Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)United States. Congress
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Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)
United States. Congress
Law -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
Contemptible must be that state of Government, said Mr. B., where its
public officers are starved for want of a proper spirit in the people to
support them. Is America, said he, arrived at this melancholy state? If
she were, God forbid she should ever experience another revolution! Is
this all our boasted acquisition, in return for the struggle we have
made for our country? No; he denied the fact. America was not reduced to
that state which will not allow her to pay the expenses of her
Government, nor is she unwilling to pay them; neither is public
sentiment so debased as not to approve of any measure which shall be
taken to secure a handsome maintenance for our officers. There was no
occasion for hypocrisy in the business; he was willing to state the
whole truth plainly to his constituents. He should not think of telling
them they were giving too high salaries for their officers, when he
knew, that, owing to their insufficiency, they were diminishing their
own private fortunes. Nor did he wish to intrench on his own property in
serving the public; he believed there was no occasion for this. He
should, therefore, speak plainly to them.
Mr. B. said, he would inquire whether the present salaries were a
reasonable and just compensation for the services performed? In respect
to the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, it was said that he had already a
large salary. He knew that twenty-five thousand dollars had a great
sound in the ears of many, but he trusted the people of the United
States not only possessed just views of Government, but that they also
possessed virtue to support the just measures of Government, and would
not consent that their Executive officers should be placed on such a
footing as to be looked down by officers from foreign countries who
moved in a lower sphere. Therefore, when they looked into the reason of
the thing, and found their present salaries were unequal to their
support, not in the style of splendor observed in foreign courts, but
according to the manner of living in Philadelphia, would they not be
willing to increase them? He believed they would.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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