Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-12-25
Aad CoNGnEss sALARY nrLL,

# y - ;
the 4th district Of Illinois, is tho author
! of the Salary bill that finally passed
the House on the 18th inst.
Evidently the high salary men
sought to extond the discussion Of the
bill reported by the Committee APP
pointed to frame the same, of which
Hale, Of Maine, was chairman, and
embarrass it with amendments until
Its own parents would not know it,
and them come in with substitute -
Chief among these csrpers at the Com
mittee's Bill, were Butler, of Mass,
and Beck, Of Ky, Both supported and
voted TOR the salary grab and took the
money. Kentucky democracy, at home,
refused 70 condeinn the action Of
Beck. After the enemies Of the, Com.
mittee's bill, had gotit so tangled up
and loaded down with unconstitntion.
al provisions and other matters, that
it could not pass, they came In with 4
substitute offered BY Hurlbut, ct what
I . ~ "
they deemed an opportune time, and
succeeded in passing it.
The bill as finally passed is as fol-
lows: 4.sss. - IA
SEcTroN l. That from and after the
passage of this act the compensation Of
Senators, Representatives, and dele!
gates shall be at the rate of 5000 per
annum, payable monthly, and, in ad.
ditiOn thereto, actual individual cx-
penses ofeach Senator, Representative,
and delegate in going To and returning
from tha seat Of government once in
each session, to be oertif1ed In writing
by each. Sa ~.
SEc. Q. That the compensation of
tho Speaker Of the House of Repre-
sentatives shall be 81, 900 in addition
70 his pay as Representative, amount
Ling ino oil to 5000; and that Of the
Vice. President shall be the same
amount, with the same allowance for
traveJng expenses Iss hereinhefore
SEC. 2. That all laws and parts Of
laws inconsistent with the provisions
of this act are hereby repealed.
SEC. 4. That the Secretary of the
Treasury is required to cover into tho
Treasury all sums that may remain
undrawn, or which have been received
as Increased compensation under the
provisions Of said act, approved March
3, 1873, which shall have or may come
into his possessian by the return there
| OF. 81
1Mr. Beck took occasion in the dis
cussion OF the above bill, to defend
his action in voting for the salary grab
and taking the money, pleading that
If he had not supported il, an Extra
Session would have been necessary, at
which much mischief would have been
done. '1 5e
The substitute was strongly opposed
by Hale, Dawes, Cox, Kasson, Haw.
ley, of Conn, and others. The thing
was put through under the previous
question on very close vote. When
the point was reached Of ordering the
previous question, the vote stood 13l
yeas to $50 nays. On the passage Of
the bill tho yeas and nays were de-
manded but refused, and the bill was
passed on o division of 122 to IA. The
cowardly trick Of Avoiding the yeas
and nays was shameful devfce -un.-
worthy of the House. After the SUBJ
stitutc had been successful over the
original bill, Butler got the floor and
delivered diatribe against the people
over the shoulders of the press, dis
graceful to even q pot-house politician
The bill is a compromise, giving in
lieu of the Franking privilege and
mileage under the old law, actual
travelling expenses to and from Wash
ington, for each Session, and one
thousand dollars. This may not be
too much; it may not really amount to
any increase Of expenditure to the
Government, over that under the old
law, SO far as the members Of Congress
are concerned, but 1t certainly does
not go far enough. Very many things
are not touched under this substitute
that demanded repeal. If we have the
correct copy of the bill, we fear the
House has not satisfied the public
We think the Senate will make war
upon this bill, and that 1t will never
pass that body in its present shape.
The Senate has shown its good
sense In one thing, over the House,
which is very much to its credit, viz |:
1t refuses to adjourn for two or three
weeks vacation, by quite decisive
vote, laying the resolution Of the
House upon the table. We do not
think that full representation from
the South, in CaIpet-baggers and Ex-
rebels, improves the legislation OF
Congress.
| Since the above was in type the
Senate has backed down and Congress
has adjourned to January 9th.
| DAVID A. GAGE, late Treasurer Of
the City of Chicago, and a defaulter
away up in the hundred thousands
was a democrat, taken up by the
eminent Reform. organs, the Tribune
and Times in 1869, and elected Treas.
urer. By said organs supported fol
reelection in 1871, and again last fall
but failed. Indeed the Tribune yirtu
ally admits that it knew he was de
faulter before he was nominated th,
last time, though il supported hin
heartily. The Iss6wne now shys OF
from tho subject by demanding tha