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Letter from WM. MifcYRANT, Esq. to one of liis Constituents. STATEBURGH, September loch, 1816. , Dear SirT FINDING that the Bill increasing the cdrriperisatuSti of members of Congress has given dissatisfaction 10 some of my constituents, 1 will brieOy assign ihe rea.^Qna-gliicii.iiHiiire^ me to vote in favour x?xl?at measure, and request that you ssaiMi for my satisfaction, and the information of the distiict 1 hav* the honor to represent, make them public. The limits of a letter will not permit me to answer all the little objections that have been made to that Bill, or toco?rect the many misrepresentations made on that subject. - while some have asserted, that such is the nature of the Bill, that a member, whether he attend* or no, receives the $1500; or if he attends only one clay, may draw the whole. Others have said that the members received not only the ?1500 but the six dollars a day besides. As I send you a copy of the Bill, exactly as it was passed and approved of. it can be liable to no misconstruction; and the most common understanding will pro nounce ilie above assertions to be without foundation. Having witnessed the motives ol "those who brought forward and j'Oted for that measure, and knowing them to be ^o t<t fri er than to promote the best interests of their country ; that all cupidity and avarice were it should be so mtic h clajnoured and ci it'd againS^as^a precedent dangerous and alarm* ing. Had this bill contained any thing inimical to ttie principles of our government* it would have been execrated i had it been dictated by a httle petty avarice* it would have been frowned upon with indignation and contempt. I'hope that my fellow citizens in general have a more liberal opinion of the present Clmgres*. than to sufiVr themselves for a moment to believe thai those men, whp for many years have directed the councils of our country? who have given the strongest proofs of their attachment to our govern ment?who have conducted her triumphant through the late conflict, and made the most noble and disinterested sacrifices, wotild now brand their names with infamy, by abusing the power and confidence placed in th^ir hands, to filch fron^the treasury ? paltry sum. I$yt let not the charterers of any set of men, however respeRable ft>r virtue, patriotism nnd integrity, scretrt their acts from the strictest scrutiny gnd investigation. Let the measure be dispassionately viewed, and 1 venture to assert, whatever may be the present impressions, when prejudice bas given place to calm consideration ? when this tempo rary breeze has subsided, this bill will be looked upon as an act of Legislative authority, liavit.g for its end, objects the most fair and just, the ^ood effect of ^vhich will suon be experienced The old compensation, howeVer adequate it may Ivave been in 1798, when every necessary of life was (me Unndred and fifty fier cent cheaper than at present, hasl of lute year*, from a corresponding depreciation of money, became scarcely sufficient., with the .strictest economy, to support a single member wh?le attending the Session of Congrets. without his lamily or servants, and totally unsufificient with any part of Ins family lim ing that time. The expenccs at Washington ar tt enormous. mnrr sn th?n in any p.irt ot the United States ? such as men of moderate circumstances Could not si and. It miist he familiar ro every one* that on the old compensation men of the first tal ent*, the brightest ornaments of our councils, Were continually retiring ; who declared th* sacrifice of private and domestic pursuits were too great, and they cou*d no longer serve the public. It w^s u matter of general regret amongst the discerning* that many distinguished ^nembers of Congress, as soon as they became useful, were compelled, fiorrt the narrowness of their^rivate circumstances, to retite. The manifest tendency of an insufficient compensation, is to give wealth too great a preponderance in our govern ment bv rendering it impossible for men of mediocrity of circumstances to serve with out a sacrifice of private fortune ; and will operate as an exclusion of thatcla&sof men who, depend on their individual exertions for the support of themselves and families.*? Amongst t^iis class of men, the greatest endowments of talents and mental acquirements have always been and ever willT>? found. Will such men, pr will a liberal minded peo ple ask their services, when their Individual exertiofts would be, in a measure, lost to themselves and families, without giving them a compensation adequate to a decent stip port. You Will find few men of virtue and talent,. who will gratify |heir ambition when it must be attended with a sacrifice of domestic comforts and family claims. Only those will do it, wh6 indulge a vicious and inordinate ambition ; and to gratify thst ambition, to forward their own sinister purposes, will abandon the most sacred tie. Would a peo ple, enth Aiastic in the cause of republicanism, and jealous of liberty, wish things so or dered as to favour the views of the wealthy and ambitiqu% while it suppresses those of virtue and talents, if not favoufed witty Wealth. What would have been thought of the constitution, had it sanctioned a clause excluding all but the wealthy from a seat in congress; Wouldik not have been spurnetj at with indignation, would not that instru ment have established an Aristocracy And is not the giving avf inadequate compensa tion (nhen none but the wealthy, or thole possessing a considerable share of fortune* can take a seat, or long retain one) sflen'ly producing the Mime effect. The Constitu tion of United States, piifely republican in its principles, has made property no neces sary qualification to a peat in C ongress, but left the door open to every one. The libe lal Vie^s of this constitution can only be seconded by offering to members such a com pensation as will induce men to serve* without regard to their own private fortune When a man accepts a seat in Congress, his own private pursuits must be> in a great measure abandoned* and particularly with professional characters. It should bV t he Object of every government to ensure to itself the aid and opera* tion <Sf virtue and talents : And Jiow can this be *A^ne, when the individual who is to serve knows, unless he possesses the advantages of fortune* he must sacrifice his Own private pursuits, oh which his happiness and comfort depends. A change qf circum *taiifc?s ffnd increase of xpences rendered an increase of pay necessary 5 and who was to make that increase but the members themselves ? It was an act of Legislative author ity, delegated to them by the peopl* of the United State* / and in the exercise of which, members felt all the delicfccy of their situati(Ai. Tkey knew the responsibility they were to incur, they were actuated by the most upright views ; Unless sufficient compensation is aHowed to the members, such as Will induce men in mediocrity bf circumstances to make some sacrifice of private pursuits, to attend putAc affairs, the talent of the nation' will not be commanded on your Congressional floor. What man of virtue, whose p>i vate welfare depends, in a great measure, .on hi 4 individual exertion, will wish to go to Congress* or long retain a seat, where he.must be absent from home ami tys family, six or seven months and sometimes nine mdllfths In the year* and receive what, during that ti4*?s ?nly will, with economy* support himself. Upon the moat accurate jy^kula tion, the increase of pay is not more th*n about &500, or about 38 per cent on tk old compensation, averaging the length of the sessions for ten years past ; and not more than a cent and not qflite a half toeach person represented. Do all the peoples sensibilities lay in their purse*? Will touching thai to tlic potertf tune of a cent and half* induce them to charge such men as CALHOUN, CLAY, JOHNSON of Kentucky ?>4hd m%ny other worthies with corruption ? Can supposed that men like those# who Vere to ycrt)? during your late conflict single iflKded with the greatest nation of the 4*tth, tlie nation that seemed to rule the destinies of the civilised world* as a pillar of clottd In the <hy to lead yod, and as a pillar of fire in the night to give you light, were actuated by paltry sel fish passions } Cai houn, the ptide and^ ornament^bf our stale ; the youthful statesman, before the thunder of whose manly eloquence and close reasoning the sophisms of op position sunk. ? Clay, the able, eloquent, animated statesman and negrtiator ; the admi ration of our country and of Kurope. ? Johnson, the valuable, useful, ilWefatigable mem ber of your councils; the dev ted patriot, who mig)Jrhave shielded himsell in a digni fied station on the floor of Congress where he was, hut chose rather to encounter (his bleeding country's calls.) the keen and piercing embraces of the Indian tomahawk, and uneirlng rifle ; who^ body has been ridrlled in yo^r service ; whose blood crimsoned the plains where Proctor cruel sanguinary sceptre and Tecum^efi't savage bow was broke. Yes, I say. can they for a moment suppose that such men#* those, were actuated by cu pidity ? by a petty paltry avarice ? l'orbid it justice ! forbid it patriotic gratitude ! They cannot, will not think so. The present compensation is not, in reality more, nor as much as six dollar^ a dav was in *89. the time when the < Id compensation was past, estimating the rise which has since taken place* in every necessary of life, and the depreciation of money ? to have made any increase at all it could not well have been made less. I know it may he sfcid we always have had men enough willing to serve for six dollars a day ; and there would be found enough who would gladly serve for nothing, and pay their own expences. But did not some of the best members retire, ^ ho declared that living at W^?hiDgtph lKM too expensive ; their private estates were injured too much; their pay did not support their necessary expences, and surely a change in circumstances would justify an increase of pay. It is only of late years that the formei compensation had he come so greatly inadequate. When 1 gave the vote* I took not my own case into con sideration. It was my Country ? It was to preserve our government from verging to an *RlSI OCRACY ? For if an adequate compensation be not allowed, it is out of the p-/wer ol men, in a mediocrity of circumstances to serve. Exciude such men from your . Congressional floor, and what a galaxy of talent would you deprive yourself oi ? what would be lost to the nation. Many have objected to a fixed sum instead of a per diem ; saying that a fixed sum would induce members to hurry ovtr, in a short time, the Ses sion ; and leave the business unfinished. Let those who urge this objection reflect, that the same want of public virtue ; of common honesty ; the ?;ame depraved disposition jwntch would drive men to so improf>er an act, would induce them^o procrastinate the if thftf was an ampin pr /lii?Tr> ? + British parliament now receive no compensation.? The democratic part of their constitution has become a mere cypher, and the n tmbers a servile set, who just eeho the toy-al wttt and ^>leasti?c. The most of t hem are perrtiorierVand placemen , the rest office hunters. It is not uncommon there, for a man of wealth tp purchase, 'at an immense price, a seat in Parliament ; and theu barter away the dear^*rTT?h**=af ^heir constt uems at the footstool of Koyalty. A good effect of the Bill will be to ren der members less liable to executive influence. A man must bo easy in his circum stances. to be perfectly independent. Give him a compensation not adequate to sup pot t him decent!), while at ft ashington in your service, his cramped situation may ?n -dure him to yeid his own in dependant opinions to Executive will, for a pmfitfthle office; and then say, like Shakespear'* poor starved apothecary/1 my poverty but not my twY/ contents." The t>pe?aiionof the bill Would have !>een postponed to a future Congress, but for the Senate who hlfltt their seats for six years ; and hid it been delayed until an entire new election of members had taken place it must have bttn postponed for six years. Prior to the adoption of ThcTHew constitution, each State paid its own mem bers. Our State then (if 1 recollect right, and I am sure 1 do) allowed its members, or delegate* to the okl Congress, *ijfiAund*rd fiounds ?iertir,g pCi annum. The Legisli ture then thought they ought to be. put upon a footing with the Judges ; that they held a station full as laborious and important to our national welfare. C ould 1 believe on considering the above that my vote for making an increase ot about ?500 to the old com pensation would give dissatisfaction foj my constituents ? No one contends that the members should be supported extravagantly but certainly what will support decently. Suppose I had chose to have played the hypocrite, I might have absented myself from the House *n the day the Bill passed, or v*>ted against it, still it would have been earned, 'but I disdained to do so. 1 thought the measure a correct one, and shrunk noi froTtTthe responsibility attached to the vote I will now make a s'aitment, which will contradict what has been generally said, through the district, by persons who ought to have known better ; that the members received from twenty to twenty-five dollars per day ; to take the length of the Sessions, for ten year past, it would not be mote than nine dollars per day, or an increase of 38 per ceht on the old compensation. I will make my calculations for the present Congress, taking their two Sessions, and this Congress has and will be in session, a less time than the sessions have averaged for ten years past ; the last Session commenced the 4th Dec. and ended the last day of April, say 149 days. FIHST SESSION. Served in Dec. t8 days, in Jan. 31. in Feb. 39 in March SI in April 30 SECOND SESSION. (will commence 3d. Dec. and close 4tlw March) To serve in Dec. SO days. Jan. 31 Feb, 28 March .4 93 ? -V ; 242 days the present congress will be in session. Compensation for two years, 8 3 OOO divided by 242 will give 8*2 33 per day-? or take another calculation* I live 5 to miles trom Washington, it will take 20 days to get there* allowing for bad weather, fee* I will be on the road 80 daya lor both Serious, added to 242 4 80 322 days in public service. IflL. ,v ? Compensation for two years, &3000 travelling expences for both sessions $?06 di vided by 323 gives gl I 19 cents per day. Should there be an extra session, the mem I; bers receive not one cent additional Compensation. , * ' ' r ' ** Aff 1 have now given you as fair and as accurate a statement as ! am afetfc^to make, which you will ?nd correct, and have lengfchfjped this letter much beyond what 1 intend *ed< Should my fellow citifcens, upon mature consult ration, think H best to frive ti.e-ir suffrages to anothtfr. I am content. May he be or# tor more talent more experience, mote knowledge of the true interest and polity of our nation ? More r? al and devotion for the public good he cannot have* I left t(ie ^ralks of private life, not 10 s*rve myself, but my cdtantry. 1 shall be a candidate again, confident that 1 Served faithfully, and will do so again if elccted. 1 remain your fettow citizen. ,C L ' . . WM. MAtRANT. ? * - . 4 A Y. At T' ? To change the mode of compensation to the Members of the Senate and House of Representatives, and the- Delegates from the Territories. , he it enacttd by t be Senate and House of Refrestntatives of the United , States of America, in Congrut assembled , That instead of the daily compen sation now alio wed-by law, thare shall be paid annually to the Senators. Representatives and Delegate# from territories Of this and Mf tat future Congress of the United States, the fotiotviftg stims Respectively Vithat is to say, to the Pr$ silent of the Senate no tempore, when there is ho Vice. President, and to the Speaker of House of Representatives, three thou- < sand dollars each; to each SenacW, Member of uteHpttse of Represents' rfves, other than the Speaker and Delegate, the 'iWN>f fifteen hundred dollars: Provided, nevertheless, That in case any Senator, Representa tive or Delegate, shall not attend in his place at the day on which Congress shall convene, or shall absent himself before the cloae of the session, a de duction sliall be made from the sum which would otherwise be allowed to him, in proportion to the time of his absence, saving to the cases of sickness, the same provisions as are established by the existing laws. And the aforesaid allowance shall be certified and paid in the same manner as the daily compensation to Members of Congress has heretofore been. H. CLAY,' Speaker of the Ho??e of Representatives. JOHN GAILLARD, President of the Senate pro tempore. March 9, 1 8 !?.? Approved, JAMES MADISON.