Year: 1865

A SPeck OF Economy IN Congress.


The Senate and House are stilIin a con.
troVersy at Washington over an item o.
$4,000 in the deficiency appropriation
bill for the increase of the pay of officers
and walters in the lower house. The Sen
ate insists that it shall not be granted, that
it is illegal and unnecessary; but the
House is SO far equally obstiuate-says it
is none of the Senate's business and that
1t is gross discourtesy on the part of the
upper branch to interfere with the lower
in its allowances to Its own officers. The
bill mas been back and forth several times
each branch insisting on it's position. The
matter was re discussed in the Senate on
Friday, and its determination reinvigora-
ted by sound and indignant talk, of which
this from Senator Wilson is q specimen:-


In the face of the fact that we owe tens
of millions of dollars to our armies, and
| that many of our officers have been un-
paid for months; in face of the fact that
officers OF our armies are sending in their
esiGuatious-and some of our generals
hold them by the handfull-askiug to re-



lies, in face of these facts that we cannot
help and cannot relieve. owing to the
financial condition of our country, we
have an issue raised here in Congress by
one branch of this government, in viola
| tion of the laws of the country, to increase
! the compensation of their clerks and the
persons they employ twenty per cent. If
gentlemen anywhere choose to make an is-
sue before the country, when we have not
the means to increase the compensation of
| men who do not receive enough now to
support their wives and children at home,
while they are suffering and fighting and
bleeding and dying for the country; il. gen.
tlamen choose 70 make an Issue on the In.
crease Of compensation to we'll paid men
who are employed about ten months in two
years, why let them make it; welcome
| the contest. -..


The Senate has now tackled the whole of
the deficiency bill, save this controverted
item, on to another appropriation bill, and
sent it back to the House in this FORM
The representatives will have to yield, we
predict, this time but the ways and means
of putting such swindIes through are abun-
dant, aud one will be found for this prob
ably before the session is over. In the
meantime let those who are meditating
such schemes read the letters which some of
the correspondents are writing home from
the army; for instance the following extract
from the corr espodence of the N. Y. TTi-
6une:


II is no herculesn labor, this paying off
the troops, and were the paymasters once
here, every man and officer of the "Armies
operating against Richmond" could be paid
| within three days The regular and prompt
payment of our soldiers is a humane meas.
ure, because it would diminish the amount
of suffering among the families of soldiers,
| and polite because it would insure the con-
tinued Ind unfaltering devotion of every
man fighting beneath the flag; for it is
useless to deny the fact that men once ar.
dent in the cause are becoming lukewarm
in their attachment to a government which
SO sadly fails to discharge in this respect
its self-imposed obligations, and seemb so
careless Of those over whom specially
the @gis of its protection should be
thrown. No wonder that the soldier
should grow. weary when he reflects that
his arduous hardsBips, Undergone on long
marches, 7ina the trenches, on the picket
line, scorching then under the rays of q
mid summers sun, and shiveriDg now in
Ithe merciless blasts of winter, exposed to
all the inclemencies of a variable climate
I-sre suffered to go long unrecognized by
his government; no wonder that when 'ev-
cry mail brings him the old story of his
famiIy's destitutiou, and when he remem-
bers his inability to aid them, he should
lgroW lukeWarm in the cause which years
ago he espoused with all the Rrdor of a
man and a patriot. 1t is in vain that he
tries to place country above hsme-aboVe
the wife whom he has solemnly sworn to
cherish and protect, the offspring whom
theaven has given him to support, or the
aged parents whose infrmities demand his
flial consideration, the thought of his do
mestio responsibilities will absorb all 9TH
ers, and will embitter every hour of his
soldier life.


Every day designations are forwarded by
officers whom stern necessity has compell-
ed to ask for their discharge from the mill
tary service, in order that they may return
home to relieve the pressing wants OF their
families, and shalLWe say, too, that deser~
tions to the enemy frequently occur when
ever men are impelled by the same mo-
tives. Officers and men in making appli-
cation for leaves and furloughs are often
forced to make the humiliating confession
that they desire to go home to restore or
der to their households upon which during
their absence shame and dishouor have
fallen, and the plea of their families ex-
treme destitution is still more frequent. In
! the name of humanity, then, let the troops
be paid with as little. delay as possiblei
the best interests of the services demand it
l a. Sno,onsa ba n