Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-03-26
For Council Of Ccnsors.
Election. March 81, 1869,
Passage of the ennIc-of- OWrc
BIZ.

The Senate on Wednesday passed the
following bill, which had been reported
from the judiciary Committee by judge
Trumbull, as a substitute for the repeal
bill passed by the House:
Be it resolved, dc.
That the first and second sections OF
an act entitled an act regulating the
tenure of certain civil offices, passed
March I'd, 1867, be, and the same are
hereby repealed, and in lieu OF said re-
pealed sections the following are hereby
enacted:
That every person holding any civil
office to which. he has been or may here
~ ter be appointed, by and with re adj
vice and consent of the Senate, and who
shall have become duly qualified to act
therein, shall be entitled 20 hold such
office during the term for which he
shall have been appointed, unless 500 :er
removed by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate, or by the appoint
ment, with the like advice and consent,
of a successor in his place, except as
herein otherwise provided.
Sec. .. And be it further enacted, that
during any recess of the Senate, the
President is hereby empowered, in his
appointed by and with the advice ana
consent of the Senate, except Judges of
the United States Courts, until the end
of the next session of the Senate, and to
designate some suitable person, subject
to be removed in his discretion by the
appointment of another to perform the
duties of such suspended officer i'll the
meantime, and such person so dcsignat-
ed shall take the Oaths and give the
bonds required by law to be taken and
given by the suspended officer, and
shall, during the time he performs such
duties, be entitled to the salary end
which shall belong to the officer suspen-
ded. And it shall be the duty Of the
President, wi ,hin 80 days after the com
mencementO of each session of the Senate,
except for any office which, in his opin-
ion, ought not to be filled, to nominate
persons to fill all vacancies in offices
which existed at the meeting of the
Senate, whether temporarily filled or
not, and also in the place of all officers
suspended ; and ii the Senate, during
such session, shall refuse to advise and
consent to an appointment in the place
ofany suspended officer, and shall also
refuse by vote to assent to his suspen-
sion, then and not otherwise, such Off
Ger, at the end of the session, shall be
entitled to resume the possession of the
office from which he was suspended, and
afterwards to discharge its duties and
receive its emolumcnts as though 40
such suspension had taken place.
The bill met with considerable oppo-
sition. Mr.. Grimes declared that the
bill was not whit less Objectionable
than the bill reported at the last session
from the Committee on Retrenchment.
Mr.. Harlan argued in favor of the exist
ing law. He saw no reason why the
President should have absolute control
over federal officers any more than State
Governors have such control over State
officers. The argument against the
Tenure-ofO bill, because a removal
under it would be disgraceful to the Off
Ger removed, was really, when properly
viewed, an argument in favor of it. Mr..
Fowler made general argument
against the bill. Mr.. Ross said no word
Of apology for the maladministration Of
the last President was necessary, but he
believed that the evils resulting from it
had been aggravated by the operations
of the Tenure-of-Of1lce act. Mr.. Sprague
expressed great concern about the social,
financial, political and commercial con-
dition Of the country, and made, on the
WHOLE very doleful haranguc.
The bill passed by a vote of 81 yeas, tc
15nays. TheNermont Senators-Messrs
Edmunds and Morrill-voted in the
affirmative
Previous to reporting the bill to The
Senate, some Of the Judiciary Commit
tee called on the President to consult
with him in regard to the matter
Some of the Presidents suggestions, We
are told, were so pertinent that they
were Immediately adopted, and draf
of the bill was thus materially modified
in several places. Having gone over il
once, and the changes suggested having
been made, the President pr opposed tc
review it, which was done with grea
care. When the bill draft had beer
thus constructed, the President not
only gave it his approval, but said tina
he should express himself heartily il
favor of its enactment to all who NIGH
ask his views. 1t is believed that The
House will pass the bill as it comes Fl N
the Senate.