, 1873-04-23
THE HALhRY.lRAD.


" Tho rccont notion of Cpngreaa incronB!ng tho
compensation Of mombora mud voting itaolf
"buok pay" ia not without precedent, ae many
imagine. Tho samo proportion was mado tn
tho Thirty-nintl Congress, in July, 1866, md
tho record OF tho loBig1atlon upon this measure
ia specially instructive In comparison with the
legislation Of tho Inst session, md furniahoa d
sufficient commentary upon tho unanfmity and
indecent hasto with which tho Congressman Of
1878plungod their hands into tho Public Treasury,
~ compared with those Of 1860. ~
On tho 9th Of July, 1866, tho Misco1lahoous
Appropriation bill, which Ind passed tho House,
camo back from tho sonato with an amendment
providing " Tint tho compensation Of each Som
ator, Representative, and Delegate in Congrosa
shall DO $4,000 por annun, to DO computed from
tho jlrss day Of the present session Of Congrose;
and, In addition thereto, mileage at tho rate Of
20 cents per mile" After brief dobato a1r.
Wentworth demanded tho yeas and Maya on the
motion to concur, and tho question was decided
In tho negative, by yoaB, nays, Ia not voting,
70. Tic House then asked for Committee OF
Conference, to whtcl, tho Senate agreed. This
Committee reported to the House In favor Of
agreeing to tho Senate amendment, With the fun
thor amendment that tho pay Of tho Speaker
should be $4,000 ror annum. Tho Senate
agreed to tho report, but tho House again
rotootod 1t, by yeas, ID; nays, 1o1; not voting,
Il. The House appointed, as a new Committee
Of Conference, Messrs. Wilson, Of Iowa,
Banks and Niblack, and tho Senate ap-,
pointed MoBsrs. Sherman, Harris, and Edmunds
This Committoo presented tho sa1no report
as tho first, except that 1t was go coupled with
the incseaso OF bounty to tho soldiers in ono
insoparablo net that it WAS impossible to
defeat tho one without dofeating tho
other. In tho long debate which followed the
presentation OF the report, many Of the NOM
bors roBe and presented Us reason why they
should voto for tho report, that they wished to
secure bounty to tho soldiers (which was proba-
/ bly, falso), and that they should contribute the
surplus Of pay toward tho benefit Of tho soldiers.
Under auch an unusual pressure as this, tho ro-
/ port was forced through by a bare majority Of
ono, eighty-nvo having lodged. The final roto
stood Do follows:
YEAs--H1cssrs. Anderson, Banks Barker, Denjamsn,
Bergen, Sidney Clarke, cullon, Drgge, Eo4loy, FL
dridso. Fasnaworth, Farauhar, Ferry alossbrenner,
| Highly, Hogan, Holmna, Hotohkiss, Chester u. Hub
bard 1ugerso|l Jenokes, Johnson Kelley, Kcrr, Kuy
kondal Latham, LcI31oud, Lcftwich, btaraton, May
nard, MeClurg, Mccullough, Miller, Moorhcad,
Meyers Newell, Niback, Nicholson, oNcill, Patter
| Bon, Samuel J. Handan, Alexander T. nco, John Ii.
Rieo schenck, strouHe, Nathaniel e. Taylor, Thorn
ton, Burt VIM Horn, Robert T. Van Horn, aud
Whaley-5t.
NAYa--Mesers. Allison, Delos Il. Ashley, Dakor, Dax-
ter, Didwcll, Bingham, Boutwell,, Bromwe Droonall,
Cobb, Conhlng, Defroes, Egglesou, Eliot Einck, Gar
aead Abuer g. Harding, Hars, Hayes, james r. Huis
boil, Kasson, Ketchuu1, KoontB, Iadin, George v.
Lawrence, William Lawrence, Lynch Mercur, Morrill,,
4 Morris, Orth, Paine, Perham, phopa Plants, Price,
Ritter, Rosa, Hawyer, shsnkln, shcllabargor Btokes
Tabcr, John L. Thomas, Triulblo, Van Aernan,,
Welkor, Jauca F. Wilson, Stephen F. Wilson, and
Wright--50.
It will thus be Been that, although aalarios
woro Increased and back pny voted III tho Thirty
Ninth Congress- it was not accomplished until
after worry bitter and stubborn contest, and
then barely squeezed through by majority Of
one vote, whilo eighty-1yo members wero afraid
to vote against 1t and dared not vote for 1t. Had
1t not been associated with the bounty measure,
and mado iuaoparable by tho rules Of the House,
go that negative vote would have killed both,
tho proposition would probably have boon de-
feated. The roeent salary-grab was carried
through by nino majority in tho Senate and six in
the House, aftor only chow Of opposition, the
most OF those who voted in tho negative drawing
their back pay without my apparent compuno-
tions Of conscience. There was, moreover,
some color Of reason for the action OF tho
; Thirty-ninth Congroas in increasing tho pay,
though none for taking "back pay" Tho War
lad just closed. The cost Of living lad been
Increased at an enormous rate, not having JET
rocodod from tho maximum to which it had boon
forced by the contingencies Of war. Tic sa1ary
was in reality anal ono compared with the iu-
eVitablo expenses OF a Congressman. Now; how
ever, there is no such excuhe. 1t anything, tue
price Of living ig eyon lower than It wnB oighi
years ago. Tho circumstances, both in and ou'
Of Congress, in 1866, were so different at tllat
J time that they cannot furnish u prcco,
} dent, unless 1t be precedont thai
} all Congresses arc at 1iborty to hep thomao1yos
! to nil tho money they want. Tho notion Of tht
} Forty-aecond Congress was nothing moro mol
, loss than q raid upon the Treasury, 1egallzet
Utmost without debate, fastened upon genera
D appropriation bill, mud passed before pnbi
, opinion could be concentrated upon it. For
t,.natey there woro 10 tricks by Which, after 1T
= passago the public could bo led to q msun1or
I standing Of it. Even with the precedent OF 1856
: in view, public opinion will remnin unchanged
+; and tho forco OF that opinion IL already begin
ming to bo manifested in tho efforts Of Congress-
= men to unload their plundor.
II STATE AND LOCAL TAKES.
n It is to bo hoped that tho Illinois Legislature
before their adjournment, will acknowledge frol
| their QYn experfeucQ tho great want Of officin