The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-07
WHAT IT GUSTS TO BURY A CON-
GRESHAM.
Sneech OF Hon. John NJ. Allen, OF Mis-
sfs.ippi. in the House Of Representa-
tiyas, Friday, June IL, 1855.

The Hogse f,einy in Committee of the Whole on
the state Of the Union. and having under consider
alton the bill II. Z. s974) making appropriations
fDr he legislative executive, aud Judicial expenses
OF the Government for the fiscal year ending June
30 1857, and for other purposes
MR ALLEN of Mississippi offered the following
az an amendment TO the paragraph making an ap-
preparation for the contingent fund oil the House
Provided That no part Of TINS appropriation
shall be used in paying the buris expenses OF any
senator or Representative or empioye Of either
branch Of Congress-
Against this amendment point oI order was
made
Mr.. Allen, of Mississippi: Mr.. Chair
man, desire to speak to the point of
order made against this amendment by
the gentleman from West Virginia Mr..
Gibson |. | submit, sir, the amendment
is in order. Is il claimed that we are so
hampered with rules that this House in
making an appropriation of money for
the contingent fund to be used by the
House cannot say how that money shall
or shall no. be used? There is no exist
ing law as to how the contingent fund
of the House shall be used. Will the
gentleman who makes the point of order
tell me what existing law the amend
meut repeals or changes?
If the House has tied its hands by any
rule by which it is bound to vote appro
priations especially for contingent funds,
but is without the power to put any
limitation on the purpose for which
such appropriations shall be used, then
the soouer we rid ourselves of such a
rule the better it will be for the House
and the country. Applause. No, sir,
the amendment is in order and should
by all means be adopted. 1t is out of
h,y l.1ffr af
he House that the Sergent alarms is
authorized to draw for the expensive
Congressional funerals and burials that
have not only attracted much criticism
and attention. but have in my judgment
come to amount to national Congress
sional scandal.
| know, sir, of no abuse that has
grown up in this House land | grant
there are many that is more undemo
cratic and reprehensible than the Gus
tom of expending from three to ten
thousand dollars of the peoples money
to bury Senators and Representatives,
many OF whom leave behind them es
tates amply sufficient to meet all the
proper expenses of their funeral or bur
ial: and it tends to build up in this
country an office-holding aristocracy
which is in my opinion one of the most
dangerous tendencies of the times.
When paupers die the county or mu-
nicipality in which they live usually
bury them at an expense of Ten or if-
teen dollars. To this | do not object,
because they leave nothing with which
to pay the expense of burial, and our
humanity accords them that,
even at public expense. But, sir, when
a Senator or Representative dies here, or
while he is such, even if he dies at
home, it matters not if he be worth his
he must be buried at Govern.
ment expenses, and with a reckless ex
and disregard of the peoples
rights that is simply astounding. Just
let me give you few items from some
of these funerals paid out of the contin.