Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-15
THE CONGRESSIONAL BANK.
Where the National Lawmakers Draw
Their PAY

The bank in the Capitol where the men,
bers Of congress receive their salaries,
says the Cleveland Leader, is an interest
ing place, and 1 spent an hour in it to-day
watching the members come in with
their checks, and go away with their
handfuls of fresh new greenbaeks. Mem
bers OF Congress are always paid in new
money, which is brought here fresh from
the printing presses, and none of which
has ever been used. The Sergeant-at-
Arms is the President of this bank. and
he has entire charge of all the money
payments TO Congressman. l. Is located
in the north side of the House wing, just
next to Speaker Carlisle's pri-
waite room, and its appearance
is much like that of an ordinary
banking room. 1t is a long, hall-like
room, with a high, vaulted ceiling and
walls calcimined in a light pink. AS the
door opens you step into a carpeted space
like that in front of a narrow bank, and
at your right is the counter, with its high
wire net work and its little dOg-spaces
through which the teller and the cashier
do their business. On the left of this, OPP
p0site the counter, are desks and shelves
fastened up against the wall. on which
the racks holding checks in blank
directing the Sergeant-at-Arms of
the United States House Of Represen-
tatives to pay bearer dollars
and charge to the account of -, Con-
gresham. Back of the counter is the
bank safe, which usually holds from $50.
coo to $4,000 in greenbacks, and which
pays out from $4,000 to $1l, 900 every day.
during the year it contains about $4,000
600, and many of the members use it as a
place of deposit. Washburn, of Mime
sofa, used to have at times as much as
$4,000 in that safe. Now that so many of
the Washington banks are failing, Con-
gressmen prefer to leave their money here
and check on the Sergeant-at-arms.
This bank of the capitol does a regular
banking business as far as the members
are concerned. 1t deals with no others.
A Congressman can check on it and it
will cash his drafts and receive his de-
pOsits. His salary is due him in monthly
payments, and he cannot overdTaw.
Every month $416 &C is put to his credit
here, and this is pretty rapidly checked
out. Some members check their money
out as fast as it comes in. Others take it
in s. bills, and a bill at a time. Some
draw but little, and instances have been
known of Congressman taking nothing
until the close of the year. None so far
have refused to take their salaries. 1t a
Congressman dies his salary stops at his
death, but it is now the custom of Congress
to vote his widow a years extra pay.
AS to the mileage, each Congressman
gets 40 cents a mile each session for the
distance from his home to the capitol,
and his pay ranges all the way from 50 50
to 81 900, according to the distance. Mr..
Curry, the territorial delegate from Ari-
IONA, gets 81, 800 year mileage in addi-
tiOn to his salary. When it is remem-
bered that this is enough to pay one pas
sage around the world, and that you can
go from New York to San Francisco for
less than one-eighth OF ii, it seems good
deal. Congressman are allowed $l25 a
year for stationery. The Sergeant
alarms bank also attends to this.
Most members do not use all
OF this, and they are entitled to draw out
the balance. This bank must keep their
accounts of this as of other things. 1t
does so carefully, and has complete set
of books which must be balanced ever
morning-iOurnal, ledger and cash-bOok.
If a cent is wrong the whole must be gone
over with, and good business men are
needed for the work. The money used is
brought up from the Treasury in a bag,
$4,000 at a time. A policeman accom-
panies the messenger, and the bank Is so
carefully guarded that, as far as the
present clerks remember, they have never
heard Of a burglary being attempted.