Mr. FESSENDEN. I think the honorable Senfrom Massachusetts could hardly have understood the force of his own provision. In the 1st place, it is not true, as a general rule, that these gentlemen come here because their services are so absolutely necessary. As to the general run of these clerks you can get any number of them. A great many of them come here because it is very pleasant to spend the winter here during the session of Congress, and be paid for their services at the same time. The rule of their compensation has been fixed and acted upon for some years. Formerly, it used to be our dollars a day, during the session of Congress; but subsequent y it was increased to 6 dollars. With regard to 3 of the clerks of committees, the Senate came to the conclusion, after a full examination for it. was all revised bye committee of which I was a member some years a o that they ought to be made permanent. Vith regard to the Committee on Fi nance, particularly, and nobody seems to dispute the necessity of it, it requires practice, experience, and a knowledge that cannot be obtained in one session, and it was necessary that the clerk should be in some degree permanent because of the services he is required to render. It is so in a very great measure with regard to the clerk of the ComClaims. That committee has a vast deal of business before it. The clerk is required to draw a great many reports, and he has to attend to a great many papers that occupy him ordinarily through the recess. I know with regard to one former clerk of that committee that he took pains, not being a lawyer by ro fession, to go and study law fora erio of time in order to fit himself for the place; and he became a veryvaluable and able and competent clerk. rft was necessary, I so pose every member of the Committee on aims will hear me witness in saying I was formerly a member of that committee myself that the clerk of that committee should be permanent on account of the business done by it. With regard to the clerk of the Printing Committee, that is an office established by law. The chair man of the ComPrintg can explain better than I can the duties that the clerk of his committee has toperform. He is employed necessarily retty much the year round.