Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-19

The conference committee does not appear I
TO me as wise or judicious as it should be. |
So far as it relates to the salaries OF the |
President. the members of the Cabinet, snd |
iustices of the Supreme Court, approve 1t.
have been from the first in favor Of in
crossing the salaries of those officers. In |
respect of the salaries of the heads OF De-
partments and the judges Of the Supreme |
Court do notthink this proposition even |
does them Justice. believe those officers |
ought to receive still higher salaries than
proposed by this report; and indesd 50 Tar
as the President is concerned, the increase |
fixed by this bill is q less compensation |
than the salary that was paid to the tirst |
President of the United States, taking into
consideration the expenses OF living as
they existed at that time. ia gil. i.ale
In respect of salaries Of members OF Con-
gress the House knows very well mat Ia
my view the salary fixed by the conference
committee is too high. My mott ,n Is that
the salaryof members of CONGRESS hould
be. Just enough to support them piaim y, 10
enable them to pay their way mere, anu
vet not enough 10 make any one seek the 4
Office merely for the sa' airy ard from all
the attention have been able to give Inc
subject thought Sc, 200 was UGH sum.
have thought, also, that the increase ought
not to apply to the present Congress.
But while in these particulars do not
favor the report of the conference commit
ee. / think it would be very great mis-
fortune-greater than any which may re-
suit from the injustice of fixing these sala-
ries as proposed by the report--to have an
extra session brought about by reason OF
the failure the House to agree to this con-
ference report even as it is. l can haroly
conceive anything more unfortunate ior
the public Treasury than an extra session
of the Forty-Third Congress-the House
of Representatives of which will have
Republican majority OF more than TWO
thirds-to take up the measures OF leg STA
ton embraced in this bill, and proceed 10
such other legislation as they may. Inc
action of Congress on this 5hl ana SOME
other measures has not been satisfactory
to me, and yet generally doubt Ehetner
any House has for some years behaved on
the whole so wisely as the present House.
| With reference TO the next Congress car
not feel much confidence. l should there
| fore fear that transferring such measures
| of legislation from this Congress to the
next, so far from leading to saving to the
public Treasury, will, no matter how Cd
| iectionable this present bill as reported
| from the committee of conference may be,
prove the very reverse. For myself, much
as object to this conference report, shall
hesitate before take the responsibility, if
it comes to that, Of bringing on an extra
session by rejecting this report.
MIR. Banks. Theremarks Of the gentle
man from California have touched the very
marrow of this question. 1t is fact
that no member of the House should re-
ceive $4,000 year while other members
receive but $1,000. Aud ask my col
league, TMr. Croker, who has voted stead
! against this measure, what right
| he has to say by bis vote that one
member shall receive $4,000, while
another from Massachusetts shall receive
but $1,000 or S. 200? Ny colleague from
the Worcester district said that the other
side of the House looked black when the
proposition was made to increase the Pres
dents salary, and that they looked other
wise when there was another proposition
made touching salaries Of other officers, in
Guiding members ofthe Senate and House
Let me tell gentlemen on the other side
not to be afraid upon this question OF in
creasing salaries; for they cannot be charg-
ed with the responsibility for an increase
which had its origin on this side. 1t ]:
not party question.
The gentleman from Ohio Mr.. Steven
sop1 has raised question of average. He
saws Hon the average" the pay is at presen
about right. That is somewhat like what
was said by man who had barrel ofspoil
ed mackerel. Said be ''some are good
and some not so good, but on the averag
think YOU VI i'll find them tolerAble sweet.
Iaughter.l We do not want an average
of that sort.
There is another impor tant view Of thi
subject. The principle upon which thi
question of salaries must be decided IN
republican form of government is simpt'
one, that every man who represents the PEG
pie here in Congress or elsewhere is emit
tied to support-not mean or degrand
irg support, not bare existense, which Il
the last days of the session puts him IN sue
q position that he cannot get away from tn
civ without surrendering himself to lobby
i.ts.lbut decent and respectable support.
do hesitate tc say that any man who as
serts that a member of this Housecan sup
port himself in this city upon S0,OJOa yea
with his family, as contend be should
be within the bounds of Truth.
One word more as to those who vot
against this measure. They are doubles:
sincerely opposed to an increase OF salaries
: but possibly for very different reasons
, Thev are a third of. them a. least VIII
, could afford to vote against any salary a
all to members OF Congress, the conse
ouence of which would be that the Whol5
J legislative power of the Government woul
be thrown into the hands of what are call
ed fnanciers, the spectators, monopolsts
, LOBBYISTS, robbers, and thieves. Laughter
, It is not a. republican doctrine, and how
ever much it may be in accord with tn
spirit of the hour, it will not tend TO pre-
serve a republican form of government
This im;eratively demands that the ser
wants of the people should be able t.
} maintain at least for themselves and theII
families a respectable existence.
MIR. Garfield, of Ohio. Ihave nothing fur
tier to say except that | wish the Hous
to weigh well the danger of refusing to cor
chr in this report. The conferees hav
spept ten full hours of hard work in pre-
pairing it for the consideration OF the House
and ask gentlemen to consider the respoI
sibility thrown upon them IN acting upoi
! THIS Question:. Call iOI d NOSO'
The Speaker. The hour allotted to tn
gentleman from Ohio to close debate ha
expired
MIR. Holman. | rise to parliamentar
inquiry, there being but one subject, tn
: salory alone, in reference to which there !!
; division of opinion. 1.-THE House refuse
to sustain this point will it not be in orde
to recommit to the same committee?
3 The Speaker. 1t would be, or to ordt
2 a new conference.
Mr.. Holman. We have twenty hou
/. left in which that can be done.
Mr.. Holman demanded the yeas ar
' nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The Speaker. The Chair has decides
he would not entertain motion to lay up
: on the table . conference repo t. BE i
)! aware this ruling is somewhat differel
: from that made by previous occupants {
It the chair. He has, however, uniformity d
e cided conference report could not be Ia
), on the table because it would carry the b
IL, rnioato tho