The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-12-11
rHEsALARr Law.

fHESALART Law.
The question Of the repeal OF the sal
! ary law is receiving much attention
by Congress and bills without num-
Der. 1t Is evident that the members
have heard from the people on the
subject. Monday some discussion
was had In both Houses, and we give
the report:
In the Senate Mr.. Wright called up
the bill introduced by him Monday
last TO repeal the act of March Sd,
1873, increasing certain salaries there
: in named, and addressed the Senate
in favor thereof. He said, what the
country wants is men who are not for
sale; men who are sound from centre
q to circumference; who have the cour-
age without whistling to bring il;
who eat what they have earned and
wear what they have paid for. With
such men high or low salaries made
little difference. He favored 3 liberal
compensation, but thought the allow
ance before the increase was sufficient
and Ii wa7 best now to fix the salaries
} as they were before. To retrace their
steps st the earliest practicable mo-
ment was the easiest way to rectify
the objectionable blunder. He de-
nounced the manner by which the
salaries were Increased as most VII
eious and defenceless; tackled on to the
appropriation bill where the Execu-
tive could not veto Il, without stop
ping The wheels Of the Government.
He had no doubt that this was the
cause Of the recommendation of the
President in his late 10 essage, that he
be allowed st the close of q session TO
veto one portion of bill without de-
feating the whole OF il. In conclusion
he called upon the great Republican
party to retrace its steps on the Sal
ary bill, and satisfy the people that
the party was true 70 its promise. No
party ia SO few years had made such
9 grand record, and it could well and
consistently afford to retrace its STEPS.
He desired that the avenues OF trade
be opened by giving cheaper transpor-
tation to the products of the great
West, and people should have an
abundance Of currency TO meet tbede-
mands of business. He asked that the
bill be referred to the Committee on
Civil Service and Rstrenchment. It
was SO ordered.
The discussion in the House was as
follows:
Mr.. Hale, (Ms.) from the Com
mittee on the Salary Question, report
ed g bill repeating so much Of the Sal
ary bill as Increases the compensation.
of Vice President, Speaker, Senators, |
Representatives, and Delegates to Con- |
gress. The second section revives
and declares to be In force all acts re-
lating to the pay and allowance of |
Senators and Members that were re-
pealed or superseded by the act of the |
Sd Of March, 1873, provided they |
shall received no mileage for. coming
and from the present session, except |
actual Individual travelling expenses
by the most direct route of usual travel.
The third section requires the Secre-
tary of the Treasury to cover into the
Treasury all sums that may remain /
undrawn, or that have been received /
as increased comp IensatiOn, and which /
shall have or may come into his pos
ession by return thereof.
Mr.. Kasson, from minority OF the |
COMMITTEES, submitted a report which |
was signed by himself and Mr.. Jew
EFT. They declare themselves unsatis-
fed with the bill reported by the ma
jorlty, and state their reasons therefor |
MS being, lst, That the emphatic and |
continued expression OF the great ma
jority ofthe Union people in all forms, |
that should influence their Judgment |
against an increase of salaries, should |
take the question of its repeal out of |
the field of debate 81, That the de-
pressed financial condition of the |
country requires economy in the dis. |
bursements from the Public Treasury, |
and especially in respect to those of
which the Members themselves are |
beneficlaries. A public act would 90 |
further than this to establish the con- l
idence Of the people in their represen- |
tatives Sd, That the popular dissatis- |
faction which the salary bill was chief |
ly directed toward the lawmakers /;
who increased their own emoluments. |
The President, however, was part |
of the National legislative authority, |
and that officer had been assigned |
much the largest increase of salary. |
His salary could not lawfully be dim
inished during the current term, but it |
could be from the close thereof. The |
minority, however, deem it necessary
to reduce the incidental allowance Of !
the Presidents office so far as com 1
patible with the care and safety OF
public property. They recommend |
that all compensations increased by |
the act OF the Sd Of March, 1873, be re-
established at their former rates sub
ject to the constitutional exception, !
excepting also the franking privilege.
The bill accompanying the report
makes provisions to carry out these
views. .5st.--
Mr.. Maynard gave notice of an
amendment to suspend the salary bill
during the Forty-third Congress, in
stead of repeating it.
Mr.. Poland gave notice of substi-
tute which he thought would meet
the popular demand. daughter.
The substitute was read. 1t repeats
so mueh Of the selary act as increased
the pay OF Senators and Representa-
tives, and fixes it at what it was i'm
mediately prior to that act It re-
quires that all moneys paid to Sena-
tors and Representatives OF the Forty.
second Congress, under the provisions
of that act, whether for the Forty-sec-
ond or Fofty-third Congress, shall be
charged and reckoned as part pay
ment Of their compensation as menu
bers of the Forty-third Congress.
tLaughter.) 1t requires the Treasur-
er Of the United States to mail to each
member ofthe FOrty-secoDd Congress,
who is not a member of the Forty.
third and who received additional conn
pensation, 3 notice informing him of Il
the repeal Of the law, and requesting
him to repay the difference received
by him into the Treasury. -re-
Mr.. Niblack said that as 8 member
OF the Committee, he agreed to most
OF the propositions submitted by the .
minority, but dissented irom some of
them. :.
In the course of q protraeted discus
sion as 70 the disposition to be made
OF the bill, Mr.. Garfield recommended
Mr. Hale TO move the previous ques- !
ton and pass the bill at once. He re- :
called the long discussion which took
place some years since on like subj
ject, to the exclusion of other public
business, and suggested that the
House was prepared to vote at once
on the simple repeal Of the Increase of
Salary lay.
Mr.. Kelley asked Mr.. Hale whether
his bill tosk effect from the first day
of the present Congress.
Mr.. Hale replied that it did not.
Mr.. Kelley argued that it ought to,
and that the passage of the bill which
did not so provide would place the
House in worse position before the
American people than any legislation
which has yet been had.
Governor Noyes is receiving numer-