James Parton, The life of Horace Greeley

[315] during that last night of the session. Mr. Greeley explains the methods, the infamous tricks, by which the “usual” extra allowance to the employes of the House is manoeuvred through.

‘Let me,’ he wrote,

explain the origin of this “usual” iniquity. I am informed that it commenced at the close of one of the earlier of the Long Sessions now unhappily almost biennial. It was then urged, with some plausibility, that a number (perhaps half) of the sub-officers and employes of the House were paid a fixed sum for the session—that, having now been obliged to labor an unusually long term, they were justly entitled to additional pay. The Treasury was full—the expectants were assiduous and seductive—the Members were generous—(it is so easy for most men to be flush with other people's money)—and the resolution passed. Next session the precedent was pleaded, although the reason for it utterly failed, and the resolution slipped through again—I never saw how till last night. Thenceforward the thing went easier and easier, until the disease has become chronic, and only to be cured by the most determined surgery.

Late last night—or rather early this morning-while the House was awaiting the final action of the Senate on the Territorial collision—a fresh attempt was made to get in the usual extra allowance again. Being objected to and not in order, a direct attempt was made to suspend the Rules, (I think I cannot be mistaken in my recollection,) and defeated—not two—thirds rising in its favor, although the free liquor and trimmings provided by the expectants of the bounty had for hours stood open to all comers in a convenient side-room, and a great many had already taken too much. In this dilemma the motion was revamped into one to suspend the Rules to admit a resolution to pay the Chaplain his usual compensation for the Session's service, and I was personally and urgently entreated not to resist this, and thus leave the Chaplain utterly unpaid. I did resist it, however, not believing it true that no provision had till this hour been made for paying the Chaplain, and suspecting some swindle lay behind it. The appeal was more successful with others, and the House suspended its Rules to admit this Chaplain—paying resolution, out of order. The moment this was done a motion was made to amend the resolution by providing another allowance for somebody or other, and upon this was piled still another amendment—Monsieur Tonson come againa—to pay “ the usual extra compensation” to the sub-Clerks, Messengers, Pages, etc., etc. As soon as this amendment was reached for consideration—in fact as soon as I could get the floor to do it—I raised the point of order that it could not be in order, when the rules had been suspended for a particular purpose, to let in, under cover of that suspension, an entirely different proposition, for which, by itself, it was notorious that a suspension could not be obtained. This was promptly overruled, the Ayes and Noes on the amendment refused—ditto on the Resolution as amended—and the whole crowded through under the Previous