Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-08-09
FORTY-FOURTH CONGRESS,
"WEDNESDAY, August Q.

"WEDNESDAY, August 9.
SENATE.-On motion OF Mr.. Coukling.
the senate proceeded to consider and act
upon such bills on the calendar as NO opjec-
tion was made to, and the following b,IIs
were disposed Of:
Senate bill to enable Moses Marshall tn
a app roa an extension offs patent for kuII-
Senate bill for the relief OF the heirs a,
Sheidon =. HaflshCrn, invep tor of an I'm
proved buckler. Passed.
house bill to amend section 1921 OF the Ra-
Vlsed statutes, In relation to the proof a
h9mestea al entries: Amended ana passed.
House bill for the relief of John r Uar
rington, an inventor. Passed.
THE SALARY QUESTION.
MI. window, from the Conference Com
mitlee on the legislative appropriation ulli.
submitted report that the committee had
been unable to agree. After recitiny ms.
Iabors OF the committee for the past rr,untb
ne said the committee hat agreed upou Al
points OF difference except those In relation
10 the salary OF the President and of pre-
sentattves and Senators, aud that the mem.
Ders OF the com mittee had agreed IN Ask an
expression of opinion of their respective
houses on these points. AS To the salary OF
PRESIDENT he had voted against the decreaCe
on the bill when that subject WAS before the
senate, but the Senate cOnferees had agreed
10 appropriate the money to ineel
constitutional requiem EMS until Marco
when the present term during when Tue
salary cannot be changed, and leave the S Al
airy after that time to be fixed at the next
session. He opposed the reduction of tne
pay OF members, because he thought it uot
100 much and because the demand was in
the form OF threat, that II the Senate. re-
fused to accede to 1t the House would 10.
appropriate the mon ey necessary to carry
on the government, b NJ mainly because for
MIN 10 vote for IL, bel ieving the present sal
airy not too high, would he an act of Sheer
and shameless demagosue.sm. He would AS
soon go intO the campaign with $500 bill H.
his hand and tell his cOnstit ne nts he wo,,id
give 1t TO them at the close of the campajvu
The salary OF members had been reduced in
1874. IL had been raised from 81 500 to a. 500
and the people had expressed their views on
this Increase. He did not thisk there was
as much objection to the mode in which IL
took away the Thanking privileges, hut Ihe
decrease did not restore IL. He thoupht
$500 and the fraukiDg privilege equal To Inc
privilege Whether those who now PROMISED
TO reduce the salary sought to reooe!I the
subject TO that at the next session, and then
but some of the promoters of the present
Clan were among the most active for the
former Increase TO 81 800. He asked the SEN
ate TO adhere to its former action, and grant
q new conference, and said as IL was nor par
liamentary TO instruct q committees. they
would, II the old committee was reappolnt
ed, cOnstrue 1t an endorsement of the action
of the Senate conferees.
Mr.. Bsyard agreed mainly in what his
coiIeasue OF the committee hal said, but
differed with him as to what he had said In
reference TO the House demanding sur.
render by the Senate. There had been c1n-
cessions ON both sides, until but two pnints
remained on this great bill. 1t was a fac.
that must be recognized that for the fir.f
time In fifteen years that the Conferences
had met with msjorities representing the
political parties. In going into the coafer-
ence ne had been actuaLed By q desire In nro
mote the best In crest of the Country. ami
not by personal or political feelings. In re-
iation 10 the salary OF the President he said
he had opposed the bill to reduce IL for Iea.
fxrx
dies desired to do so, they had the power n
pass 1t over the veto by a two thirds vote,
H ne Would nt mo- not require Of others what he
referred to the action of Congress in this
direction when Andrew Johnson was Presi.
cenrse a 1hen s sG r me was opposed to sn,h
would veto any bill in which IL was attemot
ed 10 force his assent gainst his judsment
d. ne also expressed the decided opinion that
the present salary OF members of Cong eIs
was not an excesstv e one. Either q fair sal
AIRY must be paid. or service in Congress-
must be confined to two classes, the rich and
the penntless-those to whom salary was 40
object, and those who would come here 10
get rich. 1t lie very doubtful whether even
now the present salary does not largely ax-
Glide men OF capacity and character Wao
find that reward for their time and talent
elsewhere which they cannot obtain hers
Members are compelled to keep up two es-
home.
Mr.. Window, in answer to q question of
Mr.. Conkling, said that the total actual re.
the report to be 4I6. The nominal reductioSS
was placed at 491, but the $50 900 Temporary
appropriation for clerical force was to oe
Mr.. Conkling, that the Senate managers mad
consented to this reduction because they be-
Eeved that the Ire asury could get along,
although as Secretary Morrill, said, 1t migSt
cause some EN- barrassment.
Mr.. COnkltng indicated q belief that the
reduction was more than could properly De
the Senate should consent to 1t. Four hun.
dred and ninety one was IA enormous COO
traction, even for so large an establishment
drawsi OF 20 per cent OF the entire force wand and
evidently would cripple the operations of
the government.
letter from the Secretary of the Treasury to
the effect that the reduction of 49l would be
little less than disastrous, although regard
ing II as the legislative uitimatum. he
accordingly. He (Mr. w. would not 60 SO
far as the Secretary, but he did believe tnat
1t would seriously cripple the working oper-
atiOns of the department.. He explained that
he had consented TO the reduction because he
knew of no law which could compel the
House to appropriate more money Tor tnis
purpose than 1t deemed necessary. The
House cOnferees had consented TO q compro-
mise from the number which they had oI ig-
tnalIy fixed upon, and the Senate managers
had met them half way. 1t had also 6sen
stated that Congress would have rea sse "a
bled in time to remedy the matter II 1t was
discovered that the reduction had been too
great. The Senate then, on motion of Mr.
Window, insisted on its amendments r.gu.
latiDg the salaries nj the Presto 1T and tine
members Of Congress, and asked FIR a new
committee of conference.
The Chair reappointed as members OF the
committee Messrs. Window, Allison and
Bays ard.
Mr.. Patterson Is. c. then resumed the
floor and concluded his speech on the II an
burg massacre.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
motion of Mr.. Lawrence (Ohlo), the House
non concurred in the Senate amendment to
the bin for the partition OF real estate in the
District Of Columbia, and requested q COM
mittee OF conference.
On motion of MI. waddell IN. c., the
House took up and passed the Senate bill to
authorize the Pacific Mail steamship COM
pany TO carry the mails in their new iron
steamships.
Mr.. Bagby Ql.), from Committee on PEN
siOns, reported bill granting pension of $50
per month to Mrs. Alice Gibson Yates,
widow of Captain Yates, who was killed in
the recent hattie IN fho Little Ri0 IT,,