subsiding. He was
sure he spoke the sentiment OF every gentleman OF
the House when he said that II 1t were necessary
tomorrow to vindicate the unatoned and unsxtis-
was not one OF them who would not vote all the
men and all the money necessary TO wipe out that
stain on te na9aa ne nc honor as al hazards lie
nimity on this question and to repeal the act OF
March 3, 1873 BY SO doing he was sure they
which they surrendered. They would not only re-
ceive the Consciousness OF having done their duty
according to their oath, but they would feel that
resentatiye, aWei DONE good and faithful
servantn
Mr.. HAwLEY, (rep.) or Conn, addressed the
House in favor OF the reduction OF salaries. He
did not object to the increase given TO the men,
bers OF the Cabinet and Justices OF the supreme
Court. He was perfectly willing that those officials
who come to Washington and keep house in
a respectable style should have $4,000 q year.
AS to the Presidents salary, he had not voted
TO make 1t $4,000, and would not do SO. lie was
sorry to see such tone OF denuncaton or censnre
as prevailed in the House on this subject. 1t was
below the tone Of the nation. He would vote Tor
reasonable reduction OF salary, and TO give mem-
bers what he thought they ought to have.
Mr.. KELLOGG, rep.) OF Conn.,, favored the reduc-
ti0n OF salaries Of members and senators, but did
not believe that the people required any inter-
ference with the salaries OF other officials. He
therefore, could not support the bill OF the
minority AS to the back pay, the will of the people
should be respected III had not been stealing, u
mad been at least very bad blunder, and blunders
were sometimes as bad as crimes.
MI. L. H. ROBERTS, (rep.) OF N. Y, was the next
be listened TO- II that voice was unreasonable, it
should be dehed; but II 1t was Just II should be
respected In this case he obeyed the popular
will, because he believed 1t was right. The same
reasons which actuated him in opposing the in
crease last session controlled him now. Gentle
men belitted the question when they made 1t a
personal question only. 1t was true that great vo-
ence and lack Of discrimination had characterized
the public press on this question he trusted that
none OF them would object to criticism even II 1t
were trenchant and severe. But the indiscrimnat
abuse OF public men, without reason and without
decent preteXt, was q crying shame. III its effects
could be Kept at home it would not be SO mis-
chievous, although it diminished the inctement 20
laudable ambition II members carried their eyes
to the other side OF the Atlantic they would see
how greatly more mischievous 1t was.
Mr. NEGLEY (rep.) OF Paid not the gentleman
carry his back pay to the other side OF the At
lantic9
Mr. RoBERTs-If the gentleman has satisfied his
own conscience with reference to his own back pay
he has performed his duty, but appeal TO hlm not
to decide my duty for me.
Mr. NEGLEY-i mean nothing unkind to the gen.
tleman, but simply make the inquiry whether the
gentleman did not lately return his back pay to
the Treasury
Mr. RoBERrs-Wnen assent to degrade this
body BY personal controversy IL VIII be when
change my estimate OF public duty. say that this
indscriminate abuse OF public men, this attempt
to drag down gentlemen in this body, Is an injury
not to party, not to individuals but to the coun-
try as a whole. Look at the exhibitions on this
floor. What Is the effect of them abroad ?
goes into retirement The great evil OF
this general denunclatlOn Is that 1t strikes at the
integrity and honor OF the Republic, and yet this
newspaper criticism grows out OF moral sentl-
ment higher than has ever before prevailed. 1t is
the expresston-morbid perhaps-but still the ex-
preston OF something cOmmendablc-tne expires
sion OF an aroused public conscience. Let the
icon0clast break down the idols II he will, but let
his fury be stayed before he destroys the household
gods and the divinity of the Republic. Let these
critics restrain the fury OF their denunciations Let
US also be manly enough to accept what is true in
their criticism.
Mr. NIBIACK, (dem.) OF Ind, said that he had
opposed an increase OF salary last session, not
only because he thought that IL carried bad 1aitn
farther than it had ever been carried before on
that subject ana was setting dangerous pre-
cedent, but because he thought that IT placed the
compensation OF members and other officials tar
higher than was required by any exigency OF the
public service. He doubted whether the increase
to members was of any real advantage to them.
He thought that 1T made the contest Tor seats more
sharp, more bitter and more expensive than 1t had
been under the old system. He thought that,
under all the circumstances the most graceful
thing to do was simply to reinstate substantially
the old law, leaving all other questions connected
with IL to be settled hereafter on some more ap-
propriate occasion He preferred the bill reported
by the select committee to any other proposition
that had been submitted, because he believed II
was one which the House was more likely to har-
monize than any other. He did not think that the
compensation OF the members Of the Cabinet and
OF the judges Of the supreme Court was too high;
but he thought that the Presidents salary out
OF all proportion to all the other salaries fixed last
session. 1t gave the President i've times as mucn
as member OF the Cabinet or Judge OF the SUI
preme Court and that was out OF proportioh 10 the
nature of the service and the Obligations,
duties and expenses or their respective POSITIONS.
Mr.. DURHAM, (dem.) of KY, said that, while he
did not believe that the compensation OF members
as fixed by the last Congress was one cent TOO
much, he would still vote for reduction, In obe-
dence to public sentiment. He would vote to have
the salary fixed at $4,000, but at the same time he
believed that his district demanded, and that the
good Of the whole country demanded, the restora-
ton OF the franking privilege.
Mr.. PHELPS, trep.) OF n. j., favored the Dill re-
ported by the committee, though he was rather
inclined to prefer to IL the amendment proposed
by Mr.. Townsend, Of Pennsylvania, fixing the sal
ary of members at SO, 600 year.
Mr.. FRYE (rep1 OF Me-, did not want to make
speech, but desired to enter caveat at this stage
OF the proceedings. II the debate continued for
two or three Gays longer and 100 or 200 more
speeches were made, all OF them in favor OF the re-
peal OF the Salary bill. his constituents would cer-
tainly come to the conclusion that 1t required an
immense amount OF powder to bring him TO. He
wished TO say, not to the House. put to his Tar on
constituents, that he should not make
a speech, that there was no need
OF his making a speech, and that the speeches
made here were not for his conversion, because he
had always been in the faith and needed no con-
version. He simply desired his constituents to un.
derstand this daughter and applause.l
Mr.. DAWES, (rep.) OF Mass, said that he made no
claim to the gift OF prophecy, but II he predicted
anything when he opposed the increase of salary
last session his prediction was history now. II he