The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-01-30


law do rot pass. Tabled.
Ii. B. to change the rule of evidence in
| certain cases, do not pass. This was a bill
in reference TO evidence in eases against the
railroads for killing stock. Messrs. MeGehee
OF w ilkinson, and Niles. Opposed the dill.
Mr.. Tucker moved to table the bill. Car
ried.
Fl. B. to amend section $50 Code of 1871,
in relation to adjournment of courts. do
not pass. The law now stands that the
Sheriff shall in the case of the absence OF
the Judge adjourn the Court from day to
dav until the fifth day. when at Il O'Clock NJ.
he shall, if the Judges have not yet arrived,
adjourn the court sine die. The bill pro-
posed to amend the law as to require the
sine dee adjournment shall occur on the third
day, do not pass. Mr.. SpIght opposed the
bill and moved to indefinitely postpone. Mr..
Eaton favored the passage of the bill. Mr..
Cook moved to lay the motion to indef-
nitelv postpone on the table. Lost. and on
division the bill was indefinitely postponed.
Yeas, 90; nays, 40.
Mr.. Speaker Percy read the following
communication:
JACKSON, January 49, 1873.
Hon. w. A. Percy, Speaker House of Rep
resentatives:
DEAR SIR-There viii be a general exer-
else OF the Fire Department of Jackson this
evening at O'Clock in front of the capitol.
You will confer favor by extending our
invitation to the mem hers of the House of
Representatives TO De present.
Very truly,
r. L. SAUNDERS,
Chief Jackson Fire Department.
Mr.. Spight desired to knowif their would
be any refreshments on hand. The Speaker
said that If so sit was not named in the
bond" Some member whose name our re-
porter did not catch, said he presumed there
would be plenty of cold water refreshments
on hand.
III. B. to fix the salaries OF Circuit Judges
4 -. .tI,0
$4,000 aud the latter at $4,000 without per-
quisiCes, do not pass. Mr.. Martin moved to
make it the special order for Monday, 2Sth
at II O'clock.
THE SPECIAL ORDER.
H. b. to regualte the pay of members o
the Legislature, introduced by Mr.. Street
SECTION L. Tina the salary of this year be
in full compensation for the term for Rep
resentatives and a corresponding period for
Senators; that if there be a called session
next year there shall be per diem of 81
and 10 cents mileage.
SEC 2. That future legislators shall re-
ceive - per diem and mileage 10 cents each
way, the Speaker Sc per day and mileage.
Mr.. Street moved to strike out "2' and
insert t3' in section one. Adopted. Mr.
Whitaker moved to amend by striking out
section and insert instead That salaries
shall be $500 for each regular session and 10
cents mileage each way; the Speaker $3.50
each regular session and mileage. For call
sessions, Tor members % per Qlem, anu the
Speaker 81 90, and mileage.
Mr.. Whitaker being unwell could net
speak upon his amendment. Mr.. Tison op-
posed the amendment and said:
The bill pc nding before the House con-
tnins simple proposition, that is to reduce
and to fix the pay of members in the Leg
islature, and the pay fixed should be rea-
sonable compensation, and think that four
dollars per day and mileage, at ten cents
per mile, as set forth in the bill, sufficient
a nd raaG III IL e.
by some members that If the pay is fixed at
four dollars per day. that it will exclude
the poor from these halls. Let us see
whether that proposition is true or not. AT
4 previous time. when Mississippi was in a
prosperous and happy condition, the pay
allowed members of the Legislature was
the amount fixed i'm this bill, and at that
time it was not the wealthy as general
rule that served in the Legislature, but it
was the poor, energetic and ambitious that
performed the duties of Representatives.
And, Mr.. Speaker, no member of this House
will question the fact that the taxpayer
could more easily pay two dollars tax then.
than one dollar now. A large portion OF
our property has been destroyed and values
of all kinds reduced. and business in all
departments oppressed. This being true
the people who pay the taxes expect this
Legislature to reduce the pay of members
hereafter. There was some justification in
keeping the pay up in 1876 and 1877, but
that iu stification no longer exists, and the
Omy. For one, intend to obey that voice,
and give my support to the original bill
and call upon its friends to stand by it and
prevent it being weighted down with
amendments.
Mr.. Miller of Copiah favored the amend
ment. He said: The amendment provid-
ing pay by salary instead of per diem
ought to be adopted, because it is within
the bounds of possibility that Legislature
NAV be elected i'm the future which would
hrlr ynlu hH
State with an enormous outlay for legisla-
tive expenses. Three hundred dollars is
quite enough for all necessary expense of
the Legislature. and in view of the poverty
of our constituents we owe them this ex-
am pie of sacrifice and reform.
Mr.. Tucker favored the amendment. He
said
Mr.. SPEAKER-In settling the question of
the pay OF members of the Legislature, the
House should remember that we are legis-
lating for our successors not for ourselves
The Constitution expressly declares that
ssno alteration of such compensation of
members shall take effect during the session
at which it is made" Those gentlemen who
have SO pertinaciously voted for extrem-
~ low salaries for their successors, and have
said nothing of conveying into the Treasury
a corresponding part of their own, remind
me of the patriotism of Artemus Ward in
the late war. He was willing to sacrifice all
his wife's relations on the altar of his coun-
try, but he was unwilling to take any
chances of being shot himself.
As, with my own consent. l shall never
again occupy seat on this door, l can look
aG this subject dispassionately, as one in
which the State of Mississippi and my sue
cessor, are alone interested.
Mr. Speaker, the present pay of members
is either too little or it is too much. For
the honest, industrious. capable member.
it is too small. The service of such
man cannot be valued In dollars and cents.
Only one side of the question is open
for discussion. Shall the pay be reduced
While we should be careful 60 avoid waste
full expenditures, the State of Mississippi
can not afford TO be parsimOnius with her
servants. I would not have the salary as
high as TO offer inducements TO place-hun-
terR, or 70 men who would seek fhe posi-
ton for the pay alone; nor would /, on the
other hand, reduce the salaries so low MS to
permit only rich men to represent their
| people. Each representative should have
that amount of pay which would enable
live and dress like a gentleman and make
| his family comfortable during his absence.
Less than this it is not safe for the
State to pays more than this, the members
| For two sessions, when this subject hes
been considered, have voted for three
hundred dollars, believing that sum was
sufficient for all actual expenses. / have
seen no reason 20 change that opinion.
Three hundred dollars is certainly not too
much, and lt 10 greater reduction than has
been made In any other department of the
1 Governments. Lower than this. In justice
very heartily support the amendment Of
1 the gentleman from Landerdale, and hope
| &c win be adopted.
Mr. Pegram opposed the amendment and
the bill. He said reform and eeonemy Is ,
hobhF, that the honorable gentlemen nom
Iieas Ehlckasaw and ErentLas have straddled.
Reform aud economy haR been their cry
from the frst sitting Of this House, and they