Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-07-22
GEN WAsHINGrON's COACH AND sIN
Ry IA MES PA ARTO N.


coach and six and charge the expense to cot-
,iugent fund. Allow me, gentlemen, to recall
TO your recollection the facts relating to the
first President 5 compen satiou and cquipage.
At the first session of the first Congress,
which assembled in New York on the fourth
OF March, 1889, committee OF twelve mem-
bers of the House Of Represen taives was ap-
pointed to take into consideration the compen.
sation of the President, Vice President and
members of both Houses, aud to report upon
the same at their COW enleuce. The committee
had the matter uuder consideration for several
mouths. This long delay was owing, i'll part,
10 the very great difference of opinion among
the memtc.s as to the amount OF the different
salaries. Some Of them were disposed to Tx
the President salary as luw as fifteen thouS-
and dollars, and others We're lnchned to place
il as high as seventy thousand. At length The
committee reported, advising that the salary OF
the President be twenty thousand d"l:ars
year and that he be provided with a furnished
house. secretaries, clerks, plate, carriages and
horses, at the public expense. 90 the thir-
,eeuth of July. 1889, the House of RcpreScu-
tatives took this report into consideration aud
debated it at considerable lepgth.
The clause relating to the providing OF
house and tquipage was at once objected TO,
aud it was moved 40 strike it out, which led to
an animated discussion. Mr.. Tucker was OF
opinion that for new President to buy plate
aud furniture would sutj ject him to great lncou
ycuieuce, unless be received Year 5 salary ID
adyaLce, aud when he retired To private life,
they would not sell for malt their first cost. He,
therefore, wished the public tc provide house,
furniture and plate, but not horses and CAR
rages.
Mr. Madison, afterwards President, thought
that horses aud carriages would also cost new
President great deal OF money, aud would not
sell for much upon his retirement lie was,
therefore, OF opinion that, ifturnlture aud plate
should be provided, equipage should be also.
Mr. Stoue favored the payment OF a suth-
cieut salary, without any extras. The Piesl-
dent, he thought, ought to live in any style he
Judged most pr pr But, said he, IT you
furnished him with house. horses and car
rages, you declare that this is the house, the
horses, aud the carriages which he shall USE
But he may not choose to use them. lie may
prefer cquipage more splendid or more plain;
and surely if a President chooses to live lu an
economical manner, we ought not to prevent
him
Mr.. Eining, on the contrary, was of opinion
that tie President cf the United States, being
the representative of the Nation, was bound n
proprlety to maintain certain appearance
ulsuly, aud the House had right to show
what they expected of him iu this respect.
After further debate, it was decided to
strike out the claus assigning the Presidents
horses, carriages, furniture and plate at the
expense Of the public, and to pay him salary
large enough to admit Of his providing these
things for himself.
lien arose the question, what should be- the
amount OF the salary; and this led to another
day dol IN
pay the President tTenty-six thousand dollars
for the first year, and sixteen thousand dollars
Tor every other year. He proposed, also. that
he should be paid ten thousand dollars the
first year 10 advance, to meet the great expen-
seq OF providing house aud equipage. Other
gentlemen favored thirty thousand dollars d
year; and at length, upon morton of MIR. John
Page, Of Virginia, the sum was fixed at twcu-
,y.fve thousand.
President Washington, before this decision
had been reached, had ordered a handsome
coach from England, which arrived in the
course OF the year 1889 The body and wheels
were of cream color, then very fashionable,
with gilt relief, and the body was suspended
upon the ole. fashioned, heavy leathern straps,
like those upon which stage coaches were form
erly suspended Part of the sides and trout
were shaded bv green Venetian blinds, inclosed
by black leather curtains The lining uf the
coach was of black glossy leather The
v ashington arms were handsomely painted on
the doors, with the motto-so perfectly charac-
teristc of w Washington -Exitus acta probat--
the result proves actions. Upon each of the
four panels OF the coach was picture en-
blenlatic of ono OF the seasons, executed by an
Italian artist of reputation.
In this substantial vehicle the President
used to ride about Manhattan Island, which
furnished one of the Gost beautiful drives in
the world, called the Fourteen Miles RouLd. ;
1t led up what is now the Bowery aud Third
Avenue, then called the Boston Road which
commanded beautiful view Of the East river,
hued with farms and country then across
the upper part of the Island and down BY the
Boomiugdale road (Broadway) to the city
again. 1t is impossible to lmas ne more love
ly combination of cultivated land, lofty fluff,
aud living, than this ride must have presented
~ the early day.
Usually, the General had only four horses
harneSscd TO his coach, but in travelling be-
tween the seat of Government aud Mount Yer
h1n, It was often matter OF necessity to use
SIX Members of Congress may rest assured
that this coach, its horses, and all its appurte-
hanceS, were paid for with Gen. Washington 5
own money. 1t was an honest coach 10 every
respect; for at the end of the second term its
builder came to America and settled 10 Alex
andrla, where the General Informed him that
n"t m nail or screw of the vehicle had started.
Fifteen years after the death of General Wash
1Oston, When it became the property OF the
ae Bishop Mead, Of Virginia, it was still
sound, serviceable coach, though too heavy for
O'ulnaIy use. Its subsequent history Is thus
related by the Bishop
Ar hecomlng an object Of desire to those who
weight ln relics, caused it to be taken to pie
ogu1 @s ana distributed among the admiring friends
,, ~ a>hlngton who visited my house, and also
r rToog uumber Of female associations tor beue-
=, VIul , and relg lous objects; which associations
nr's l;e,r fairs and other OCCASIONS made large
s,cIs W converting the fragments into walking
WAS, ,wo fic'ure-tromes aud snutf-boxes. About
ono oln'rds t OF one of the wheels thus produced
nm ai uun ired aud forty dollars There can be
aOu'' that atits dissolution it yielded more