The Portland daily press., 1871-12-14
BY TELEGRAPH.
xLIID CONGRESSIONAL SESSION.
SENATE

SHOULD De aDOllSned, what salaries reuuceu, ain
| have leave to sit during the recess
Mr.. Wilson favored both propositions.
MIR. Thurman favored Mr.. Trumbull's amend
| ment as it favored an investigation general.
| into the civil service, while Mr.. Anthony s res
| oluton provided for the investigation only O.
such things as were referred to it by the Senate
Mr.. Edmunds thought that there was no neet
| of such committee at present, as the admins
tration was pure and efficient as George WASH
| ington's.
Mr.. Thurman (dem) said many persons
throughout the country would not take tht
whitewashing statement of Mr. Edmunds fol
the purity and efficiency of the public service
but would require further evidence.
Mr.. Casserly dem contended that the com
mittee proposed by Mr.. Anthony would be
mere nulllty, having no power to originate m
vestigations. He had heard of transaction
connected with one of the highest departments
and fit subject for investigation, but would
not take it upon himself to move an inyestiga,
ton unless there were committee like that
proposed by Mr.. Trumbull, with power to origi'
nate an investigation.
Mr.. Schurz supported Mr. Trumbulrs propo-
sition. The Senator from Vermont told the Sen
ate that the civil service had improved greatly
under the existing administration, and und0uot-
edly it had. Yet in the whole history of the
country of the country it would be difficult OF
impossible to find four consecutive months dur
ing which SO many defalcations and embezzle-
ments by public servants have been brought to
light as the last four months. Most of the cases
had been almost stumbled upon, and, therefore,
it was fair to infer that a careful investigation
would expose great many more now hidden.
Mr.. Schurz said: Gentlemen, tell you what
ever may be said of the improvements that
have taken place, the people of the United
States are startled at the frequency and enormi-
ty of the disclosures made from day to day. Do
not give yourselves up to any delusions on the
subject The American people are on the point
of demanding an honest government, and they
want to have all the means for that object that
are compat BILE with the law. They demand the
exposure and overthrow of corruption regardless
Of any party or any person. 1t seems to me we
are standing ON the threshold of a moral revo-
luton, that bids fair to go beyond the over
throw of Tammany, and in that revolution the
science of "HOw n OF to do il" will be of very
. little avail. Neither will cheap defamation
against corruption in the abstract, or against
the sinfulness of sin in general and the beauty
of virtue avail much. We have had enough of
all that. The people will not much longer take
that worthless currency as legal tender. If we
wish to serve the country and command its con-
'hdence, we Will have to make it clear to the
country that we hate no party more than we
hate corruption, and that we love no party more
than we love good government.
MIR. Conkling replied in defence of the purity
OF the Republican party, asserting that the tes-
timony taken before the committee presents
conclusive evidence that no one at the White
House had any proper connection with the Gus
tom house business.
Mr.. Morton spoke of the extraordinary purity
OF the present administration and its prompt
ness in Furnishing dereliction of duty in its Off
Gals, and cited the case of Paymaster Hodge.
MIR. Casserly asked whether the Senator from
Indiana could mention any other case of promp
punishment of defaulter.
MIR. Morton said he did not remember at that
moment, but he would venture the assertion
that whenever there had been a defalcation
brought to the knowledge of the administration
the defaulter had been punished.
MIR. Casserly-How about Pension Agent
Lawrence and Collector Bailey?
found out.
Mr. Cassery-Is it an evidence of vigilance
for government to let its rascals to get away?
The Democrats of New York did not let Tweed
get away.
Mr. Morton called attention to the fact that
the men who committed defalcatiOns were not
generally of q class that could be weeded out
by any system of civil service reform, because
they were intelligent, accomplished men who
could undergo any examination successfully.
:, AT four o'clock, without reaching vote, the
Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr. Bar ks of Massachusetts, reported a bill
appropriating So, 900 for the expenses of the
British American Claims Commission. Re-
ferred to the Committee of the Whole.
IMPORTANT MEASURE.
Mr. Hoar, of Massachusetts,, from the Com
mittee on Education, reported bill for the APP
pointment by the President, with the advice of
the Senate, of q commission of three for two
years unless their Duties are sooner accomplish
ed to investigate the subject of wages and
hours of labor the division of the joint profits
of labor and capital between laborers and capi-
talists, and the social, educational and sanitary
condition of the laboring classes of the United
States, and show how the came are affected by
lnxx
aud currency; the commissioners to receive
salary of $4,000 each and may employ clerk
They shall report the result of their investiga-
tions to the President to be transmitted to Con-
gress
Mr.. Hoar moved that the bill be made
special order for the 10th of January. He said
he proposed to give an opportunity for amend
ments to be presented.
The Speaker stated that the proposition was
that the bill be special order for January 10th,
to the exclusion of all other orders that day.
Messrs. Wood and Kerr objected.
Mr. Hoar then moved to put the bill on the
its passage now.
Mr. Kerr, of Indiana, moved to lay it on the
table.
The Speaker said that Mr.. Hoar had the
floor, who proceeded to explain and advocate
the bill. He was sure that the bill when I'M
derstood would receive almost unanimous APP
probation. There was q cry of discomfort from
all parts of the country and the civilized world
by the laboring classes. In this country the
laboring classes were the State itself, the others
being comparatively so few that they might be
left out, in considering the question who are
the persons whose will should determine the
policy of the country and forwhose benefit that
policy should be directed. 1t was being urged
not only by agitators and indictments, but by
Il large and increasing number OF the laboring
classes that the existing institutions and laws
of this country on the subject of tariff, finance
currency and taxation tended more and more
N rive cnpital IN un1ua ehara in ha nj inf
profits of the results of labor and capital, and
to deprive labor of its due and proper share
The first duty of legislators N regard to such
complaint was to provide for thorough, exact
and regular ascertainment of the fact Con-
gress ought not TO be afraid of the light; for no
abuse SO great, no darkness so profound, no
no prejudice so intense as to require Congress
to cover it with vail or fear to let the light in
on it. He did not place the bill on the judge
ment or recommendation of the Commissioner
alone. The slight expenditure proposed was
due to the judgement Of the laboring men
themselves. The labor party of his own State
last summer had recommended the passage of
this very bill and has although politically op-
posed to the Republican party expressed graft
ication and respect for that party in conse-
quence of its giving attention to this matter
The Grand International of Workingmen, an
organization which pervaded Europe and which
was making its voice heard and its power felt
everywhere had also asked of Congress this
press an opinion on the interesting historical
question of the Commune and of the events
which took place in Paris last summer The
other side of the story had not been heard, but
one thing was known that there was cause
in existence and an object in view which led
those working people in Paris, young men
and young women in the morning of life, not
merely from the Ignorant and oppressed classes
but from classes of culture, of family ties and
in some cases, of wealth to go down to death
a,1 rtnlN nd oh rE,,1lx
bridegroom went to the marriage feast; and he
did not believe that cause which had inspired
such heroiSm was cause which was not en-
titled to the respect of the Americans every
where. The International Association of
European and American workingmen had a
title to respect for having established relation
ship and recognized u kindred among men OF
all nations growing out of the common bond of
labor which was greater, more powerful and
more binding than any mere national attach
with the sovereign. America was the last ma
ton that ought to be ungrateful for that sub
lime accomplishment In the darkest days OF
the late civil war when the governing classes OF
England would have been glad to have joined
the french emperor IN recognizing the South,
ern Contederacy, they were only prevented
from doing so by the angry growl from the
workingmen of Lancashire, saving to the Eng
lish government "We love the workingmen Of
North America great deal better, we are more
ueariy ahieu III interest ana feeling TO theii
than we are to the arstocracy of England, ant
although we have borne many things from you
| one thing we will not bear that YOU shall array
the power and might of England against the
cause in which those American workingmer
are engaged" He held in his hand the genera
rules and administrative regulations of the In
ternational Workingmen's Association, adopt
| ed in London last October by delegates com
pretending the leading minds from all civilized
nation of the world. Among other things the.
expressed desire that inquiry should be insti
tuted in each locality where branches of thei