The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-03-19

The Late Congress.
The Now York Tribune says

! The Now York Tribune says:
"An analysis Of the vote in the
House on the salary question shows
that 81 Of the l03 who favored the
increase were not reelected to Goa.
gtess. That IL to soy, they had done
their work at the rate Of comrcu&a-
tion originally agreed upon, and
they had h6 immediate prospect
of coming back again. They there;
! fore grabbed five thousand more
apiect. These men, wise in their day
and generation, undoubtedly think
that the shappicst time is now.'"
Is not this disgraceful ? Here VIC
have number Of men whose right to
max, laws had been taken away by
the peoclc, and which right would
have expired in few hours, passing
law to put into their own pockets
five thousand dollars each to which
;hey had no title under the law as it
stood when they were chosen to Con-
yrcss, nor under any law which exist.
ed during any part Of their term, but
one of their own making. They liter
ally put their hands iuto tho public
fsc, and transferred thence to their
OWN pockets, contrary to the recorded
vote of il majority Of the members
whose services the people had en-
saged for another term, the sum Of
'vcr fifteen hundred thousands dollars.
Was there ever snch Congress be-
fore Az vas fitting, this outrage
was coOsummated under The lead cf
Beast Butter. lie it was who was
the patron Of the ameudm ent nt.-Rich-
mo"d Dispatch.
We havo expl,ined below the
m4n':er IL ".;ch the members Of the
toriy-scc>Ed Congress tmuggled
through the provisions putting fifty
l'eH cent. urpn their salaries for past
ec:viccS. This shameful trick has
thus far excited comparatively little
comment - the "Libcral Rcpub-
lican" Press has said scarcely any.
thing about it but people who sup
pose on this account that the scan dal
will "biow over" will find themselves
much mistaken. When the nation
fully understands how it has been
swindlcd by its representatives in
Congress, there will be a storm
which may make even Ben Butler
question tho wisdom of his course.
The Forty-second Congress did little
or nothing for tho people. 1t simply
distinguished it&eif by making ii
"grab" at the national cxchcqucr on
the eve Of its separation. 1t is
one OF the most montrous abuses OF
Legislative power ever rcrpctrated,
and every man who TOOK a. part in it
will bo irrctricvably disgraccd in the
sight Of the public. .Ncw Yorh Times,
Rad.
All "e!fcrvescctcc has cifervesc ced.
The Fortysecond Congress is no
more. The session that expired yes
erday is Chiefly" remarkable for the
poverty of its legislation. In c~tab.
fishing what Carlyle calls t'the tn cory
Of defective verbs" it can be pro.
nounccd brilliant success: Not ono
great act Of legislation; if VIC except
the repeal of the franking privilege,
obtained at heavy cost, can he point
cd to as the result of these ninety
days of froth. If ever a country was
weary of Congressional ''sound and
fury signifying nothing" it is that
which yesterday bcheld one hundred
and Fifty cN-Senato,s and Representa-
tives trudging down the markle steps
of the Capitol, carrying a million Of
dollars unearned, undescrved, and
captured from the Treasury by
piece of Legislation that is unparalIcl.
ed in effrontcry. Though tho session
will not be remembered for any en-
actments Of great public benefit,
though it has secured no rights, lift
ed no}burdens, SEE no great examples.
there is still little danger of its pass
ing out of the memory Of the people.
In congressional annals it will be
prominent if not esteemed.