Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-12-12
General Summary.
Market Reports.
tRsPOrtsd Expressly for the AEsUs.l

WASHINGTON, Dec. ll.-SESATE.-Ths
House General Amnesty Bill was reported
from the committee and its passage recon
mended.
Logan introduced e joint resolution legal
izing the issue of food, blankets, &c, by the
Secretary OF War TO Chicago sufferers.
Tabled
Conkling moved q considerAt on of the
resolution directing the military committee
to inquire into the defalcAtion OF Paymaster
Hodge.
Trumbull suggested that il would be bet
ter to wait the action Of his joint resolution
appointing committee on retrsnchment
and civil service reform, and finally moved
to substitute his resolution for Conkling's.
he then proceeded to argue the necessity
for 9 revival of that committee, reading
from the report of the committee on re
trenchment on the abuses in the New Y York
custom houses, and showing that by the
~srehousiDg system in the United States,
porters were robbed OF immense aums Annu-
ally, and that great many other kinds OF
plundering were going on the name OF the
government.
Itwss generally believed throughout the
country that the patronage of the govern
me Mt was used for mere partizsn purposes,
or worse, in many y1cAses for personal pur-
poses 4: and the time had come when il
was necessary to investigate, in every de-
psrtment Of the government, whether
these things we're as charged, 40 as TO ex-
pose them if they were so, and il not to
set the public mind ct rest by q state nent oi
truth.
He said in oldsn times removals from
subordinate Government Offices were of rare
occurrence, There were only nine removals
during the eight years of Washington 3
administration, and only ten during that oi
the elder Adams. Even Jsfsrs who,
when he came into power, found Offices
filed by his political opponents, removed
only 80 persons during his two terms; Mad
ison removed only FIVE 10 his eight years
Monroe nine, and John Q. Adams two.
He argued at length upon the evils of tbs
present system of appointment, and in fayoi
Of rsform-and as . long step toward suci
reform, the passage Of law disconne ctine 9
members of Congress from appointments t.
office. The independence of the heads ot
departments cannot be maj ntaiDed whil'
they are liable to be ssssiled by Congress
men, unless they show them favors by th'
appointment of their friends to Office. Il,
referred to the TAmmany frauds, and said i
would have been impossible to perpetrste
them but for this principle of partizsushil
in official position.
He closed his remarks with q strong sp
peal for reform in the civil service, and tn
elevation of both official integrity and pub
iio authority by insisting that the publ
patronage of the country shall NO more b
used for selfish and psrtizsn purposes
With government thus purified, republi
can institutions may be continued. but M
less there is purity In the administration
me government would go down in . despoi
ism worse than that Of Constsntinople.
In the House, Mr.. Campbell asked lesv
/, to offer joint resolution requesting th
, President to have negotiations commence
with Great Britain and Mexico with q vie
Of sscertaing the conditions on which the
would consent to the annexation OF thei
| possessions on this continent TO the Unite
4, States.
Objection was made and the resolutic
u was not received.
a. New YoRK. Dec. IA special fror
9 AAtamoras, Mexico, says that the uncoi
! ditionsl surrender of Satillo with all Il
. sovernuen. troops, and ammunition, h
: been announced by Gen. Trevino, con
n mander Of the revolutionis.s. Anoth
i rebel leader, Gen. GuersgA is marching {
'f Mier and is constantly adding to bis streng
I- without any opposition from the forces
ls Jparez. CortinA had arrived at Matam
!, !. ras with 100 mon. His arrival created o
a prehensions Of fear.
p New YoRK, Dec. ll.-A sensation VI
created in Berlin by the Cars speech
70 the festival Of st. George, which is reRar
!. = ed as az end to French hopes and . guarant
"a Of peace in Europe.
The smallpox is increasing in Brookly
o, New YORK, Dec. ll.-A special dispat
from London says that O tremendous excl
A. meut prevailed in Madrid on receipt of Pr
2 a ident Grants message relating to the CI
!. an difficulty. The Government has resolv
to msiutsin q firm attitude, and reinfort
o, ments Of 1000 men, two additional gensr'
RS and four iron clsds will be Immediately d
is patched to Cuba.
n madrid, Dec. 1.-THE election for {
Cortes took place to-day throughout Spa
aud it is already known that the Repubi
IL ans have triumphantly elected their CT
didates in % of the 48 capitals Of provinc
and in 43 of the smaller towns.
LONDON, Dec, 1.-The question of all