New-York tribune., 1873-03-13
THR SALARY GRAB.

HOW THE SALARY BILL WAS PASSED.
BUTLER THE AUTHOR OF TIE BILL-TRtCkS AND
MANEUvERs-THB DisGRACRFUL RsrkoAO-
TIVE CLAUsE-A $1,000 BRIDE SPEAKER
BLIANE's PART IN THE scHEME-THE VOTE
IN DERAIL. ..ft."
IPRoa A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THR TRIBuNSi
WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE Increased SAL
aries bill which put as rider upon an approiA
ton bill and passed in the last hours OF the session. hau
ehecauered and diseFeeitabe history It's author was
Gen. Butler who was probably the only man oi ap'nY
IN Congress who had the courage 70 stand sponsor Io
measure which vas evidently destined to be exceedingly
unpopular, and the ultimate passage OF Whion ooAu
almost hopeless Butler prepared his bill carly IN 'ho
session and sent IL to his ComRttee the Ju1i0ay
He might just appropriately have referred 10 lnVN
Pensions or Foreign Affairs. The Dill hao DO to-"
ton 20 the proper business Of the judiciary Ceee'
INIT Butler wanted II where he could nurse hlSen'
lie did not dare trust it TO other hands general ee
log had existed in House for two or three years %
some increase OF salary ought TO be preVlsed Ior '
President and Supreme Court Judges some tnousn'
that the Cabinet Ministers should nave hsao ia sU
nay also and numerous spasInodc attempts hau "eou
made TO raise the salaries Of certain bureau onoefs anu
ss,stapt secretaries but without success. Nothing hau
ever been said in either House, however, III iaVor OF IN
creasins the pay OF Congressman unul Butter
broaohod the subject For nearly ten years lne
salary of Senators and Representatives had remained
unchanged at $500 year. with mileage at the rate OF 40
cents mile for the distance TO and from his home by
the shortest post routes There besides an allow
ance of 25 10 each member Of the House for station
cry for the long session, and So ior the
short session, allowance OF $50 session
for newspapers and liberal appropriations for packing
boxes roots, bulbs and cuttings OF ornamental plants
and trees bouquets envelopes for speeches. &c. The
Senators had an unlimited allowance Of stationery,
which was construed TO include cologne bay rum tooth
brushes pocket-k knives photograph albums soap god
pencils and an astonishing variety OF other articles
Five thousand dollars year with all these perquistes
appeared pretty liberal compensation, in view OF the
fact that most Of the have other business be-
side that OF legslatng for the country and have plenty
OF time 70 attend It, the sessions OF Congress occupy
ing only about nine months out Of "a
BUFFERS FIRsT EFFoRTs
The idea Of making Omnibus bill TO include with
the long talkedof for the President the su-
prcmc CoI Judges and the Heads ofDepartments, the
never before talkedof increase for members OF Con-
cress apparently originated with Butler. He brought
the bill sack the Judiciary Committee, on the 7th
February. with long report, historical, arguments
tive. and didactc, written by himself IN which ne
laboed hard prove that there strong reasons OF
Justice mos, and public economy for raising the sal
AIRY u $50 per annum In the same report he adyo-
Gated the increase OF the Presidents salary to $4,000
and proposed raise the pay Of the Judges and the
Heads Of ID pariRents $1,000 His bill TO accomplish
all this was reeOmnited without action. Ssne time be-
fore, Sargent had tried to put amendment ON the
Executive and Legislative Appropriation bill raising the
Presidents salary to s5OOoO Dawes, who was IN the
chair ruled be in order but appeal was taken,
ana the House. Of co Yeas 10 81 Nays refused
60 sustain this ruling.
Buffers to get his hill hitched on TO an
Appropriation bill lie made the frst effort to accom-
plish thus on Feb. H. when he moved TO suspend the
truot the Appropriations Committee TO
bring The bill part Of the Miscellaneous Appro-
pr1aSn bal then about be reported the House He
was beaten by vote OF 81 Yeas 1I9 Nays but he
ha aho nj he
strength OF his forces and could how many recruits
he get win He had foreseen that il was essen
5ial the help of the outgoing members who
numbered nearly hundred and that there was only
way do this: by allowing them 70 share in the
profits the proposed raid the Treasury. He there
fore inserted tho words, including members of the
XLIId Congress- the effect OF which was TO make the
increas, relrOactive-going back two years.
DRUMMING UP RECRUITS
UP TO This time comparatively few members had faith
in the process OF the movement, and very little had
said abOut in tile informal canvasses in the lob
bie and coak-rooms which influence the disposition OF
bills than the debates upon the floor. Now 1t
was seen that bill had a strong backing OF pledged
supporters. ana active for recruits began
Late IN the night Monday the 25th Butler sprung his
bill upon the House. as an amendment to the Execu
tive, legislative and judicial Appropriation bills
which had come back from tho Senate with amend
ments. No but the friends of the measure
had notice of his intention. A large number of
members had gone home on the assurance
OF Garfield that the bill would be called up
only TO get II I'm place and that he expected action
upon IT. Garfield protested. but Butler insisted on
vote on his ment, and carried II by n 70 81 on
vote by teers in Committee OF the Whole The Credit
Mobrr debate interviewed next DAY. aud II was Friday
before the question came up again Batlers amend,
ment adopted n Committee OF the Whole, rejected
by the House on call the Yeas and Nays. by vote
l2l Butler changed ms vete 10 No, IN order to
move reconsideration.
The SARGENT AMENDMENT ADOPTED.
Next morning he made the motion, and promised il it
carried to admit amendment, prepared by Sargent,
fxiEg the salary $500 with allowance for travel
ing expenses. This seemed fair proposition and the
accommodation carried without much opposition
Sargent offered his amendment but by the time began
10 dawn upon the minds OF the members VINO opp0se0
an,ncrca-e that II any change made in the salary
whole question would In the end go TO Conference
COMMITTEE OF SIX men VINO eopI Po' ln any amount %
report risk losing the entire Appropriation
bill. which would make an extra session necessary,
Sargens amendment narrowly escaped defeat the vote
being lO0 10 o. Amendments offered by Garfield were
adopted raising the salaries OF all the clerks OF the
House and adding Is per cent TO the pay OF all other
empO, aud adding 5000 TO the salaries OF the
Assistant Secretaries OF the General Departments.
arose on cOncurring in the Salary amendment some
Senators opposed because II did not increase their
make any increase Both these elements Of opposition
united defeat motion TO concur The vote stood %
PACKED CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
The bill then went OF necessity to Conference Com
mttee. Speaker Blaine now took hand In the game,
and appointed as the House eonferees Garfield Butler,
and Randall knowing that the two latter were in favor
larger Of salary than the House had at any
time indorsed. They both advocates OF beaten
proposition, aud 1t was In violation Of wel-reeognzed
principle Of parliamentary practice 10 appoint either OF
them the Committee. The Senate cOuferees, named
by the YcePresldeDt, all high-salary men, who
sisted that $500 not enough and would be less than
s@e The Conference agreed to pat another 81 600 on
making the salary $500 and they restored Buffers pro