St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-04-05
Congressman HaskIns and Ills Pc.
sition on the Alleged niIeage
Grab Bill,
His AccuSers Ably Answered in Frank
Letter 10 Ihe BrattleborO Phqnix.

D. will be read with interest by the CO
D stituents Of Congressman Haskins in Il
?. second Congressional district:
s. Since my return from Washington m
n attention has been called to a number {
newspaper items with reference to wha
they have been pleased to characterize a
the attempted mileage steal" or mi
cage grab" by members of the last Cor
gress. copy the following:
The attempted mileage steal by con
: gress has brought out large amount O
untavorable comment, none OF which an
pears to be too severe.
Representative D. J. Foster of course
voted against the grab. For this act
Mr. Foster deserves no special credit for
1T was only an honest procedure that
can hardly TAIL to still further advance
the high standing he has already gained
IN congress. 1t is, however, another
pointer that Vermont has not only a
brilliant and progressive representative
from the first district but one who is
able to distinguish clearly between right
and wrong. Representative Haskins is
reported as not voting on the measure.
- Mortified News.
1t is certainly TO the credit of Congress.
man Foster that he voted againt the
mileage grab bill. Congressman Has.
kins did not vote for the bill, but we
would have preferred to have found his
name IN the list of those who opposed
the measure rather than among the list
OF those present but not voting. "-GSt
Johnsbury Republican.
1t is to the credit OF Representative
Foster of the First Congressional Dis.
trict that he voted against the bill the
other day which would, if passed. have
given the members of Congress mileage
ior the Inhnltessmal recess on Dec. 7.
1903, 1t was plain grab. 1t is to be
regretted that the representative OF the
Second Vermont District was absent and
so did not vote, for it must be that he al.
SO would have stood for honesty in the
NATTER Montpelier Journal.
1t does not appear from the Congress.
slonal Record that Mr.. Haskins was |
absent from the house when the vote in
question was taken. He is recorded.
simply not as voting.
II our congressman was not absent
why was he not on the floor to vote
against the monumental steal? Surely,
Vermont expects her representatives to
De present to vote at such time. We
MINK that Congressman Haskins owes
us district and state an explanation.
= Burlington News.
From the pleasant relations EXISTING
between the editors OF the FOREGOING
newspapers and myself, l cannot believe
nat they were actuated in the least de-
rec by spirit of malevolence towards
1e' but rather from transformation re-
eived. All OF the foregoing newspapers
re supplied by their Congressman, daily,
Vith the Congressional Record, and had '
hey referred to that they would not have
lade the unwarranted criticism of me Y
'hich they did. t
Let me briefly state the facts with refer t
nee to thlsso called mileage grab" and l
y connection Herewith. The constitu. v
on OF the United States provides that b
le congress shall assemble at least
nee IN every year, and such meeting shall b
on the first Monday in December. I'm. F
IS they shall by law appoint different d
ay." The constitution further provides Il
lat HE 1.-THE President) may, on extra p
rdinary occasions, convene both Houses IL
either of them, etc." p
ne law now in force governing the II
1estion OF mileage was enacted in 1866. W
pealed In 1873, and re-euacted in 1874 II
1d reads as follows: That the com. 8
'nsation OF each Senator, Representative W
I'd Delegate in Congress shall be SIS 600 b.
,r annum, to be computed from the first W
~ OF the present Congress, and in addi- al
on thereto mileage at the rate of 90 oil
nts per mile, to be estimated by the &C
arrest route usually Travelled in going TO a,
ID returning from each regular session" m
MS law as will be readily seen was NOT pr
acted in the days OF the "stape coach 81
cover actual expenses of travel" as
me newspapers have claimed, but at a bi
ne when railroad communication with til
asnington was nearly, fnot quite, as ar
lsible from all parts of the country as he
now is. 1t has never been construed m
given to cover actual expenses as it is he
allowance far in excess of that. even a
MEMBERS are not supplied with free ye
as some no doubt are. but th
an additional compensation to the aft
airy of So, 900, and each member is LETT
get TO Washington and return as best in
may whether by railroad, stage coach. Sp
IN MS own team or on foot. So much tn
the law. "N" FL,
ne ooth Congress had three regular del
siops; the hrst assembled by order of ha
PRESIDENT Nov. Q, 1903, and continued acc
- CLOCK noon OF Dec. 7, 1908, when gr'
was adjourned without day and the tn;
ono session assembled, was called to of
Ter by the speaker and the roll of mem. WI
s called to ascertain whethera quorum of 1
present, proceeded to business. and que
ltlnued in session until it's final adjourn. ous
Mt April %, 1904. The third session A
Dec. 5, 1904, and was adj. hell
rned without day Marcia 1905. Here =
a. were three sessions of the 5Sth Con. ~
IS regularly assembled and held under y
provisions OF the Constitution. Nov
1913, joint resolution passed the
ase and concurred in by the Senate m
day, making the appropri.
VI 'or mileage contained in the iegisla.
, executive and judicial appropriation r
Tor the hscal year ending June 80, !
- immediately available for the nav. In
u Vi mileage OF Senator's, Representa-. cru
5 ana Delegates for attendance on the :. 4.
/, session OF the 5Sth Congress. By this ID 4
lut r the money appropriated by the Il
congress to pay the mileage of baz,
lo %T Tor the session beginning the -
Monday of December. 1909 was "
70 the members attending the session a.
ID by the President 'N'''ol