The New York herald., 1871-12-08

alteraDle IN MS oppositlon.
Spencer Is far from being appeascd, ana 1t was
under MS leadership that the fight which was made
in executive session to-day, aad which is part of
the general war upon the ONCE holders, and,
through them, upon Grant, was conducted.
AS the matter OF Warmers confirmation now
stands the victory is undoubtedly with the oppO.
sitioD Warner Is an Ohio man, and has been so
useful to Senator sherman that he (Senator Sher-
mani had min appointed Collector Of
Customs OF Mobile, when his term as
carpetbag Senator from Alabama expired.
To-day Mr.. Sherman asked, as an act OF
courtesy 10 a former Senator that he be confirmed
without the customary reference OF the nomination
to a committee. Mr.. Spencer made the point that
IL would be an act OF courtesy TO HIM II warmers
nomination should 60 to the Committee Of Com
merce and the Senate assented. 1t is under
stood that high words with baled breath passed
between the two Senator's, and that both were eio-
quent In thoir scowls.
The Republican Caucus
+ In the republican caucus nothing was developed
touching the political situation, and the senate
committceswere left as they were before. Among
the New Amgland and other Senator's who are, or
wish to oe thought TO be opposed to ioDs, there
was some talk to-day about abolIshing the
Pacific Rairoad Committees; but nothing was
done. Mr. Trumbull moved In the caucus to revive
the Committee on Retrenchment to inquire into
such matters as Mr. Murphy's general order bHsi-
ness-investigated by the old comniittee-in order
to discover something which may renect unfavor.
ably on the present administration. senator Pat
terson was formerly chairman OF this committee
and Schnrx held the second place. The design was
to mako the Missouri Senator its chairman and 1t is
part OF the grand system CT tactics In which MI.
Summer rs doing the heavy business and Schurz
stands ready TO play second hand Hamlet
m and 4 tho nnyh.
ican caucuses are so much part OF each otner that
they can only be considered together II they to
be seen r0nnd and perfecI as o star. And as the
great business before that body just now is
to settle the relation of parties and arrange
the new coalition movement 1t is o
Senate as full Of fun as 1t is
fun OF gravity. All the runlors of movement on
the part Of the democrats In the House for coali.
tion with the .soreheadsn are nonsense, as for the
present the fight is t9 be fought IN the Senate.
The Congressional Democratic Committee was in
session to- day to consider the proposition to unite
with the revenue reformers in heading or
the denomination Of President Grant. There
was full attendance Of the members:
put 1t was resolved at this time that
1t was lnexpedient 10 commit themselves to any
outside party movement Before the end OF the
month, however, programme is to be submitted
which must be either accepted or rejected at the
peril OF the hope OF the democratic party to defeat
Grant.
The Civil Service Reform Commission.
The Civil Service Commission has nearly CON-
peted its report, which, 1t afnrmed on good au.
tnority, emDodIes q comprehensive though brief
Plan Tor practical competitive system. It vrtu-
ally disp0ses SO IL Is claimed, OF the question OF
political patronage, and In its working details Will
embrace not merely the departmental clerical force,
but the large body Of revenue, customs and postal
onlcials who now constitute the important part Of
the "Bread and Butter Brigade The report will
not be published till after the recess 1t WIN be sent
to Congress only for the information of members as
1t Is so framed as to render legislation unnecessary.
When Mr.. Curtis was asked to take the chairman
ship OF the Commission he consented to DO so only
on the understanding, arrived at after full consula
ton with the Executive, that under the con.
stitution the general power to require a
standard OF qualifications &C., from persons
appointed TO ONCE, rested with the President
He alo.h would have to take the responsibility OF
enforcing rules for the civil service. Mr.. Curtis
clarcd that he not willing to toll for the amuse-
ment OF the 'SOlOns' In Congress, who would In
the end throw II all overheard. The President
sented to Mr. Curtis conditions, and the result will
soon be known
Discovery Of Frauds in the United States
Treasury.
The discovery OF two defacations in the once or
Oultcu cplIIllcT lOllOWeu luSt
upon the pious thanKfulness of his offclal report
for the manner In Which special Providence had
watched over the deposits in his charge during
the past year. Frederick A. Marden, chief OF
the Division OF Accounts, Is In jail on O charge or
emoezzfng about twelve thousand dollars from the
public funds. II appears that Marden, besides his
regular duties, was entrusted with the payment OF
their salaries to part OF the Treasury clerks, and
that he was often accommodated with money
by one OF the paying tellers to make his
payments before the usual Treasury draft had
been issued, which placed the money to his
credit as dsbursng officer. For these advances,
the amount OF which he always fixed himself he
would give his personal acknowledgment, with the
understanding that IL should be cancelled as soon
the regular draft was issued; but these Treasury
drafts usually fell little short OF the advances
made on them, and the "overlappingsn in two
years have reached from twelve to fifteen thousand
dollars The thus obtained are supposed to have
been spent gained, as there Is no real estate here
to levy upon and no evidence OF speculations In
Wall street. 1t is further charged upon Marden
that when he was recently in Europe on Syndicate
business for his fellow statesman, Secretary BOUT
well, he borrowed all their ready money from the
clerks in Judge Richardson's Sub-Treasury at Lon
don and came home without repaying the impoy.
ershed lenders,
Seth Johnson, formerly clerk in General Spin
ner's State bank at Mohawk, N. Y, and for the
past eight years paying teller in that hnanc,er's
national bank In Washington confesses 10 being
"shortp about fifty thousand dollars in his
cash accounts. This is the teller through
whose accommodating disposition Mr.. Mar
den made his $4,000 out OF the govern
ment. A community OF knowledge, II not
OF interest, kept these two ollcias from telling what
they knew about each other, and 1t Is due to out.
side parties that the United states was not let in
for a big defalcaton III the end. Paying Teller
Johnson has been specuatng with his stealings,
and IL Is said that an intmation from his New York
brokers first set General Spinner to work invesgat-
ing the special Providences OF his bureau. The action
OF the brokers Is mol, however, attributed to their
solicftude for the public interests so much as to