other objections, I have somewhat modified
my proposition. It was also objected that
members might be unwilling to attend
promptly, and absent themselves frequently
from the body, leaving it without a quorum,
creating obstacles in the way of legislation.
I have therefore embraced in the proposition,
both the principle of a salary and of a per
diem compensation. I move the following as
a substitute for the first part of the section,
leaving the latter clause as it stands :
Section 6, strike out the section as far as
the word "when" in line 7 and insert, " the
General Assembly shall continue its session
so long as in its judgment the public interest
may require, and each member thereof shall
receive a compensation of five dollars per
diem, for every day he shall attend the ses
sions, unless absent on account of sickness ;
provided however, that no member shall re-
ceive a larger compensation than four hun-
dred dollars."
Mr. BOND. That gives no compensation
for an extra session.
Mr. CLARKE. What will be the effect of
that if an extra session is called ?
Mr. RIDGELY. It provides $5 per diem for
thirty days, for an extra, session?
Mr. MILLER. As the amendment stands,
members cannot receive anything for anex-
tra session, for they cannot receive more than
$400.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. I move to amend by
adding, " and no mileage or perquisites shall
in any case be allowed."
Mr. RIDGELY. I consider that embraced
in the proposition, and I have no objection
to it.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. Will the gentleman
substitute "any other or larger sum" for "a
larger compensation ?" That will cover it.
Mr. RIDGELY modified his amendment ac-
cordingly.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE withdrew his amend-
ment.
Mr. MILLER. There is another objection to
the amendment as it stands now, that it re-
stricts senators to the same amount, $400,
for the four years for which they are elected ;
for they cannot receive anything more than
$400, There should be something to show
that for an extra session called during the
year of the recess, or for the second session
in the case of senators, there will be com-
pensation allowed.
Mr. STIRLING. I am opposed to putting in
anything which will, give an additional sum
for an extra session. It is certainly right
that members elected for four years should
receive twice $400. But I would suggest that
that is a new General Assembly, so that they
would receive a second amount of $400 for
that necessarily.
Mr. DENT. I have really been unable to
bring my judgment to approve any ,of the
propositions as being better than the one the |
committee reported. But the last amend-
ment proposes, it seems to me, to work mani-
fest injustice to persons living remotely from
the seat of government. A member from
Annapolis, receives $400 for eighty days
attendance. A member from Allegany
or St. Mary's receives no more, notwith-
standing the inconvenience to which he would
be subjected in travelling a long distance to
the seat of government. It is unequal; and
therefore the amendment should not be
adopted. Only $400 is allowed, with no
mileage or expenses for coming or going;
which would work injustice to members liv-
ing at a distance from the seat of govern-
ment.
Mr. STOCKBRIDGE. I do not see the injustice
of which the gentleman from St. Mary's (Mr.
Dent) speaks. If it be designed to cover the
expense of travel, that does not differ widely,
wherever the members come from in the
State. The difference in the actual expense
is the merest trifle in the world. I believe
the expense of travelling here and back again,
tor a session of the Legislature is precisely
the same in Allegany that it is in Baltimore
city, and has been so for several years past,
simply because there are commutation tickets
for the session, which answer every purpose.
My reason for offering the amendment is,
that under the cover of mileage there is a
constant swindle upon the public treasury.
I will speak plainly; and that is so, in this
State and in Congress, I suppose that mile-
age is to cover the expense of travel applied
to a member of Congress or of the Legisla-
ture. In the present Legislature, members
living within a stone's throw of this spot, re-
ceive $100 under the name of mileage. Is
that the expense of travel? I do not think
these things honest. I think they are a
swindle upon the public treasury. It is to
take away the possibility of such a thing, to
prevent such depredations upon the public
treasury, under the name of mileage, per-
quisites, or any such name, that I offered the
amendment that the salary should be fixed.
The difference of travel is fully compensated
by other considerations.
Mr. DENT. I was not aware that the gen-
tleman had it in his mind to restrict the
Legislature from swindling the treasury, as
he had not made such a suggestion. I will
go as far as himself to restrict any such ope-
rations. But I am unwilling in the Consti-
tution to prohibit the payment of mileage;
nor am I aware that there has been such
swindling as the gentleman speaks of. I do
not know that there has ever been, and I
trust there has never been, although there
may have been. Instead of referring to the
expense of travelling to Allegany, I should
have referred to the lower counties upon the
Eastern Shore, where travelling is more ex-
pensive and more inconvenient; and it is not
entirely the greater expense but the greater |
