Mr. WADE. I know that heretofore them was a controversy between the HoRep and the Senate whether the other branch of Congress could increase the compensation of its own employees. I do not know how that was finally settled. I had a strong opinion about it that perhaps an appropriation for that purpose, like every other appropriation of money, should be fixed by congress, and not by one branch alone. Notwithstanding, that was done at that time; and the HoRep supposed they had power to do what they have done recently, or they would not have done it. I have taken the cer tificate of the Clerk of the House as to the compensation of their employees. The committee applied to him to furnish us with a statement of the salaries now paid by the House, and we have it here. Senators will find a or m parative table at the end of the report in this case. The 1st row of figures in the table is the pay that the Clerk of the House certifies to us is received by the oficers of the House now. I take that as a gauge. I know, however, that that was founded upon the increased compensation that the House, by resolution, had voted, whether valid or not. If it is not valid, and the Senate is determined to treat it as invalid, this whole bill falls to the ground, because it was. attempted to equalize the compensation upon that principle. Without that increase it can still be equalized, but the inc quality between the 2 is not very great without that increase. The 2nd row of figures is a statement of the amounts paid by the Senate to its employees. The 3rd column is the diffierence; an in the 4th column is a.statement of the increase proposed to be made by this bill. It equalizes the salaries upon the enhanced payments that the House has agreed to make. As to our Sergeantat Arms, he has a very onerous duty to perform that the Sergeant at Arms of the House does not have to perform. I think there are 3, if not four, 0ers of the HoREp receivinv alto gether something like 7,000 dollars for the performance of the duty which the Ser gemitat Arms of the Senate in his own person performs very much. He makes all the purchases, which keeps him here during the vacation. He will not have any respite at all. In the other House, I believe, that matter is at tended to by some one officer, who is charged with that special duty. The Sergeant at Arms does it himself, here, and it is a very onerous duty to perform, and he ought to receive compensation for it, in my judgment. At all events we have fixed his compensation at the same sum that is allowed to the Sergeant nt Arms of the HoRep; and so of the rest. It was not the purpose of the committee to fix what the compensation ought to be, but rather to equalize it with the compensation of corresponding officers in the other House. I am inclined to think that under all the circumstances at present the compensation proposed is too high. I have voted a most always against the enhancement of salaries, but I cannot conceal from myself the fact that the value of money is so much inferior to what it was before the war that gentlemen who live here on these salaries find it pretty hard to get along in the way they are now. I think, perhaps, the increase ought to be made temporary, so that if monetary affairs get to be more satisfactory we may go back to the old compensation. That would be nearer to what it ought to be; but as things are now this increased compensation, in my judgment. will not pay these employees as well as they were paid before the war. I have no idea that the compensation will be as valu able to them, or to anybody else who receives it, under the prices at present prevailin, by reason, perhaps, of the derangement of8 our currency. In that view I do not think that what this. bill proposes to pay it any too much. I think the other House is right. I do not know that the House proceeded legally my colleague thinks they did not to enance the salaries of the ir employes in this way. But it is the judgment oft e house in regard to what they ought to receive, and Iarec with the House that it is right. I think the compensation they have fixed for theirofficers is about right. If what they have done was not authorized by law they will undoubtedly amend this bill, if we pass it, by fixing the like compensa‘tion for their employes, and that will remove all the difficulty alleged as to their want of power, and will make it all right. I do not wish to discuss the question at length whether the compensation now aid is sufficient, or whether the action of the house was legal or not, because, if it was not so it is veryeasy to make it so, and it is much easier to merge it so than to have a controversy on that subject, which would be very disagreeable.