The New York herald., 1871-01-05

ference IL IL proper TO remark that ne ma
not deemed 1t desirable TO express any
opinion on such matters. II rs believed that
good republican Senator WIN be chosen, ana
that is all the President desires. Both Mr. Walsh
and Mr. Frelinghuysen are wen known to be very
estmable gentlemen, and while 1t Is yet uncertain
VINO u TO 10 ..tnc coming man. there seems to be
disposition mere among parties high In position
TO favor the selection Of Mr. Walsh. AT least
they say he would reject honor his party and his
state, and that better successor to Mi. Caltell
could b6 sent from New Jersey 10 the SQate. On
the other hand, 1t IS said that since Mf. Catteps
health has prevented him being candidate, the
friends Of Cattell and OF Secretary Robson regard
/hr Frelinghuysen as their second choice.
congressional Slkirmishinx Over st. Domingo.
There was slight sklrmish In both Houses to.
day overthe ST. Domingo question In the Senate
Mr.. Sumner called up his resolution requesting the
President TO communicate certain documents touch
ing st. Domingo now on file in. the several execu-
tive departments. Unlike the Morton resolution, IT
went through without opposition. Those who are
opposed 10 St. Domingo are disposed to regard
this acquescence IN Summers resolution
as o part Of the general programme which
they have marked out TO secure the
annexation Of st. Domingo. According to
Mr.. Sumner, If the President makes full answer to
this resolution there win be q flood OF light shed
upon the whole business which will astonish the
country ana make the visit Of the proposed comm.s
sion TO st. Domingo entirely useless. The opponents
OF St. Domingo say that the President viii furnish
only pa tial answer leaving out the most in1por-
tant documents, and assign as reason for so doing
that 1t is incompatible with the public interests to
spread them before the country On the other hand,
the Presidents friends assert that he viii send to
ne Senate everything in his possession on the
subject. A few days win tell the story. In the
House Fernando Wood endeavored to get reso.u-
ton In similar In substance to tuat OF Sumner. cnly
that 1t was more explicit as 10 details. Prompt OBJ
lection was made py Orth, OF Indiana; Maynard,
oil Tennessee and others. on the heels Of this
4 General Banks, chairman OF the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, gave notice that on Monday next
The would report back from his committee tho reso-
luton which he offered some time ago In reference
to st. Domingo 1t Will be remembered that this
resolution provided for the appointment OF
commission of tive instead OF three,
ana that the understanding was that 1t
should not be reported back to the House until after
the chairman OF the committee nad given five days
notice. The committee VIII meet tomorrow for the
purpose OF considering this resolution. Mr.. Wood,
who is member OF this committee, asserts that
General Banks was not authorized TO state that the
resolution would be reported back on Monday. It
has never been considered In committee and il is
not known whether O majority In favor Of 1t or
whether they will agree to something else. Banks
purposes to offer as a substitute Mortons Senate
resolution, or something like 1t. II he cannot get his
committee to agree to this he will msve to suspend
the rules on Monday for the purpose of taxing the
Senate resolution from the Speakers table and pass
ing It, This viii Of course require two-thiris
VOTE but the friends or the measure assert to-day
that they have strength enough to do it.
Democratic Uaucus-Nfanifest Destiny VS.. An.
ncxation Of st. Domingo.
Immediately after the adjournment of the House
to-day the democratic members met in caucus in the
room Of the Committee on the Pacific Railroad There
was no formal organization, but general conversa
ton ensued upon the course the democrats should
pursue with reference to the ST. Domingo business
in the House 1t agreed that the ancient policy
Of the party had been In favor Of the doctrine
known as manifest destiny, or, IN other
words, the annexation of new terri
tory. This was still the policy OF the
party but II gould nQtpe carried ont By fraud and
corruption 1t was decided that the present ATTEMPT
to annex ST. Domingo was covered all over with
fraud and jobbery, and therefore the democratic
could have nothing to do with it, Some OF the
members of the caucus argued that the proposition
or the President did not come within the scope Of
manifest destiny, inasmuch as the obi ct was TO
annex cry pa-ss :. ~ijsand instead OF the whole
OF it. The character OF the population of ST
Domingo was also urged as an objection to it, the
democrats believing that the population is COM
posed almost wholly Of negroes; but this subject
the democrats do not appear to be well informed.
They seem TO ceniound Hayti with Dominica. TIE
population Of Hayti Is chiefly negro, but that OF Do.
minica has large representation Of the Spanish
element In 1t. Upon the whole however, the caucus
decided that the proper for the democrats
pursue Is to oppose the ST. Domingo business at
every stage of the attempt to annex IT, and with this
understanding the caucus adjourned
Civil Service Reform-S Ssnator Trumbulps
Bill KiIled-Another Constitutional Amend
nent.
The subject OF dispensing the federal patronage
was up in both Houses to-day, but nothing came OF
it. In the Senate Mr. Trumbull called up his bill
making 1t mlsdemeanor for members of Congress
to solicit office from the Executive. Mr.. Trum.
bull made few remarks in support OF
the BILL after which Senator Morton, who
seems to have been waiting for this measure
since last session, delivered short but powerful
speech, in which he riddled and rdcuied the whole
project exposing its absurdity and proving that 1t
Is inexpedent, If not unconstitutional The bill
does not seem to have received much attention
from Senators, except from Trumbul, and its real
effect was not known until its provisions were ex-
planned and exposed to-day by Mr.. Morton. 1t went
over until tomorrow, when Trumbul pro-
poses to defend 1t; but the general I'm
preston among Senators is that 1t is
practically dead. Had Senator Cameron been
able TO get the floor to-day he would have moved 10
lay the bill on the table, and those who seem to be
posted say there wsuld not have been half dozen
votes against Cameron's motion.
In the House General Coburn, OF Indiana, offered
joint resolution in the shape Of an amendment to
the constitution of the United States touching this
dispensation Of the federal patronage. Coburn's
amendment provides that Congress may by
law vest the election Of all officers
the United States whose duties require them
to reside IN the several States, except Judges
and officers Of the courts Of the United States IN the
people Of the several states districts or localities
therein IN which they are by law required 70 perform