The times., 1899-03-10
SALARIES NOT DRAWN.
Status of the SOIdier-ConGrcssmc
on the Pnyrolls-

Status of the SoIdier-Congressmc
on the Pnyrolis.
1t was supposed that when the House
declined TO consider the report of the Com
mittee on the Judiciary. which held that
Representatives Wheeler, Colson. Robbins.
and Campbell had vacated their seats in
the House by accepting commissions in
the army. the Speaker would withdraw his
opposition TO these members. This i'm
preston proved to be wrong. for Speaker
Reed declined to recognize General Vine siCr
when he attempted to address the House
on last Saturday morning, and has so far
. declined to sign the warrants of these
members for their pay for the session.
That the Speaker is able TO prevent mem
bers of the House from drawing their pay
is somewhat remarkable. for it would seem
that il is beyond his power to say who
shall be paid and who shall not 1t is the
case, however, that none of them mas
drawn any pay since Congress met for
their services as members of the House.
and IL looks as if they never would. The
status of these members apparently ~as
settled by. the action of the House, for
whatever might be the construction OF
the Constitution drawn by the Committee
on the Judiciary, or maintained by Speaker
Reed that construction has never been
adoDted by the House, and until it was
and the House declared that these mem
bers had vacated their seats it would ap-
near they had right TO occupy their seats
and draw their pay.
g. General Wheeler has made no attempt TO
draw his pay. being satisfied with his pay
as a major general of volunteers. The 9TH
ers. however drew their pay regularly until
December /. During the recess the clerk
OF the House signs the warrants on which
members draw their salaries. and Clerk
Mcdowell had no authority and no prece-
dent for declining to sign the warrants OF
the military Congressman. When Con-
gress met. however, 1t became necessary
for the Speaker to sign the warrants, which
ne declined to dc, and since then Messrs.
Colson. Campbell, and Robbins have drawn
( no pay Nor can they secure their pay
from the sargsant-at-arms unless Mr.. Reed
will sign their warrants, and il is doubtful
now If they can get it even under those
circumstances, for Mr.. Reed is no longer
Speaker.
When Speaker Reed laid down the gayel
on Saturday the lower branch'o the Fifty
/ fifth Congress passed out of existence, and
/ the office of Speaker lapsed, so Mr.. Reed
+ is now ex-Spesker and merely member
elect of the next House. This being the
/ case il is questionable II Mr.. Reed could
| legally sign the warrants, as they would
certainly have TO be ante-dated in order
for him to sign as Speaker, and it is doubt
| full if an ante-dated warrant would be
valid As the matter now stands it looks
very much as if the Representatives would
| lose their money, amounting to about
1 81 80 each.
| Colonel Campbell. however. is still serv-
ing with his regiment, and General
I Wheeler is major general of volunteers
but Colonel Colson is already or is soon
to be mustered out and Mr.. Robbins left
the service before Congress met Tc
! make the condition of the two last mer
even harder, It appears that Representa-
/ tive Colson declined 10 draw his pay as
a colonel, thinking that it might prevent
| him from receiving his salary as a mem
Der. and Captain Robbins did likewise viii
his salary as captain so that neither re
ceiyed anything for the last three months
service in Congress.
The only one of the men reelected wa!
General Wheeler, who will make no effof
to draw his pay as a member, al least al
long as he remains in the army. Hi:
status is still in doubt. If he does no. re
sign from the House Mr.. Reed may brin.
up the issue next session and By securing
a vote OF the House have Wheeler's sea
declared vacant. and even If Genera
Wheeler resigns from the army it wo III
not render his claim TO his seat more vail
than il is now.
II appears almost certainty, therefore
that if some one chooses to press the mat
ter at the coming session General Wheele
will be ousted unless he previously re
signs Should he. however. attempt L
draw his salary between now and Decem
ber l, it would place Clerk Mcdowell il
an embarrassing position. He could no
say that General Wheeler had no right I,
his salary for the House did not pass upol
this matter last session. while if he signe
the warrant he might become liable 70
the pay should the House declare tha
General Wheeler had vacated his seat whel
! he accepted his commission. Last session
the situation was different, in that Genera
Wheeler was already a member of III
, House when he accepted the commission.
= An interesting question in this matter i
how far the Speaker can 20 in the matte
? of declining TO sign warrants for the pay @
! I members. The Constitution provides tina
: each house shall be the judge of the quail
4 fications of its members, and as the Hous
I I never declared that General Wheeler an
the others concerned were not members
4 would be the natural presumption that the
were entitled TO their rights as members
among those rights being that of drawin
I their pay. lf the Speaker could refuse
/ , sign the warrants for these members
might do so in the case OF any other mem
1 ber. and so prevent any one he please
= from drawing salary.