Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-03-08
Forty Second Congressional Session.
WASHINGTON, d. c. March 7.
SEN ATE

more.
Mr.. Ames, from the committee on military,
reported a bill to provide for the disposition of
that portion of the military reservation at Fort
Ripley, Mimi, lying east OF the Mississippi
river, which passed.
Mr. Chandler presented a memorial of the nas
tional board of trade, asking the passage of a
law authorizing American citizens 10 purchase
foreign bdilt ships aud register them for service
under the American flag in our foreign mari.
time commerce, and that all articles of foreign
production needed for the subsistence of vessels
engaged in foreign trade, or in the sailing or re-
pairing of steamships or sailing vessels, may be
Withdrawn, free of dutv, from bonded ware
houses; and TO provide for the return TO the
American registry of all tonnage alienated dur
ING the war to foreign flags, as the owners may
desire. Referred to the committee on com
meCe,
MIR. Flanagan called up and advocated the bill
providing for the Cession by Texas to the United
States, for Indian reservations, of the territory
OF the state north and west OF the line drawn
from the northwest corner Of Hardeman county
on the Red river, TO the mouth Of the PecOs river
where Ii enters the Rio Grande; the United states
to pay for the territory fifty cents per acre in
thirty years four and halt per cent bonds, half
10 he retained in the United States treasury to
secure any Indebtedness already created by the
laws Of Texas, and the balance to he paid into
the state treasury to be constituted part of
the school fund. The bill also requires Texas TO
agree TO the formation, from time to time, OF
new states out of her territory.
After Mr.. Flanagan's remarks, the bill was
laid aside and the senate resumed the consider
alton of the legislative appropriation bill. All
amendments made yesterday in the committee
were cOncurred in, except those reserved to be
voted ON separately,
he,amendment authorizing the employment
of fort, additional clerks of class number one in
the land offices was tabled, the question being
on the amendment appropriating $4,000 TO he
expended by the president in putting in force
the civil service reform acquisitions.
MIR. Carpenter moved TO strike it out and sub
stitute the following; All laws or parts OF laws
under which the present civil service reform
commission was appointed by the president OF
the United States, are hereby repealed.
Mr.. Trumhull moved to table the substituted
carried. Yeas, 40; nays, 10.
The republicans who voted no were Caldwell,
Cameron, Carpenter, Chandler, Clayton, Hitch
cock. Hamilton of Texas, Kellogg, Logan, Os-
born, Pomeroy, Pool, Ramsay, West, aud Win
dom.
Inc only democrats who voted against it were
Blair, Cooper and Salisbury
The question rcCurred on the original amend
ment appropridtlng $4,000.
Mr. Carpenter said he had already expressed
his views of this civil service reform, and hoped
the appropriation would not be made.
Mr.. Sherman hoped the operation of the
scheme recommended by the civil service conf
mission woGld be confined to Washington, New
York, and some large cities where reform is
most needed, because if the president attempted
to extend il over the whole country, 1t would
evidently break down by it own weight. While
he was in favor of reform in the civil service, he
was not confident that it could be effected Oh
this plan; but, congress being already commit
ted to it, an appropriation ought to be made TO
give it fair trial, if only to demonstrate its fail
uTe.
Mr.. Logan said the system proposed by the
civil service commission was Il hunibug. Two
or three days ago there was an examination IN
one of the departments, when twenty-three per-
sons competed for an office, and one of the clerks
in the department told him before the eSamina-
ton the name of tie man who would get the ap.
pointment. He CLogan) did not how it was
done, but be knew of the fact az mn Illustration
of the folly of selecting public officers by COM
petitive examination. Mr. Logan also mention
cd a case which recently occurred in Illinois,
where the post office department sent man
named Miller, who was connected with
the department in Illinois, TO examine the APP
plcants. By the way, this Miller was a disgrace
to the state, but nobody has been able to get
him out. (Laughter.) In this case there were
two applicants, and in the examination each
missed three questions, and Miller reported in
favor of the man for whom the people had not
peGtiCncd and who had not been a candidate at
all until Miller went to make the examination
| However, when the department at Washington
received this report, with specimens of the hand
writing of the applicants, it rejected Nliller's
recommendation, and appointed the other man.
| He (LOTan) was as much in favor of reform as
| ANYBODY, but not of this kind.
Mr.. Edwards inquired what kind Of reform he
did want.
Nh Logan said he had not fully considered
the subject, but would state some things he
would do il he had the power. Whenever a man
performed his duties well, he would let him
alone, and whenever man did not, he would
turn him off He would also make the term of
office Of public officials co-extensve with the
presidents, uuless where removals were made for
misconduct. Further, if an officer performed
his duties in such a way as to make his neigh.
bOrs generally believe him dishonest, he would
turn him off.
Mr. Edmunds thought it very remarkable that
the wisdom of the country, supposed to be con-
centrated in congress, having last year deliber-
ately passed a law authorizing the president to
make this experiment in civil service reform,
should threaten to abandon the effort and repeal
the law just as soon as an attempt was
made to put 1t into practical operation. He
fully agreed with those who denounced this civil
service reform as humbUg and an encroach-
ment upon the ghts of the people, for his own
rights had been most unwarrantably in(ringed
In the good Old times when he went to a depart
ment and only asked 10 have Smith or Jones APP
pointed 10 office because he was friend of his ,
or because he had worked hard to make
him senator, or for some other equally
good reason, the matter was generally arranged
satisfactorily without any impairment questions
as TO the htneSS OF an applicant for the place /:
butnOw, when he approached the head of a de
partment, on the same GRAND, he was told his
recommendation was no longer sufficient to Sc
cure the appointment; that the president had
taken the matter out of the hands of members
of congress, aud applicants were now required
to undergo an examination as a test of their fit
ness for the places they sought; as if there
could he any better proof Of "A mans fitness for
any office than that he had helped to elect SEN
atOr. (Laughter) In this way he (Edmunds)
was stripped of the Fictitious importance he
formerly enjoyed, brought down to the com
mon level, and compelled to stand upon his
own merits alone. OF course he felt this gross
outrage. CLaughter.) He spoke only for him
self. He was only stating his own grievances;
but he knew his fellow senators would SYM
pathze with him. (Laughter) 1t was pain
lul fact, however, that in this country there
were a great many persons who thought differ
ently-people who are neither candidates
for office nor followers Of candidates peO-
pie who did not appreciate merits and
claims Of managers of primaries, and other po-
litcal bodies, and who thought that pOstmasters
ought TO know how TO write, and accountants
to understand arithmetic. Nobody could see
more clearly than he did the folly of all this
but as these unreasonable people were unfOr-
tunately in great majority, and as it was their
business tue OIncers OF the government were
paid TO do, and their money that was to be col
iected and spent, he feared they would have
their wav. GA laughter).
MIR. Carpenter protested for himself against
Mr.. Edmunds' statement of the feelings and mo-
tives of the opponents of civil service reform.
Mr.. Edmunds said he might have overdrawn
the picture little, but in substance it was true
to nature.
After some further discussion, and without
reaching a vote, the senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
General Banks this forenoon stated to the
house that he was requested by ths Japanese
embassy to return their thanks for the cordially
Of their reception yesterday and to say that they
heartily appreciate the honor that had been con-
lerred upon them.
General Banks also asked that the speeches on
the occasion be included in the journal, and it
was so ordered.
Mr.. Hooper, from the committee on banking
and currency, reported adversely upon the bill
for the redemption OF the three per cent certif-
Gates which recently passed the senate, and it
was laid on the table.
The house having resumed the consideration
of the deficiency appropriation bill, Mr.. Dawes
renewed his amendment, offered yesterday, to
pay mechanics and laborers in the government
work shops the pay of which they were de-
priycd by an erroneous construction of the eight
hour law.
MIR. Farnsworth moved to add proyso that
M, "A al la bp maid Ia unp I'M