Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-12-25

SAGE OF A BILL FIXING SALARIE:
AT Sc 600, AND ACTUAL EXPENSES.
The House then resumed the consid
Grafton of the salary bill.
Mr.. Kassan moved to reconsider the
vote Of last evening adopting the
amendment making the reduction o.
members salaries commence with the
beginning of Congress, and also moved
to lay the motion to reconsider on the
table. Agreed to. Yeas 166; nays 81
Mr.. Hale, of New York, moved to
strike out that portion referring to the
President, and said he would move a
similaramendment in regard to Cabi-
net officers and To the employees OF
! Congress. They should not look only
to the question of the value of the
Presidents time for four years, but to
! the effect on his future life of having
held that office. A Ex-President was
in substance debarred from the ordina-
ry pursuits and avocations of life, pro-
fessional, commercial, public, or other
wise. He did not believe that the
President ought to be left at the expi-
ration of his term of office, to be i'm
poverished by his position, as was tho
case with Thomas Jefferson.
DAWES MAKES A GOOD POINT.
Mr.. Dawes said: / feel ut liberty to
say that nothing could be so unfortu-
nate than for us in this condition of af-
fairs to insist in putting these officers
in the position OF clutching at increases
OF salaries with one hand, and gather
ing in new taxes with the other. /
take the liberty to say in behalf of all
these men, that they are in heart and
spirit Cooperating with us in the de-
sire to cut down every unneces-
sary expense whether it be in salaies
or in anything else.
Mr.. Tremain: Have you the authOri-
ty of any member of the Cabinet for
saying that he is opposed to an increase
as tc the present aud future?
Mr.. Dawes: l have the authority OF
character of all these men for saying
that they will not stand up before this
country and insist upon it that we will
go Oh increasing the burdens of the peo-
pie in order to meet the Increase OF
their own salaries, while we cut down
our own and all others.
Mr.. Wood; | would ask the gentle
man from Massachusetts whether the
President has drawn his increased sal
ary.
Mr.. Dawes: Oh, I know nothing
about such things. Sarcastic laugh
ter on the Democratic side.
Mr.. Storm defended the increase of
salary act as just, right and fair.
TREMAINE's AMENDMENT REJECTED.
Mr.. Tremaine, at the request of Mr..
Blair. modified his amendment so as to
omit the Speaker from the scope of it.
The amendment WAS then rejected
yeas 10; nays 1913.
Mr.. Butler, Of Massachusetts,, on his
name being called, said that under the
instruction of his State, he voted aye.
A question then recurred on calls for
an amendment in reference to the Pres
ident's salary, ,and it was rejected. Yeas
20; nays 1856.
Mr.. Poland offered an amendment
requiring members of the present Con-
gress who received back pay as MEM
bers of the last Congress to refund by
monthly reduction, and directing the
Treasurer to communicate the passage
of the bill to eX-members of the last
Congress, and to receive the money
that should be returned.
MIR. Poland went to speak to his
Mr.. Hale, of Maine, asked him
whether Congress had the right to pass
an act which should affect certain
members Of Congress, leaving their
salaries at one rate and the salaries of
other members OF Congress at another
rate.
Mr.. Poland replied that he proposed
to make all salaries of the members at
the same rate.
Mr.. Hale: Why do you deduct from
some and not from others?
Mr.. Poland: In point of fact we make
the salaries equal, but we have the
right to make them unequal if we
choose. This is not mere 6Tittttna fut- |
men. 1t is a pretty efficient legal rem
edy against these men.
Mr.. Holman moved as substitute |
for Mr.. Poland's amendment, one ap-
plying only TO members of the present |
Congress who were also members of |
the last Congress, emitting everything
as TO eX-nembers.
Mr.. Poland accepted Mr.. Holman's |
as Il substitute for his own.
MIR. KasSon made point of order |
that the amendment WAS uucOnStitu- |
tional.
The Speaker said he did not sit as |
judiciary officer, to decide order. If |
he ruled out everything that he con.
sidered unconstitutional his duties |
would be very much enlarged.
The question was taken on Holman's |
and it was agreed to. !
Yeas 156; nays 101.
Mr.. Maynard offered an amendment |
to except from the proposed reduction
of Congress, and spoke in |
support of his proposition. The amend
Inent was rejected without the yeas |
and nays. ]
Mr.. Butler, of Mass, moved to
amend by adding a proviso requiring
all members who had also been men,
bers of the preceding Congress, and in
which they had received back pay to |
return the same to the Treasurer. He
appealed to the House TO come up to |
me matter squarely, Like men, and
support the substisute which would be |
offered for the whole bill by the gen.
tleman from Illinois, Mr.. Hurlburt,.
liking the salary at 81, 200, to take effect |
rom the passage Ofthe act. {Cries of
good! good! That's right.J The ques-
ion Was taken viva voce on Buffers |
and it was carried by lib |
TO rs.
Mr.. Hurlburt then offered tive follow
ing as substitute for the whole bill. |
That from and after the passage Of this |
act the compensation of Senators, Rep I
resentativeS and Delegates shall be at |
the rate of $4,000 per annum, payable
and in addition thereto the |
actual expenses OF each Senators, Rep
Delegates returning to |
and from the Capital once in each ses-
sion.
SEC. .. That the compensation of the \
speaker OF the House of Representa-
tives shall be $1,000 in addition to his /
salary as Representative, amounting to /
S. 900, and that of the Vice President |
Shall be the sama amount with the |