The Richmond palladium., 1874-01-24

it. But the gentleman has gone back,
expecting to make little capital out
Of the votes that gave, and has un-
dertaken to show that had voted in
consistently or that [ had been dodg-
ing the responsibility that rested upon
me as a Representative upon this
floor; and he goes back and says that
when my friend from Massachusetts
Mr.. Butler brought this bill before
the House for the first time, and the
House was brought to vote upon it,
that did not vote. / know l did not
vote, and l can tell the gentleman
from New York why [ did not vote.
1t was because this House had sent
me to the city Of Boston for the pur-
pose of taking testimony in the Credit
Mobilier Investigation, and l was in
the city of Boston at the time at which
these votes were taken. Is that suf-
ficient explanation of that absence of
voting for the gentleman from New
York?
A member. It is not so stated on
| the record.
Mr.. Wilson, of Indiana. Well, sir,
do not know that my absence is ex-
planned. do not suppose it is ex-
planned in the Globe, because there
was no friend of mine, presume, who
thought it important enough to get up
here and state that was absent in the
city Of Boston at the time that vote
was taken.
But the question came up after l
returned; [ came back here, and for
twenty days that salary bill was never
heard of; nobody expected it would
be heard of again during the session.
The gentlemen here now who were
members of the Forty-second Con-
gress remember very we'll that on a
certain night, late at night, after we
had had struggle over the bill that
had been reported by the special COM
mittee of which | was the chairman,
and that bill had~been attached as an
amendment to the appropriation bill,
my friend from Massachusetts moved
to amend the same bill still further by
iplacing the increase of salary upon it..
And then, as the gentleman from New
/, York Mr.. Hale says, voted against
it. Now, all the gentlemen who are
here to-day members of this House
who were members Of the last House
know very we'll that that occurred late
at night think about half past elev-
en-, If my memory serves me Alright.
i Mr.. Butler, Of Massachusetts.
Nearer twelve, great deal.
II Mr.. Wilson, of Indiana. Near
twelve o'clock at night. The House
had been in session from eleven clock
in the morning until near twelve
o'clock at, night; a motion was then
made to adjourn, and there were a
great many gentlemen who voted to
adjourn on that occasion who never In
any manner, shape, or form voted for
the increase of salary. And when the
gentleman from New York Mr.. Hale
comes here to-day and says that that
, was lodging, he says that which is au
attempt to cast stigma upon a great
many gentlemen who voted just as
did upon that motion to adjourn, YET
r who never voted for the salary bill in
r any shape.
Y Now what else? He says that the
: next morning when the proposition tc
: reconsider came up [ did not vote
Well, it just SO happened, asxit Otter
AaS h0ppCHCu Will d SIcdl uduy lucu LII
e bers, that at the time that vote was ia
] ken, [ had been called over to the Sen
ate and did not vote, for l did not gel
back here until the vote had beer
finally announced.
Mr. Hale, of New York. The gen
e tleman skips one vote, the one just be
I fore that, on the motion to lay on thu
| table the motion to reconsider.
i Mr. Wilson, of Indiana. am YER,
l thankful to the gentleman for callinl
. my attention to that subject, because
want to say word in regard to it
The proposition was made to increas,
the salary of members of Congress t,
e 81 500. The House voted it down
and | was found. - the gentleman
, says, voting against it. The mex
: morning, when the motion of the gen
: tleman from Massachusetts, Mr.. But
lerl came up to reconsider the vot,
y rejecting that proposition, Mr.. Sargent
of California, who had been opposin,
this increase of salary from the begin
' ming, arose in his place upon this foo
n and stated to the House that he wa