Year: 1859

J discussing the question of the members # the legislature taking pay for the time turing the recess.

 The North West Appeal has the follow ng:

 "A Great Fraud.

 It will be seen by an examination of the proceedings of the last legislature, that large majority of said body did actually charge, demand and receive from the trea- sury of the State, the sum of four dollars per day, for the time they deserted their posts to go to their homes electioneerlng for future emotion, and attending to their own private business. It will be remem bered that the said legislature took re- cess for 24 days during which time the members thereof went home, and charged the State the small sum of four dollars per day! A beautiful specimen of retrench ment and reforui--a doctrine preached by many candidates in the last canvass.

 The State treasury has been bleeding at every pore during the last session, while the people, their immediate constituents, have been paying heavy taxes to foot up the bill of the said recess legislature. The people will remember the four dollar men when they ask for office again"

 The Fayetteville Arkansian concludes an article in these words:

 We have not time and space at present to give our views at length concerning the action of the two speakers, but with regard to the per diem pay it seems to us, there can follow but one rational con clusion.

 Was it necessary, that the few members of the legislature, not constituting a quo rum, should meet day after day, able only to go through the motions of calling the roll and adjouIning? If it was not, then the adjournment by the Governor was in every respect polite and proper and talk ing the per diem pay, was extremely im- proper, for it was virtually notification of the Governors act.

 We shall say more of this matter, per haps, at another time.''

 The following good humored article is from the Pocahontas Advertiser:

 "Per Diem"

 < If man should tie his horse's tail to the manager, and then invite discrim- mating public to disburse twenty-five cents to view an animal with his tail where his head ought to be, and yice yersa. and sup pose, after viewing said quadruped, said public should consider itself SwindIel- ought it to deprive itself of it's shirt-make a fuss about it? Ought it not rather ac- knowledge the corn, and guard itself in fu- ture lest it be led into other difficulties?

 Again: If a man presents himself as an aspirant to legislative honors, and the peo- pie send him to Little Rock-now if a larger amount of government pap should be appropriated by such aspirant than may be absolutely necessary, ought fuss to be 1 made about 1t? ought not the public rather to acknowledge itself bit,' and in future guard against the biter?'

 The per diem question has absorbed the attention of Arkansas journalism for some time past. The storm has now near ly passed over, yet we can still hear the distant thunders, and we live in fear and trembling that the next breeze of discon- tent or want-of-something- -to-talk- about will bring the storm back upon us, and then there is no telling the viaIs of wrath these irate editors will not pour upon the heads of our legislators, and the poor devil who has the misfortune to be Goveror.

 We think now that it would be well to acknowledge that the State of Arkansas has been bit one time, and say no more about it. If the members of the legisla- ture did appropriate to themselves few extra dollars the poor fellows needed it all; and we ought to be thankful that they run their hands no deeper into the treasury"