Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-03-08
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TO THE
Daily Kennebec Journal.
Forty.Second Congressional Session

Der one IN the land once was taDleu, the
question being on the amendment appropria
ting $50, 900 to be expended by the President
in putting in force the civil service reform
acquisitions.
Mr. Carpenter moved to strike it out and
substitute the following: All laws or pr s
Of laws under which the present civil servIc,
reform commission was appointed by the
President of the United States are hereby re-
pealed.
Mr.. Trumbull moved TO table the substi-
tute. Carried-4O to 10.
The republicans who voted no were
Messrs. Caldwell, Cameron, Carpenter,
Chandler and Clayton. The only democrats
who voted against were Messrs. Blair, Cooper
and Salisbury. The question required on
the original amendment appropriating $780,
600.
Mr.. Carpenter had already expressed his
views of this civil service reform and he
hoped that the appropriation would not be
made.
Mr.. Sherman hoped that the operation of
the scheme recommended by the civil service
commissi sion be confined to Washington, New
ork and some large cities where the reform
was most needed, because if the President
attempted to extend it over the whole coun-
try it would evidently break. down by its own
weight While he was in favor of reform
in the civil service he was not confident it
could be effected on this plan, but Congress
being already committed to it an appropria
ton ought to be made to give it fair trial if
only to demonstrate its failure.
Mr.. Logan said the system proposed by
the civil service commission was humbug.
Two or three days ago there was an exam
ination in one Of the departments when TWEEN
ty-three persons competent for the office, and
one of the clerks in the department told him
before the the examination the name of the
man who would get the appointment. He
Logan) did not know how it was done but
he knew the fact. As an illustration of the
folly Of electing public officers by compet-
tive examination Mr.. Logan mentioned a
case which recently occurred in Illinois
where the post Office department sent man
named Miller connected with the department
in Illinois to examine applicants. By the
way this Miller was a disgrace to the State,
but nobody had been able to get him out. in
this case there were two applicants, and in
the examination each missed three questions,
but Miller reported in favor Of the man for
whom the people had not petitioned and who
had not been candidate at all until Miller
went to make the examination. However,
when the department at Washington received
this report with the specimen CT the hand
writings it regretted Miller's recommends
ton and appointed the other man. He (Lo-
gam was'as much in favor Of reform as any,
body but not of this kind.
Mr.. Edmunds inquired what kind of re-
form he did want
Mr.. Logan had not fully considered the
subject but could state some things he would
do if he had power. Whenever man per
formed his duties well he would let him
alone and whenever man did not he would
Il nt. L.l-. oh.
of public officials co,extensive with the Pres
ident's, unless where removals were made
for mission duties. Further, if an officer
performed the duties in such way as to
make his neighbors generally believe him
dishonest he would turn him out.
Mr.. Edmunds thought it very remarkable
that the wisdom OF the country supposed TO
be concentrated in Congress, having last
year deliberately passed a law authorizing
the President to make this experiment in
civil service reform, to threaten to abandon
the effort and repeal the law just as soon as
an attempt was made to put it into practical
operation. He further agreed with those who
denounced this civil service reform as hum
lug and encroachment upon the rights of
the people, for his own rights had been I'M
warrantably infringed upon. In the good
old times when he went to the department
to office because he was friend of his, or
because he had worked hard to make him a
Senator, or some other equally good reason,
the matter was generally arranged satisfac-
torily without any impairment questions as to
the witness of the applicant for the place;
but now when he approached the head of the
department on the same occasion, he was
told that his recommendation was NJ longer
sufficient to secure an appointment, that the
President had taken the matter out OF the
hands of the members of Congress, and that
applicants were now required to undergo an
examination as test of their fitness tor the
place they sought.
After a long discussion without reaching
a vote the Senate adjourned.
House.
After disposing of all amendments to the
deficiency bill, and agreeing to one offered
by Mr.. Dawes of Mass, for the payment of
full days wages to laborers and mechanics
in navy yards, &C., who had worked only s
hours, the bill was passed.
The House then took up the bill granting
the Central Pacific Railroad Company the
use of one-half of the island of Yerba Buena
in the Bay of San Francisco, which was dis
cussed at length.
During its discussion Mr.. Blair of Mich,
asked leave to offer resolution recltlng that
charges have appeared in newspapers Of
large circulation in New York and elsewhere
calculated to effect injuriously the reputa-
ton of the Secretary of the Navy, and to
cast doubts on the integrity of his admins
tration of the navy department, and there
fore providing for the appointment of a Sc
lect committee of five to investigate any
irregularities, and to inquire generally into
the administration of the affairs of the navy
department during the incumbency of the
present secretary.
Mr.. Sargent stated that it was at the re-
quest of the secretary that he desired the in
vestigation, and courted it to its fullest ex-
tent.
Mr.. Banks said there was nothing alleged
in the resolution that justified an inquiry,
and it ought not to be made on newspaper
charges. Every member of the House and
every member of the government had been
and always would be abused by newspapers,
and the House ought to have something more
than citations of that character.
Mr.. Sawyer-There is no desire on the
part of the Secretary to evade any inyestiga-
ton.