New-York tribune., 1873-12-12

| ment by the remark of one OF the
| brightest intellects Of the age UNDERSTOOD
TO eProf. Aeassiz who said that he made 1t ru'o
to abandon any kind of work when he found its re-
! suits had become commercially valuable, because
then there thousands Of hands ready to take IL
mp. Mr. Garfield said that it wonld be indecent for
the representatives of the people to resist public
opinion when it said they had given themselves too
much pay Congress had been, since 1885, steadily
grading down the expenditures of the Government
to the new level Of peace. The increase Of salaries
was the FIRST step in the wrong direction, and must
be retraccd
Mr. Kasson exposed the Inconsistencies of MI!
Haes bill, which reduces the salaries of members OF
Congress to 5000 year. and leaves n number OF
subordinate officers in the department at $4,000. lie
saw in this one sign among many that power was
melting away from Congress- and was being coneen-
trated IN the Executive. An element of personal
government irresponsible 10 the representatives OF
the people had crept in during the four years since
he was last in Congress. la the Presi-
dents recommendation that mansions should
be built for Senators, clustered around
the White House, he perceived another
indication Of a purpose to bring the Legislative
branch under Executive influence, and the pro-
posed Constitutional amendment to give the Presi-
dent power to veto portion of bill and approve
the rest he pointed outas another indication OF the
tendency TO diminish the authority of Congress.
BY this amendment part of a law cOnld be destroyed
by Executive authority and the rest retained oy
Executive will.
This, coming from Iowa Republican, was
pretty plain talk, but one attempted to answer
il. Short speeches followed from Messrs Randall,
Potter, Nesmith, Speer and Others. John Crocker
amused the House with q speech intended to be Sc
oI,ol aI,n ~ lano Ip
said he drew his back pay took it home and deposited
it in one of his banks being in doubt as to his duty
in the matter After while he took SICK and want
ing to do the right thing he directed his cashier to
place it IN his account to the credit of the United
States. Then be got well and found the papers had
been calling him back-pay thief. He determined
to hold on to the money until they stopped abusing
him. but he would do whatever the House decided.
Mr.. Grassland of Kentucky turned his wit first
upon Mr. Cox whose chief legislative act in the last
Congress- he said, TO introduce bill to change
the name of the ship Industry to VIM. NJ. Tweed.
Afterward he satirized Mr. Lawrence, and convulsed
the House by exhibiting picture Of the ram Judge
Lawrence taken from the Agricultural Report of 1861
He said the Judge was so delighted to have o ram
named in his honor that he had the animal brought
TO Washington and kept at the Agricultural
Department at the public expense in order to have
picture made of him for the report. Nr. Lawrence
read written speech defending himself from the
attacks on him. II ingenious, but the facts Of
his record were all against him and he could not ex
plain them away The House heard him through.
but it was plain that he had not turned the current
of feeling The boisterous delight at his complete
discontinue on Tuesday had changed to a sentiment
of mild disgust at the weakness of his defense.
At the close of the debate, Mr. Halo demanded tho
previous question, but the House was evidently in
no mind to accept his halfway bill, and refused, by
a vote of 100 to 14j, TO second his demand The con-
troll of the bill then went into the hands OF Mr.
Kasson who will bring his substitute forward to-
morrow