The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1890-01-15

HOUSE-Mr. Mckinley, of Ohio, ofthe
committee on ways and means, reported
back the bill to simplify laws in relation
to the collection of revenue. 1t was or
dered printed and recommitted, and Mr..
Mckinley stated that he hoped to call
it up during the present week.
Mr., Perkins, of Kansas, moved that
the house 20 into committee of the
whole for the consideration of bill to
provide town site entries OF lands in
Oklahoma. This was antagonized by
Mr.. Adams, of Illinois, who wished the
house to consider the Silcott matter and
the motion was defeated, 65 to 81. Mr.
Bland, of Missouri, demanded the tellers,
declaring that matter involving the
interests OF one hundred thousand peo-
pie should be considered prior to one
which involved only the individual in
terests of members. The friends of the
Oklahoma bill were again defeated, 96
% 1OS, and Mr.. Adams called up the
Silcott report, accompanied by Il bill ap-
propriating $4,000 to reimburse the
members for losses incurred through the
Silcott defalcation.
Mr.. Adams argued in favor Of the bill.
holding that the sergeant alarms was a
public officer. charged first by custom
md afterward by sanction of law with
the duty of disbursing the salaries OF
members. He referred to the defalcation
which occurred in the Twenty-second
Congress and called attention to the fact
that the house at that time voted to re-
imburse the members out Of the contin-
gent fund. The real question presenting
itself now was not the question of tech
meal right or technical wrong. 1t was
u question whether the members were in
some way to blame for signing their re-
ceip.s, whether the government had lost
the money by reason of their fault, and
whether they should forfeit their money
on account of that fault. New members
had signed the receipts before they had
any legislative power to change the law.
Certificates were presented to them and
they were requested to sign them in
order to get their salaries. If any men,
ber had protested against signing the
certificates, he must go without his sal
ary. The new members were in no wise
to blame. and he could not see how al
old member could vote against an ap-
preparation to pay the new members
what they were entitled to. II an old
member felt himself to blame his only
course was to vote for an appropriation
and afterward determine between him.
self and his conscience whether he would
receive the money himself.
Mr.. Butterworth inquired whether
any member believed that the sergeant
alarms was his personal agent.
Mr.. Adams thought that there was no
such member. No one believed that he
had made the sergcant-at-arms his per-
sonal agent, though some might believe
that by technical rule of law the SER
gcant-at.arms was constituted the agent
Of the members.
Mr.. Hcmphill, of South Carolina, ad.
vocated his bill permitting members to
bring suit in the court of claims for the
recovery of their salaries. and opposed
the bill of the majority because he could
find no statute declaring the sergcant-at-
arms to be disbursing officer. Con-
grcss had utterly failed, though the mat.
ter had been called to its attention
after the report of the United States
treasurer, to make any provision pro.
tecting the government in case there was
dcfalcation. A plain duty had rested on
congress to provide that the money
taken from the treasury should I've safely
handled, and 1t had not performed that
duty. There was about $4,000 Of pri-
vatc money in the sergeant.at-arms'
Office. Surely no one would hold that
that officer was disbursing officer so
far as that money was concerned. He
thought that the house should not ap-
propriate public money to pay private
debts.
II the house was going to appropriate
money to pay members salaries, it
ought to be able to tell the amount due,
and until it was asccrtaincd how much
money was left in the safe was applica.
bic to payment Of private debts. it
could not tell how much was necessary
to pay salaries. The committee could
not ascertain positively what money
Silcott had taken away with him
whether 1t was all public money or
whether some fit was privatefund
Mr.. Butterworth-Tha is the question
between Slcott and the Government.
What we want Ia what is due us.
(Laughter.)
Mr.. llemphill-We are here not only to
represent ourselves, but the government
as well. (Applause.)
Mr.. Butterworth-And when mem.
Der IL afraid to vote himself, what 10
due him, may not the government feel a
little anxious IN the presence Of moral
rowardtu u(tHut chorautxS tLuughuy,