Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-12-19

increase of salary, coutended that congress
had perfect right to increase Its own COM
pensation. and such increase was always
and necessarily retroactive; that there was
ample precedent for such increase, that the
brightest ornaments OF American history
had subjected themselves to the same uehun-
citation as the Forty Second Congress; lie
claimed that when Congress passed the re-
troactive law OF the last session 1t had
constitutional right to do So lie was no.
saving whether it was expedient or NOT, put
no blush should rest on the cheek OF any
man; whether he voted for It or moi, ne
should have felt that he was as Just entitled
TO il as he was to receive ioilar DAY
1t was a constitutional law constitutional
IL passed, and those who were entitled 10
paw under it we're a. much entitled 10 Tue
whole of it a. they were to any dime rece"-
ed under it. lie had given ii as his opinion
in the last speech he made in the House,
fourteen wears ago, that if the salaries oil
members of Congress. were $40, 900 Senators
SIS 900, the Chief. Justice Of the Supreme
Court $50 900, the Associate Supreme Court
Judges S25, 900, and of President 500 ,OUo.
it would be better for the country at large,
and he held the same opinion still. lie Ger
tainly should not vote for the bill reported
by the committee.
Mr.. Garfield (Ohio) followed in reply to
Mr.. Stephens, taking directly the opposite
ground. Mr.. Randall PA. )opposed the re
duction below s. 800. Mr.. Potter IN. -
saw no reason to think different than when
in the last Congress he favored the increase
of the executive and judicial salaries, and
the congressional to Sc 800. but opposed
back pay Mr.. Kasson (lows) again adVo-
Gated the minority report.
Mr.. Grassland (ky.), opposed the repesi
of the salary law had voted against tue
increase but had taken 1t when Il became
law. and now could not return it II ne
would and would not if he could. lie paid
his compliments to Mr.. Cox under his new
sobriauet of "Dew-drop. and then turned
his attention TO Judge Lawrence (Ohlo).
He informed the House that in one OF the
annual agricultural reports there was
picture of ram which the COMMISSIONER
of agriculture had named "Ja1se Law
renee" Laughter that ram had neeh
brought TO Washington and boarded by the
agricultural department at the pubuc eA-
pense. If Judge Lawrence IN whose com
pliment il had been named had not called
attention to that extravaganee II diu not
become him to complain of any other ex-
trayaoance The hammer fell before Cross
land had concluded his remarks, but he was
allowed to proceed under the plea that he
had never spoken in the House before, and
that if they would hear him ont he would
never trouble them again
Mr.. Lawrence (Ohio) took the foor IN re
ply to the many attacks upon HIM IN the
course of the present debate. The discus
sion was now pretty well exhausted. and IT
being past the usual hour of adjournment
Mr.. Hale (Me. who had charge of the bill,
moved the previous question on lts
third reading. The friends Of the
minority bill and all who were IN
favor of a more sweeping measure than tbat
proposed by the lsajority bill, in conJune-
ton with those who desired to offer amend
ments in regard to the restoration OF the
ranking privilege, etc, rallied To vote
down the previous action. The vote was
taken by tellers and resulted ayes iuo, n.es
l45. So the House refused to second the
previous question and Mr.. hasson Iowa J.
who had reported the minority bill, Obtain,
ed control of the subject. lie Yielded
to Mr. orth lind who moved to reenmlnit
the bill to the select committee With "a
| struetioas To report bill repeating the
whole salary act Of the last Congrel7 %
| far as the same could he done under the
constitution, and TO ascertain the aver
age amount of salary, mileage ana all
other allowances, exclusive OF any est
mate for the ranking privilege. that
was paid TO Senator's, Representatives
and delegate- IN the FOrtY-First Congress,
and TO report hill tomorrow liking the
| COMPENSATION at the amount thus GScer-
tanned as.nearly a. practicable. with the ne
cessary travelling expenses, and restoring
all other salaries a. they were before the
passage of the act The speaker in answer
| to a number OF inquiries allo the House.
explained the parliamentary status of the
| bill and without coming to vote on the
proposition the House at - p. m adj
| iOurnet
WASHINGTON. Dee. IL
HOUSE.
Mr.. Coning,, (Mo defended the inerea K
of the salary bill. and argued that the
public clamor against it had been produced
partly by misrepresentation and partly by
! a Misrepresentation of the facts. lie an
nounced his intention, however. to vote Tor
| the bill reported By the committee.
Mr.. Orth lind said he had offered his
proposition, LAST evening, more in the
! nature of compromise than any thing else.
becatse it was apparent that unless there
was a compromise the Ilouse would never
arrive At any conclusions He thought that
four propositions had been definitely settled
bypublic opinion first, that the law of the
last Congress should be repealed second,
that mileage shall never again be restored ;
third, that the Thanking privilege so far as
relates TO the personal privilege OF members
| of Congress shall never be restored, what
ever else may be done in regard to dis
tributIng public documents. and fourth,
that the salary Of members Of Congress
shall be substantially what it was under the
old law. All this he provided for in the
proposition which he had offered.
Mr.. 0rth Ind offered the following resO-
! luton That the select committee report Ii
| bill repeating the salary act - far a. the
same can be done under the constitution
excepting the judges Of the supreme court.
and ascertain the average amount of salary,
mileage and other allowances. exclusive OF
any estimate for the use Of the ranking
| privilege. paid to Senators, Representatives
and delegates in the Forty-First Congress,
and report a bill determining the compensa-
ton OF Senators, Representatives and dele
gates in Congress hereafter at the amount
as near a. practicable thus aScertained with
the necessary travelling expenses and rest0r-
ing all other salaries A. they were before
the passage Of that act. This proposition
was adopted without the yeas and nays,
80 the bill was recommitted to the special
| By Mr.. Orth. and it was agreed that
when the bill shall be reported back it
will be considered under the five minute
rule.
The House at , O'Clock p. III. went into
the committee of the whole. and took up
the bill appropriating "a ZOO, 900 for the
extraordinary expenses of the naval service.
In the course of the discussion Mr.. Cox
| On. W said that there was not fight
enough in the House to kill a mouse /;
that had been proved the other day on
the belligereney question. The diplomacy
Of the government was not up to the popular
sentiment The flag of the country had been
dragged in The dust through our diplomacy.
One thing, however, was certain, and that
was that the navy ought to be- better and
stronger than it was The city of New
York. to-day, was at the mercy OF any of
the European iron-elads that might choose
to enter that harbor. 1t could close up
business and destroy the property of that
city By some peculiar refinement of naval
| architectare and naval warfare. that city
was to-day at tho mercy # even - mean
and contemplate power as Spain.
Mr.. Kellogg (Conn. us it a good time
then, for going to war;
Mr. Cex-I am not speaking Of going t.
war; am speaking Of the increase Of the
navy, irrespective OF our diplomacy
Mr.. ilawley Conn } also called Cox to
account for his remarks derogatory to the
House, emphatically endorsed the admins
tration for its conduct Of the Spanish diff
Guilty from the beginning tothe end and ad-
VocateJ the bill
Mr. Beck (Ky.) took occasion to eulogiIe
the administration for its course in refer
ence to Cuban affairs He said that il there
was anything which the President had
managed well it was the negotiations with
Spain The President might have plunged
the country into difficulties and perhaps
have aggrandized himself AT the expense of
the country. but the course which he had
pursued had been extremely moderate and
wise
The discussion took an exceedingly
personal turn throughout, and was carried