Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-12-21
eur Washington letter.
SENATE CHAMBER,

SENATE CHAMBER.
| WASHINGTON, D. c.. Dec 10, 1871.
Mr.. Conkling's motion in the Senate to
refer a resolution upon the Hodge defsl-
cation to the committee upon military
| fairs, was met by motion from Mr..
| Trumhull to withdraw Conklin2's motion
for reference, and allow him (Trumbull)
| 70 move for the rs.esta Enlistment of the
old Joint retrenchment and reform com
mittee to which CoDkling's resolution
and the numerous other cases of the kind
should be referred. and which committee
he regarded as Indispensable to the accom-
| pli-hment of civil service reform. Mr.
| Trumbull off d the same resolution bv
which the retrenchment committee was
first formed. and nv which it has been
revived from time 10 time fo- the past
| five or six years. The resolution called
| for a committee 10 investigate all cases of
fraud in public sffairs, defalcations and
the like, with full power to send for per-
sons and papers To look into the expend
itures of the departments, to hunt out the
abuses in eff % ia short vpstiug the COM
mittre with it's old power to investigate
| anything that it deemed necessary. Wig
oroua opposition followed from Messrs.
Conkling. Edmunds, Sherman and others.
The Republican Senators spent portions
of Mond ay and Tuesday caucussing upon
that and other matters, and finally in
structed Mr.. Anthony, chairman OF the
caucus to cff-r 4 resolution TO create 8
standing committee on the part of the
Senate only, upon retrenchment and re-
form. Such committee weuld of course
have the same power of all standing com
mittees, viz to consider suoa matters as
should be directly REFEREE to it by the
Senate This resolatio'4 passed after
spicy debate when Mr.. Trumbull offered
the following amend ment, which is the
sum and subs'aao', of his original reso-
luton
"And that ssid committee be Instructed
to inquire into the expenditures
in oil hraD ches of the service of the
United s. 4tes, and TO report whether any
and wh' t eff .es ought to be abolished
whetf .er any and what salaries or allow
H.nr - ought to be reduced what are the
methods Of procuring accountability in
! public officers or agents inf the care and
disbursements of public moneys, whether
moneys have been paid out illegally
whether any officers or agents, or other
persona. have been or are employed in
the public service without authority of
law or unnecessarily and generally how
and to what extent the expenses of the
service of the country may and ought to
be curtailed.
And also to consider the expectancy OF
so amending the laws under which ap-
pointments to the public service are now
made as to provide and for Withdrawing
the public service from being used as an
instrument of political or party patron
| age.
That said committee be authorized to
ait during the recess of Congress, to send
for persons and papers, and to report by
| bill or otherwi-e and that said commit
tee may appoint clerk"
We give the amendment in full rs it is
the entire question at issue upon which
occurred the very animated and angry
debate between republican Senators. 1t
is claimed upon the part of those opposing
the amendment that the entire movement
is prompted by spirit of bitter screhead-
| ed hostility to President Grant, and is a
| n4neuver to iuiure the administration by
the cry of corruption, and that such =
committee as Trumbull proposes to create
would be mere mud" machine at the
door Of the White Houae-that it is the
cry of wolf, wolf when there is not
even a mnusen to be seen.
Upon the other hand Mr.. Trumbull
disavows all ant4gonism to the admins
tration, and claims that errors do exist :;
that the prevalent belief of the country is
that there are abuses which ought to be
corrected that a thorough and impartial
Investigate an which will hunt out frauds
and corruption, expose and punish them,
will not only d1n0d ~ the honor and
popularity Of the administration, but will
also purify the Republican party and
win for it far greater confidence and
strength from the people of the country.
He claims that this the party must do if
it hopes to live. The contest seems to be
upon the questions of right and policy
Mr.. Trumbull saking the ground that
the policy iudicsted By him is essentially
honest and just and that it will also give
strength to the party. Those opposing
him who are a majority of the members
and talents of the republicans in the Sem
ate claim that the administration already
compares we'll with auy previous admin
istration, that there ia no call for such
sweeping investig cations and that the eff
feet will be deleterious TO the party at
this time Mr.. Trum bull was strongly
supported by Schurz, Triton and others,
these two especially are bitterly hostile
to the President. Tru mbull presented
his views with his usual force of logic,
and conducted his case in a manner be-
coming the great lawyer md sound reas-
ouer
other side WIS rep resented with
&c ability, but were ma de to appear
in res ting Investigation as, If afraid of
The discussi IN is regarded
in the light Of misfortune " the friends