The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-08

siveIy to the Executive DepaI Itment. IN
deed. neither the President nor any head
OF the Department could appoint an off,
Ger IN any case without the consent of
Congress, or the edvice and consent of the
Senate, the Constitution requiring the
President to nominate, and with the con
sent of the Senate to appoint all officers
of the United states, except the RfesI-
dent. Vice President, Senators, Repre-
Houses of Congress. During q recess
OF the Senate, the President may appoint
clsed by the President and heads of de-
paTtEnents were conferred by acts of Con-
gress. Practically, the appointments had
not, for some years, been made within the
Constitutional mode; nOmtnally appoint
ments were made, but in reality they
were dictated, in vast majority of cases,
by an II nffuence unknown to the COnstitd-
tfon. Every Senator and Representative
knew that appointments were dictated by
paTfnents were not left tree to make Se-
Iections with an eye single 10 public good.
As general rule, no man could oe ap-
pointed to any office local to the District,
unless he had the recon mmendation Of per-
sons who happened TO represent the Dis
trict for the time being In Congress II he
be 8 friend of the administration. so
arbitrary was this rule, that he knew of
instances o1sfaithful public officers, friends
make place for q friend of the Representa-
tive from the District, and a asubsequent
period during the same Administration,
the new appOtntee had been removed TO
give place either to the former incumhent
or some other frtend of q pew Represented
tive. who at a subsequent election had suc-
cseded in supplanting the former, or Whsn
the nomination came before. the Senate,
the action upon IL was meref form, and
was asked than whether the nominee
was acceptable to the member OF
OF. Cong Fess- concerned In some instances
Influences were brought to bear to secure
the election of members of Congress, with
the understanding that in case OF election
such a can 1ldate would give h1s influence
in favor of q certain parry. This practice
mas led TO the creation of offices to provide
places for friends of members Then how
could members of the legislative depart-
ment of the Government expect to pre-
serve their independence as legislators
when continually asking PERSONAL favDfs
in matters of appointment Is from heads Of
departments2 This fdepressure by Con-
gressm en- Tor official favor was less demor-
alizing to the appointing power tnan 70
themselves. The President and heads of
Departments being edepenednt upon Con-
gress for legislative support, couid not
afford to disregard the wlshe of mem bsrS
tu some departments e2ys. etf I
The speaker had been informed that q
debit and credit account was actually kept
with StsOngress, credIting them with GER
tain mum Der of appo1n tments, and charg1
ing them with those made for them, as
the appointments actually belonged 10
the members Of Congress The bill now
| Introduced allowing the employing power
| to obtain the benefit of the Information
which CongreSsmen IN ght have, of appli-
cants from Their own Districts, by a WRIT
| ten request to the member and his reply
| fense for hfn1 to recommend in any other
way, and prohibited the appointment to
office OF a person Lecomm ended IN amy any
gressmen to make appointments had be-
come SO firmly established that IL
aim ost had th g force Of law, and nothing
/ huf n T1OSiffve stafute co1sd RENE edv the
/ evil The beneficial effects OF the measure
would be felt in relieving members from
unnecessary opportunities, giving them
| time to attend to the legislative duties
with which they are charged, and freeing
President and Heads of Departments,
| while assisting in the appointment, in the
fAtuFe, Of a better CLASS OF ohlcia ais.
| Davis expressed the opinion that no
subject SO urgently needed proper cOnstd-
| GRAFTON as this. He fnstanCed several
cases in which efforts had been made to
/ gagged in the revenue Sssrvlce. one of
these, for instance, was a man who would
| be cheerfully accepted by those who knew
him for any position in private or public
| life; one W he, had fought calamity IN the
| Union ranks in the late war, and also
| voted for, aud had been appointed by, the
| the present occupant of the Presidency .
| Yet the Commissioner ofInternalR Revenue
had made most persegenng efforts 70 turn
i that gentleman out OF Office. SO far did
| he succeed at one time, thath named for
the office man who could not be trusted
/ by any one who knew him, either IN pub
/ lie or private life. In this instance, the
/ purpose of the appointing power seemed
| TO be the elevation Df q seoundrel to office,
| and the proStitu ution of the office to base
/ purposes, for the Commissioner appeared
| 10 be actuated by no other motive in his
effort to supplanta worthy officer By dis
| graceful appOintmant.
snerTn an ASH what to district the Off
| ciaI referred to belonged. 10
Davis replied to the Lexington District
He added that many soldlersy q lstin-
| guisned for gaIIantry in the late war, and
| placed in offlee by the present Executive,
! have been displaced by the man who hlled
| the post of COmIni SSioner of Internal
Revenue. The unprlncipied manner in
Kentucky, and the anfitness and want OF
! integrity of the appointees. had been dis
| graceful 80 the appointing power, and n
| ment. He desired that the bill be made
sufficiently comprehensive and complete.
Yates believed a provision of the char
| acter OF that proposed would be a public
| benefit to the Represen tatiVeS in Congress.
He thought they ought to make recon-
Senators it was different, for as they were
required 10 decide on confirmation to OF.
| fee, and stood in the capacity OF Judges
they should be called upon as now, 10 sign,
| indiscrim1nately, all there. were preseut-
ed 20 them. The bill was then laid on the
ON motion of McCreery, the bill to re-
/ lieye certain persons from legal and pol1tl'
| cal disa oilities imposed by the Fourteenth
Amendment TO the Constellation, was read
The Senate, at ten minutest past one
adjourned.
HoUsE.-On motion of Schenck, al
one o'clock to-day, the House resolv-
ed itself into q Committee Of the
Whole on the state of the Union, Mr.
Ferry III the Chair, to distribute the
Presidents Message among. the sew
eral committees. Tho usual reSolu
tions, making such. distribution, were
offered by Schenck.
Schenck said if any member desired
to discuss them, he would yield the
floor, but would prefer TO have all thC
resolutions reported to the House
and agreed to without general de
bate.
Cox inquired whether the Commit
tee of Ways and Means was to take
charge of matters connected with the
! resumption of specie payment, OF
whether the Committee on Banking
was to take charge of it.
Schenck replied there was no spe
cial reference made to that subject IL
the resolutions. IL seemed to occupy
sort of debatable ground betBeer
the two committees. Legislation IL
relation to the public credit, to bonds
to securities, might or might not In
. volve with it probable reference
to the means by which specie pay
! ment might be approached In th'
same way legislation IN reference tc
I currency might also look, in some de
gree, to the same thing. He had sup
posed ; without entering sonT dabatabl
! ground Of that kind. it would b
! better to leave the two committees t
endeavor, by communication will
. each other, to dispose of it with SOM
degree of unanimity in action Between
) themselves. 1t might be the Hous
! mighththink proper to raise anothe
I committee on the subject, but ht
hoped that would not be considered
/ nonosSarr fIib o-s,,i,fnoh onr, nonfnA h