Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-20

The bill recently introduced IN the
United States Senate by Senator Brown'
Of Georgia, providing that each Senator,
not the chairman OF committee, shall
be allowed a special clerk at salary OF
81 200 annually, is exciting considerable
interest in the Higher House OF Con-
gress, and it is believed that a majority
Of the Senators would unhesitatingly
sgree to it were they not afraid OF public
opinion. 1t is argued By the Solons that
it is simply impossible for them
to attend personally to their large
correspondence, and that it is equally
impossible for many of them, who have
nothing beyond their salaries, to hire
clerks at their own expense. The reason
why chairmen of committees are not
included in the provisions Of this bill of
the Senator from Georgia is that, through
a practice which custom has made law,
the clerks of the various committees act
as private secretaries of the chairmen,
who are in this way already supplied.
Concerning the correspondence of
Senators it is confined chiefly to applica-
tons for Federal office, claims hunting
for constituents, and such letters as the
members of that dignifed body may find
necessary to write to conciliate infuen-
tial constituents, and so pave the way to
reelection. But in addition to this, and
what is really more burdensome than
anything else, is the correspondence on
the subject of pensions. At present
every letter written to a Senator
on this subject requires three from
MIN -one to the writer in reply,
a second to the Pension Office forwarding
his claims, and a third to enclose the re-
ply from the Pension Office when 1t is
received. This, of course, necessitates
time and labor, and it is really time
and labor from which the Senate
should be freed, since the seeker after
pensions or information on the subject
of pensions would receive as much con-
sideration, and his communication would
be as speedily attended to, if he wrote
las he should do direct to the Pension
Office, instead of seeking the interven-
ton of a member of Congress.
Notwithstanding all this labor entailed
on Senators through their correspond
ence. however, it is by no means likely
to become a law, for several reasons.
There are about thirty six committees of
the Senate and seventy-six Senators.
Now if no one Senator is chairman OF
two committees there will remain forty
Senators to be provided with clerks in
volving an additional item of expense to
the country Of $4,000 per annum-a
considerable sum-and one which public
opinion would never justify the Senate
in imposing upon the country. Again
the correspondence complained Of, be-
sides being, to great extent, unnecessary,
is, in no instance, public in its nature.
1t is solely in the private interest of
either the Senator himself or OF certain
Of his constituents, and in neither case
will the people of the country be willing
to be saddled with the expense necessary
for its conduct. And yet again, even
should the Senate pass Mr. Browns
bill, it would, most likely.
be defeated in the House, which
is said to be always jealous of the Sen-
ate, and would therefore be unwilling to
add to the perquisites of the members of
that body Mr. Brown, being a man Of
large means, is fully able to ,nploy his
own clerk without any inc venience,
and his bill is more for the relief of his
less fortunate fellow Senators than him
self. For the reasons above given, how
ever, his philanthropic desires will
hardly, in this case, be realized.