The Portland daily press., 1873-06-24
The Salary Grab.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND DISCOVERIES.
The Washington special of the Boston Al

The Washington special of the Boston Ad-
vertiser says:
Several members of Congress in various parts
racy of the lists lately printed in these dispatch
es of those congressman who have returned
their back pay to the Treasury or are attempt
ing to create an impression that because they
have not actually drawn their money it is still
in the Treasury. The lists as already published
were yesterday carefully compared again with
the official record in the Treasury department
and found to be accurate. They include every
member of either house who has either openly
or under injunction OF secresy returned his
money to the Treasury and made it available
for the uses of the government, so that as
printed they show all who up to June 18th
have replaced their back pay in the Treasury in
such shape that 1t is beyond their CONTROL
The claim of many Senators and members that
they notified the disbursng officers of their re-
back pay simply amounts to leaving the money
where it can be drawn by these members at any
time, nor does such instructions cause the back
pay of those giving them to remain in the
Treasury Congresmen do no not themselves
draw their pay from the Treasury and could
not do SO if they wished. When the appropri-
alton bill containing the items of compensation
and mileage goes into effect, the entire sum ap-
propriated becomes subject to the acquisitions
of the dsbursing officers of the respective
houses anu IL IL no longer III tne Treasury, ana
any member of Congress can draw his share
whenever he chooses from the disbursing off,
Ger.
No portion of the pay due any member can
be placed beyond his control except by his
drawing it and having it returned to the Treas
ury, in which case it is no longer subject to the
action of appropriation bills or disbursing OIL
GERS warrants, but becomes again available for
the general purposes of the government. Some
OF the members are claiming that If they re-
!rain from drawing this back pay it will lapse
into the Treasury as unexpended balances. This
Is not the case, as under the law as construed
~ the department the certificates of the
amounts due each Senator, Representative or
deiegate, which the President of the Senate
ana tne speaker of the House are obliged to
make out, are held to be conclusive upon all de-
partments and officers of the government, and
the certincates are passed as public accounts
and the money can be drawn npon them by
congressman, their heirs or executors, at any
department show that Thomas H. Benton drew
rack pay and constructive mileage five years
after he had denounced the bill providing it as
. "a public robbery, and notified the disbursing
ohacer inr that he would not have it. The books
adso ao snow that Andrew johnson drew for mile
hT tt nS mao refused, and the receiving of which
ny oC1ers ne had denounced on the stump after
ne ne nsu IeIt Congress, served as Governor of
tennesste, ana afterwards returned as a mem
ger oI ano.h9r Congress. The books also show
.nat hopeIto. alker after the close of the
late war, ofew sum due fer constructive mile
age Tor attending tne hrst session of tho Senate
IN POLK administration which at the time he
had refused to take from the discussing officers.