Connecticut western news., 1885-01-07
THE CONGRESSIONAL BANK.
A LtItle Institution by Itself that Is Run for
 the Benefit of Members.

The bank in the Capitol where the members of Congress receive their sala- ries is an interesting place and spent an hour in it 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 there 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 ensire charge of all money payments to Congressman. On the left of the bank ing room opposite the counter are desk shelves fastened up against the wall, on which are racks holding checks in blank directing the Sergeant-at-Arms, United States House of Representatives, to pay to bearer - dollars and charge to the account of - Congressman Back of the counter is the bank safe, which usu- ally holds from $50, ,000 to $75.000 in greenbacks and which pays .out from SIG, 900 to $l1 900 every day. During the year it contains about S3, 900, 900, and many of the members use it as place of deposit. Washburne, of Min nesota, used to have at times Ss much as $50, 900 in that safe. Now that so many of the Washington banks are failing Congressmen prefer to leave their money there and check on the Sergeant-at- Arms.
 This bank of the Capitol does a regu- lar banking business as far as the mem, bers are concerned. It deals, with no oth- CTS. A Congressman can check on it and it will cash his drafts and receive his deposits. His salary is due him in monthly payments and he cannot over- draw. Every month $416.66 is put to his credit here. and this is pretty rapid ly checked out. Some members check their money out as fast as it comes in. Others take it in five dollar bills, and a bill at time Some draw but little, and instances have been known of Con. gressmen taking nothing until the close of the year. None so far have refused to take their salaries. If "a Congressman dies his salary stops at his death, but fl is now the custom of Congress to vote his widow a years extra pay. As tc mileage, each Congressman gets forty cents a mile each session for the dis tance from his home to the Capitol, anc this pay ranges all the way from $3 & to $1 500, according to the distance. Mir. Oury, the territorial delegate from Ari zona, gets $1, 600 year mileage in addi ton to his salary. When it is remem bered that this is enough to pay one pas sage around the world, and that you car go from New York to San Francisco fol less than one-eighth of it, it seems good deal. Congressman are also allowet s125 a year for stationery. The Ser geant-at-Arms Bank also attends t this. Most of the members do not us all of this and they are entitled to draV out the balance. This bank must keel their accounts of this as of other things It does so carefully and has complet set of books which must be balance every morning-iournal, ledger and cash book. If a cent is wrong the whole mus be gone over with, and good bushes men are needed for the work. The mon ey used is brought up daily from tn Treasury in bag, ten thousand dollar at a time. A policeman accompanies thi messenger, and the bank is so careful guarded that, as far as the preser clerks remember, they have never hear of burglary being attempted.