Retrenchment

Lnst ycar t was nl!edgd ngninst Hon. J. M llowatd, :iii(J wc believe jusily. tliat hc had votfil ag.iinst a bilí reducing the poy of Mcnibcis ofCongrcss. wliicli is eight dollars per ilay, besides heavy travelling (ees. M;iny farmers ëoh sidered this p.iy to bc too niuch, wliile a days work of twelve or fi ficen liours wilt ictfrcëïy Bïmg ihe fannor one dollar. Th'is operated to ïlie (iisadvaatngc of Mr. Hóward. and wc presume was onc occasion of iii-j defeat. it iippears from the foHow-iny statement Irom tlieFiee Press, tliat Mr. Clay is, or was formerly also a streiinous supporter of high salaries. '■The Mill-boy of the Slashes." howcver dèstitute when young, had bccomo unablc to live on twelve dollars a day. "Jn 1816, nn act was pa.-sed by Congress. ehanging the compensalion of iho members froni six dollars per day, t. $ 1500 the Süssiort, which. as tliesessions then scarcely averaged one hundred days each. was upu-ards of ñfteen Üól.TaVs per day. Mr. Clay wartnjy advocated the passage of this law. coming down from theSpeaker's chair to make a epeeeh n its favor, lt is to he observcd that his wages as Speaker, was ihen twel-e dollars per day. A skeích of his retnarks was pnblished in the Lexington Rkportkk ol May 31st. 1SJ6. a paper which has always been warmly devoted to his interest?, from which wi extract the following notable sentence: "Mr. Clay said his own personal e.vperience determined hi.n in votihg for the bill. [Je hui) aitendi'd Conress,soineiimes without his fainily. andoihers with a pa;t of it. .and although lus conipensaiion whiltt he had enjoyed the htn-r ol presidin in this house. WAS DOUBLKTHAT OF OTHER MEMBERS. he declared with tlie utmost siucerity. TH AT HE HAD jV'EVEU BEE; ABLE TO MAKE BOTH ENDS MEET AT THE TERMIJSATiON OF CONGRESS "