Salaries, Executive

By the Act of Congre of September 24, 1789, and again February 18, 1793, the salary of the President was made $25,000, that of the Vice-President $5,000. That of the President continued the same until March 3, 1873, when it was raised to $50,000. The salary of the Vice-President was raised to $8,000 in 1853, to $10,000 March 3, 1873, and was reduced to $8,000 again January 20, 1874. These salaries are paid monthly. A furnished house is provided for the President. The Constitution provides that a salary shall be voted for the President, which shall not be diminished during his term of office. Hence that part of the ‘salary grab’’ act of 1873 which affected his salary was not repealed. Of the Cabinet officers, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury received in 1789 a salary of $3,500, the Secretary of War $3,000, the Attorney-General $1,500. The Postmaster-General had $2,000. In 1819 the salary of the four secretaries was made $6,000, that of the Postmaster-General $4,000 and that of the Attorney-General $3,500. In 1853 all were made equal, $8,000; in 1873, $10,000; in 1874, $8,000 again.