The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-13

Congress that enacted 10 at the second session,
Johnson John Randolph, Henry 'e Clay and General
Harrison. The Speaker and Henry Clay appointed
WSo o the biz WSo had Veted
1t and three new members who had not voted at
all. The following Is an extract from the report
made by Mr.. Johnson:-
The power vested in Congress BY the Constitution Of
Ss s ay q M nave bSs as
risnee that the udic exercise that trust could
sion The committee cannG. perSsiye either in the in
or V alarm adequate to The ehsc Which are to
BE- Sa
$ as
and p
have deserved any consideration or respect from the
S hSS
S e M S
congreSs the oss will fan sxeIusiysy into the hands Of
s % s Sss
aoa S
ias 70 Il but for the hSpe # turning II e account ~
would be the best security against these various
PER DIEM SYSTEM RE-EsrABLIsHED.
A bill was brought In, January 1877 to repeal
s sas Whcn Was lett blank for the houss TO S
Members hardly knew how to deal with the ques.
ton, but public opinion made 1t imperative that
were agreed upon was return to the per diem
system. The annual salary plan was doomed be-
e E assen o fix s ay at
So and SO, all OF which were negatved. A m0tion
was made that there should be deducted from the
present sessions ali the amount over and above
what he would have received under the old com
pensation of SO, and another proposition was tnat
the excess refunded should include legal interest.
Both were negatved. the debate on the subject
continued several weeks. and columns Of the
speeches delivered. The upshot was to repeal all
laws relating to pay or mileage and throw the en-
tire subject over into the hands or tue tllteenth
Congress.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AGAIN RECON-
MENDED.
When the Fifteenth Congress met for the first
time in January, 1918, there were, therefore, no
existing statutes regulating or providing Tor the
payment OF salaries OF Senators, Representatives.
and Delegates from Territories The public indlg-
nation in 1916 was as much directed against the
manner and form OF making the Increase as against
the increase ITSELF No great delay arose IN setting
the matter; and bill was passed January ~, 1875
establishing the salary of members at IS per day,
with IS for every twenty miles OF travel from
Of the House and President Of the Senate pro tenn,
in the absence Of the Vice President were to re-.
ceive So per day additional During the debate
Mr.. Campbell offered resolutions adopted by the
Legislature of Tennessee, instructng Its Senators
and requesting the Representatives or that State
to use their eXerJlOnS 10 pTOClre LHe uuOptlOL VI
an amendment to the constitution Of the United
States similar to that proposed by Mr.: Madison In
1889. This proposed change IN the fundamental!
law remained unnotced until the Legislature VI
Ohio revived the question.
THE SECOND AUGMENTATION.
In 1856, when the Kansas question was rocking
the Republic to Its foundations Mr.. Butler, or
South Carolina, introduced q bill in the Senate to
increase the rate of compensation, which had re-.
stated that In considering 1t party and personal
matters should be forgotten, though at the very
time his so9;naw, Preston s: BROOKS, who had
was taking the oath In the other chamber, having
been reelected after resigning to save himself
nearly ali the great men of the last generation
Cass, Seward, roombs, Clay twho came very near
being politically wrecked forty before son TOR
Mallory, Fessenden, COllamar and Doolitte. The
latter favored the increase and said 1000 year
Johnson ten years later as will be seen, thought
mileage made it agreeable for members a. dis.
tance to come to Congress; Mr.: Seward opposed
Office where the emOluments were an object, and
having been elected to serve at an understood
concentration ne could not agree to receive more.
PAY OF MEMBERS OF THE ENGLISH PARLIAMENT
MIR. Lane, OF oregon, said either pay members
no not Sers tnsr as In e
legislation costs them ten times more than what
ours does in contracts and IN proylding for the
right as to the Houses OF Commons and Lords
They are however, entitled 70 guinea ts5l a
drawn it, AS to the cost OF legislation Mr.. Disrael
not very long since In public speech attempted tC
tal sme hs err 81
eminent OF the United States. He admitted all
that had been said in reference to the vast income
OF the Queen and her numerous relatives, together
with the expense OF the royal household, PENSIONS
palaces, estates, &C.. but he pointed out the I'M
mense cost In America OF paying members of Con.
he commended, far exceeded what the monarchy
cost the people Of England Perhaps the eX-
Premier had not seen Mr.. Lanes speech. The
former spoke On the subject five or six years after
the latter -
q Mr.. Buffers bill passed the Senate. the vote being
took charge Of it in the House. The session was
railroad speed He stated the old story that it was
impossible for members to live on the pay allowed
by the act OF 1873 The salaries Of heads Of depart
ments and foreign ministers had been increased,
and why not those Of Senators and Representa-
tives' There was little or no debate but there was
q powerful opposition, which showed itself 1T the
1nal division. The measure was carried in the
House by bare majority Of one the vote being 100
TO es just as close as the vote on the bill engineered
last session by General Butler. which latter bill
also doubled General Grants salary. The compen.
satton by this act, August 10, 1855, was fixed at
each twenty miles This was an increase OF 100 per
cent OF salary, leaving the mileage the same as 1t
was established On IN ISIS ISIS - 9, r. 1904
A section was added to the General Approprla.
ton act OF July 2s 1866. by which the pay OF men,
DerS was again increased. Inc PUBIC mlnu was
too much occupied at that time with the results OF
the war to pay particular attention to any subject
not connected with the gigantic struggle that had
Just closed. Mr.. Riddle OF Delaware In the Senate
moved that the salary be raised 10 $4,000, with
twenty cents mileage. He contended that the com.
pensaiion then received (s3OO0) was insufficient
to pay expenses. This was the old argument once
more; but seven years ago, when prices were high
and greenbacks low, 1t may have had some weight.
Mr. Madison, in the Constitutional Convention IN
1887 had an idea OF this kind and in advocating the
establishment OF fixed compensation in the lunda-
mental law suggested that the price Of bushel OF
wheat should be recognized as standard OF values,
and Franklin favored IS per day, or the value OF
that sum In gold, as Just and moderate pay. Mr..
Riddle, however, did not touch upon thus point,
but declared that members were exhausting their
energies, running their health and that they really
did not get enough to pay for house rent and mar.
keting.
MILEAGE A BOND OF UNION.
Mr.. Henderson, Of Missouri went for larger COM
pensation, and wanted the mileage to remain at
icrty cents instead or twenty cents, as proposed.
Reverdy Johnson rather favored this view, and re-
marked that "we were getting into practice, and
good one upon every account, OF bringing our
families 70 Washington. 1t was the opinion OF Mr..
Calhoun, and think / have seen evidence Of 1t