The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-01-28
THE CONGRESSIONAL BANK.


The bank in the Capitol where the inem-
bers of Congress receive their salaries Is ON
interesting place, and spent an hour in it
to-day watching the members come in with
checks and go away with handfuls Of fresh
new greenbacks. Members 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 presi-
dent of this bank, and has entire charge OF
III money payments to Congressman. II is
located in the north side of the House wing,
Just next to Speaker Carlisle's private room,
and its appearance is much like that of an
ordinary banking room. 1t is a long hall.
like room, with high vaulted ceiling and
walls kalsomined in light pink. As the
door opens you step into carpeted space
like that in front of narrow bank, and at
your right is the counter with its high wire
network and its little dog-hole spaces
through which the teller and the cashier do
their business. On the left of this opposite
the counter are desk shelves fastened up
against the wall, on which are racks hold.
ing checks in blank directing the Sergeant.
alarms, United States House of Represen.
:atives, to pay to bearer--dollars and
charge to the account Or Congressman,
Back of the counter is the bank safe, which
usually holds from $50, 900 to $75, 900 in
greenbacks and which pays out $4,000
to $l1 900 every day. During the year it
contains about 49, 600, 900, and many of the
members use it as place of deposit. Wash
burne, of Minnesota, used to have at times
as much as $4,000 in the safe. Now
hat SO many of the Washington banks are
failing, Congressman prefer TO leave their
money here and check on the Serpeant-at
Arms.
This bank of the Capitol does repula,
banking business us far as the members are
concerned. 1t deals with no others. A
Congressman can cheek on it and it will
cash his drafts and receive his deposits His
salary is due him in monthly payments
and he cannot oyerdraw Every month
$4l6.66 is put TO bis credit here, and this
is pretty rapidly checked out Some mem-
bers check their money out rs fast as il
comes in. Others take it in five dollar bills
and bill at n time. Some draw but little
IN instances have been known of Con-
gressmen taking nothing until the close of
t .e year. None SO far have refused to take
their salaries. If a Congressman dies, hi.
stlnry stops at his death, but it is now tbt
istom of Congress to vote his widow
years extra pay. As to.mileage, each Con
gresham gets forty cents mile each SOS.
sion for the distance from his home to the
Capitol, and this pay ranges all tho way
from $3.50 10 81 900, according to the dis
lance. Mr.. Curry, the terrific dal delegate
from Arizona, gets 81 900 a year mileage in
in addition to his salary. When it is re-
nembered that this is enough to pay one
passage around the world, aud that you can
go from New York to San Francisco for less
than one-eighth of it, it seems a good deal.
Congressman are also allowed $125 q year
for stationery. The Sergeant-at-lf =
hanle also attends 10 this. Most
members do not Use all of this and they nre
entitled TO draw ont the balance. This
bank must keep their accounts of this as OF
other things II does SO carefully and has
complete set of books which must be
balanced every morning journal, ledger
and cash-book. If n cent is wrong, the
whole must be gone over with, md good
business men are needed for the work. The
money used is brought up daily from the
Treasury in bag, ten thousand dollars at n
ime. A policeman accompanies this mes
senger, and the bank is also carefully guard.
ed sothat, MS far as the present clerks remem.
Der, they have never heard OF burglary
being attempted Washington CorTespon1
ent ClegeldHd Leddey