length in the Constitutional Convention. Some of the delegates favored
the English custom, by which members of Parliament receive no salary. It
was finally concluded to adopt the provisions as given, in order that
men of ability, though poor, might become members of the National
Legislature.

By a law of 1789 the compensation of senators and representatives
was fixed at six dollars per day and thirty cents for every mile
traveled, by the most direct route, in going to and returning from
the seat of government. Prior to 1873 this amount was changed
several times by act of Congress. The compensation then agreed upon
and until 1907 was $5000 per year, with mileage of twenty cents,
and $125 per annum for stationery. The speaker received $8000 a
year and mileage. The president _pro tempore_ received the same
amount while acting as president of the Senate.

To many people $5000 seemed a large salary, but the great expense
of living in Washington renders the salary quite inadequate.
Members have been known to pay more than their salaries for
house-rent alone. Accordingly, in 1907, the salary of senators and
representatives was increased to $7500 and that of the speaker and
president _pro tempore_ of the Senate to $12,000.

To Hold Other Offices. Disqualification.--Section 6, Clause 2. _No
senator or representative shall, during the time for which he is
elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the
United States which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof
shall have been increased, during such time; and no person holding any
office under the United States shall be a member of either house during
his continuance in office._

The purpose of this provision seems to have been to remove the
temptation on the part of Congressmen to create offices, or to increase
the emoluments of those already existing, in order to profit by such
legislation. The exclusion of United States officials from seats in
Congress was due to the desire of appeasing State jealousy, which
asserted that the National government would in this way secure an undue
influence over the State governments. It is advocated, with good reason,
that members of the Cabinet should be privileged to take part in the
discussion of measures in Congress which pertain to their own
departments. Alexander Hamilton asked for this privilege. It was refused
because of t