New-York tribune., 1873-12-10
THE DEBATE ON THE SALARY BILL

THE DEBATE ON THE SALARY BILL.
Mr.. LAwRENCE's DEFENSE OF THE BACK-PAY LAW
Mr. LAMIsON REPLIES IN A sATIRICAL SPEECH -
ONE OF TIE MOST TERRIFIC ASSAULTS EVER
MADE on TIE FLOOR OF CONGRESS MR.. LAW
RENEE COMPLETELY INUNDATED GREAT con
FUSION on THE FLOOR AND IN THE GALLERIES.
tBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUsE.l
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9-One of the most terrific as
sauts ever made on the floor of Congress by fell
low-member, was that of Representative Lamison
Democrat from Ohio, on bis colleague. Mr.. Law
renee Of the With District, to-day. The bill to
provide for the redemption of the loan of 1858 had
in the morning, been reported from the Ways and
Means Committee, and its members monopOlized all
the time in its discussion. Mr.. Dawes explained the
bill briefly, and Mr.. Kelley offered his amendment
the subsequent discussion showing that be was the
only member of the Committee who was in favor of
paving the loan in coin. His argument was Il
strong one from his point of view, but he
had few followers. He showed the amount of gold
already in our hands, and detailed an interview
with the Secretary of the Treasury TO the effect that
so5 1000 would be required the last of this
month thus leaving nearly half the gold already in
the vaults after redeeming in coin the S20,000,00O
of bonds accruing next January. He was not in
favor in any way of perpetuatng or extending our
gold interest bearing Indebtedness. Twenty mil
lions was too insignificant an amount to postpone
Messrs. Beck, Wood Burchard, and Others fol-
lowed, and the discussion clearly showed that there
was a great interest in financial questions Mr..
Garfield, to obtain the floor introduced an amend
ment TO restore the duties tea and coffee but this
was ruled out not german but Mr. Garfield was
allowed to speak for few minutes He said our
expenditures already beyond our revenues. and
if we were to take money out of the treasury
a. for in
point. Mr.. Dawes (sotto voce) said If anybody
wants s. in coin, he can get it at the treasury
bit of satire on Secretary Richardson's silver re-
sumption theories Mr.. Kelley's amendment was
beaten, and the Ways and Means bill was passed
without a diyision. The vote on the amendment
was 80 to 1856.
This business was disposed of very quietly, and
then followed the consideration of the Salary Re-
peal bill and it was in this discussion that Mr. Law
renee was so roughly handled by his colleague. The
talk began quietly enough. showing only iinical
aversion TO each other, on the part OF Mr. Cox OF
New-York and Mr. Negley of Pennsylvania. Mr..
Cox led off with short speech against Mr.. Negey,
and the latter replied. The point between them
was unworthy the discussion of either, and con-
sisted in deciding whether Mr.. COx's back pay was
returned before Mr. Brookss This predecessors death
or not Mr.. Lawrence had prepared speech
in writing against the Salary bill, and he delivered
it in Characteristic STYLE stamping the floor pound
ing his desk and swinging his long arms recklessly
over the heads of those in his vicinity. dis voice
pitched on a war key, as he named as the three
great crimes of the age the Missouri Compromise,
the firing on Fort Sumter, and the passage OF the
Salary bill. His ntemperance OF language and
his offensive manner were not agreeable even to
those who were on his side of the question. and he
was interrupted with some ugly questions. de was
asked if he was not member OF Congress IN 1866,
and he answered that he was. and subsequent ques-
ons revealed the fact that he drew about $4,000 of
back pay at that time. He stumbled and hesitated
in his answers and was used up that he declined
to yield for other questions, amid much laughter.
When he finished he asked TO have the remainder Of
his speech printed, but to this Mr. Butler objected.
Mr.. Wilson of Indiana who voted for and took the
back paw, made very temperate speech sustaining
the bill and the taking of the money, and cited the
names of dozens of distinguished men who bad
taken back pay in previous Congresses He referred
to Mr.. Lawrence rather severely, which the latter
tried to parry, but his effort was failure, and he
became more involved. Finally, he was asked why
he denounced the taking of the money now after hav
ing taken it when he was before in Congress- There
was much laughter throughout the House,
and Mr. Lawrence was so beset by
one after another that he was an
object of pity. He sprang to his feet shook his
head, turned pale, and shouted to the Speaker DE
said he was opposed to this back pay but was asked
why he favored the other when he said, This back
pay in of too big an amount" amid roars OF laughter
Mr. Dawes then asked him to state the exact amount
Of back pay which he believed would be right, but
he could make no answer. The discussion at this
start gave promise Of much bad blood" but
more good -natured crowd was never collected on
the floor One member, in the midst Of the punish
ment, objected to further discussion against Mr..
Lawrence on constitutional grounds, because the
Constitution pr0hibited the infieNOn 0f csusl on