Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-07-15
GENERAL WAS HIN GTON'S
COACH.AND.SIX
BY JAMES PARTON.

No, Gentlemen of the House OF Re.
representatives., President Washington
did not keep a coach-and-six and charge
the expense to contingent fund. Al.
low me, gentlemen, to recall to your
recollection the facts relating to the
first Presidents compensation and equi.
page.
At the first session of the first Con-
gress, which assembled in New York
on the fourth Of March, 1889, Com.
mittee of twelve members of the House
of Representatives was appointed to
take into consideration tine compensa-
ton of the President, Vice-President
and members of both Houses, and to
report upon the same at their conve-
nience-The Committee had the matter
under consideration for several months.
This long delay was owing, in part, to
the very great difference of opinion
among the members as to the amount
of the different salaries. Some of them
were disposed to fix the President's e
salary as low as fifteen Thousand dollars,
and others were inclined to place it as
high as seventy thousand. At length
the Committee reported, advising that
the salary Of the President be twenty
thousand dollars a year, and that ne be
provided with a furnished house, secre-
taries, clerks, plate, carriages and hor-
ses, at the public expense. On the
thirteenth of July, 1889, the House of
Representatives took this report into
consideration, and debated it at con-
siderable length.
The clause relating to the providing
of a house and equipage was at once
objected to, and it was moved to strike
it out, which led to an animated dis
cussion. Mr.. Tucker WAS of opinion
that for new President to buy plate
and furniture would subject him to
great Inconvenience, unless he received
years salary in advance, and when
he retired to private life, they would
not sell for half their first cost. He,
therefore, wished the public to provide
house, furniture and plate, but not
horses and carriages.
Mr.. Madison, afterwards President,
thought that horses and carriages would
also cost a new President a great deal
of money, and would not sell for much
upon his retirement. He was therefore
of opinion that, if furniture and plate
should be provided, equipage should
be also.
Mr.. Stone favored the payment of a
sufficient salary, without any EXTRAS
The President, he thought, ought to
live in any style he judged most proper.
-'.But," said he, IF you furnished
him with house, horses and carriages,
you declare that this is the house, the
horses, and the carriages which he shall
use.-But he may not choose to use
them. He may prefer equipage more
splendid or more plain /; and surely, if
a President chooses to live in an econo-
mical manner, We ought not to prevent
him"
Mr.. Vining, on the contrary, was of
opinion that the President of the United
States, being the representative of the
Nation, was bound in propriety to main
tain certain appearance of dignity,
and the House had right to show what
they expected of him in this respect.
After further debate, it was decided
to strike out the clause 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.
Then arose the question, what should
be the amount of the salary; and this
led to another days debate. One gen.
tlemsn proposed to pay the President
twenty-six thousand dollars for the first
year, and sixteen thousand dollars for
every other year. He proposed, also,
that he should be paid ten thousand
dollars the first year in advance, to
meet the great expenses of providing q
house and equipage. Other gentlemen
favored thirty Thousand dollars a year !;
and at length, upon motion OF Mr.. John
Page, of Virginia, the sum was fixed at
twenty-five 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 a cream
color, then very fashionable, with gilt
relief, and the body was suspended
upon the old-fashioned. heavy leathern
straps, like those upon which stage
coaches we're formerly suspended. Part
of the sides and front were shaded by
green Venetian blinds, lnclosed by black
leather curtains. The lining of the
coach was of a black glossy leather.
The Washington arms were handsomely
painted on the doors, with the motto
so perfectly characteristic of Wishing
ton-Eritus actd 1,rObdt-the result
proves actions. Upon each of the
four panels of the coach was picture
emblematic OF one of the seasons, exc
cuted by an italian artist of reputation.
In this substantial vehicle the Presi-
dent used to ride about Manhattan
Island, which furnished one of the most
beautiful drives in the world, called the
Fourteen Miles Round" 1t led up
what is now the Bowery and Third
Avenue, then called the Boston Road,
which commanded beautiful view of
the East river, lined with farms and
country-seats then across the upper
part of the Island, and down by the
Bloomingdale road broadway to the
city again. 1t is impossible to imagine
a more lovely combination of cultivated
land, lofty bluff, and living, than this
ride must have presented In the early
day.
Usually, the General had only four
horses harnessed to his coach, but in
travelling between the seat of Govern
ment and Mount Vernon, it was often
a matter of necessity to use SIX. Mem
bers Of Congress may rest assured that
this coach, its horses, and all its appur-
tenances, were paid for with General
Washington's own money. 1t was an
honest coach in every respect; for at
the end of the second term Its builder
came to America and settled in Alexan-
dria, where the General informed him
that not q nail or screw of the vehicle
had started. Fifteen years after the
death of General Washington, when it
became the property of the late Bishop
Mead, of Virginia, it was still sound,
serviceable coach, though too heavy for
ordinary use. Its subsequent history
is thus related by the Bishop:
URaanuipu an ohiact of desire to