Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-15

public officer, charged first by custom
and afterwards by the sanction OF the law.
with the duty of disbursing tho salaries of
the members. He referred TO the defalca-
ton which occurred in the Twenty-second
Congress, and called attention to the fact
that the House at that time voted TO re-
fmburse members out Of the contin-
gent fund. The real question pre-
senting itself now was not the aucs-
ton of technical right OF technical
wrong. IL was question whether
the members were in some way 10 blame
for signing their receipts, whether the
Government has lost the money by reason
OF their fault. and whether they should
forfeit their money on account OF that
fault. The new members had signed the
receipts before they had any legislative
power 10 change the law. Certificates were
presented 70 them and they were requested
Ia. sign them in order TO get their
salaries. If any member had protested
against signing certificate he must
90 without his salary. The new member
was IN no wise to blame. and he could not
see how an old member could vote against
an appropriation to pay the new members
what they were entitled to. If an old
member felt himself to blame his only
course was TO vote for the appropriation
and afterwards determine between himself
duu LIS CDDsClcUce NutIltT ne Womb re-
ceiye the money himself.
Mr.. ButterwOrth inquired whether any
member believed that the Sergeant-at-
Arms was his personal agent.
Nr. Adams thought that there was no
such member. No one believed that he
had made the Sergeant lis person
al agent, though some might believe that
by technical rule of the law the Sergeant
alarms was the constituted agent Of the
members.
MIR. Hemphill, of South Carolina. adj
yocated the adoption Of his bill permitting
members to BRING suit in the Court Of
Claims for recovery of their salaries, and
opposed the bill Of the majority because
he could find no statute declaring the Ser
eeat-at-Arms to be disbursing officer
Congress had utterly failed, though the
matter had been called to its attention by q
report of the United States Treasurer to
make any provision for the protection
Of the Government in case there was de-
falcation. The plain duty had rested on
Congress TO provide that money taker
from the Treasury should be safely guarded
and II had not performed that duty. There
was about $4,000 of private money on de.
post in the Sergeant-at-Arms's Office
Surely no one would hold that the Officer
was n disbursing officer so far as that
money was concerned: and he thought
that the House should not appro.
pirate public money 10 pay private
debts. If the House was gong Il
appropriate money 70 pay members sala-
ries. it ought TO be able TO tell the amount
due, and until it was ascertained how much
of the money left in the safe was applica
bic 10 the payment OF private debts II
could not tell how much was necessary Ia
nav salaries. The committee could not as.
certain positively what money SIlcott had
taken away with him whether il was all
public money or whether some of it was
private funds.
Mr.. Butterworth: That is q question be
tween SilcOtt and the Government. What
we want is what is due as. lLaughter.l
MIR. Hemphiil: We are here not only tC
represent ourselves, but the Government
as we'll lApplause.l
Mr.. Butterworth: And whena member i
afraid 10 vote himself what Is due him may
not the Government feel a little anxious IL
the presence of moral cOwardlce OF tha
character? IIaughter.l
MIR. Hemphill: There will be plenty o.
opportunities TO show our moral courage
There is a good deal of difference between
the kind of independence which people
admire and the kind which rams your hanC
into the Treasury and puts money into
your pocket. IApplause.I There Will b'
| which will not have the suspicion of bens
tineed with personal desire to put into oui
rockets money TO which we are not Ell
/ titled.
Mr.. Butterworth: Has my friend any
doubt that he is entitled TO his pay?
Air. Hemphill: Not at all. Because
have it. Laughter.
MIR. ButterwOrth: Then this is an exhi
bition of virtue that does not cost my
friend any sacrifice? daughter
Mr.. Hemphill: | do not know any time
o man can be more virtuous than when
does not cost him anything. Laughter.
Mr.. ButterwOrth: But is it fair div
sion of labor for YOU to exhibit virtue ant
us TO make the sacrifice? lLaughter.I
Mr.. Kennedy, of Ohio. inquired whethe
IL was not true that the members on The
Democratic side got tip to draw theil
MIR. Hemphill replied that he had never
heard Of such thing, and his denial wa
corroborated by Mr.. Adams, who stateo
TINT nothing of the kind had come to the
knowledge Of the committee. -.
Mr.. Holman contested the proposition
that the Sergeant-at-Arms was disburS
ing officer.
Mr.. Blunt. of Georgia. spoke in supper
of the bill of the majority and rldicuieC
the idea of requiring private deposltors u
90 to the Court of CLAIMS III order 70 re
cover their money. He also strongly OPP
posed the pro-rata methods OF solving th'
difficulty, declaring that the. House had M
right II pro rata and that it would
be dishonest proceeding. He ADMITTED
that there was no express statute making TN
Sergeant-at-Arms discussing officer. ou
the rules of the House and the custom
growing llp under them had constructlvel!
made him so. The very payment OF mone'
to the Sergeant at-Arms before II was du
was on the theory that he was disoursin'
officer. Else the Treasury had no right, q
nav it to him at all. That he was a DIS
6ursipg officer was shown by requiring
him to give bond. by giving him cashier
teller. and book-keeper, and by .requfih'
members TO certify to him their mlleag
accounts. He was not afraid to tax
the position which he did. Any action OF
his part suggested by fear and from whlci
| there would come wrong to his feilow
members would be unworthy OF HIM an'
no such motive would prevent him fr9n
declaring to the House and the country III
conclusions as to the rights OF his aSso
| cIateS. ,r..,.o 90
Pending further debate, the House at
o'clock adjourned.