New-York tribune., 1872-01-17
XLIID CONGRESS-IID SESSION

xYrs srNArORs AMusiNG TIIEMsELvES--A NEW
TARIFF BILL--CIvIL SERVICE REFORM THE
CONSULAR SERVICE, AND THE DECLINE IN
suP-BUILDING DISCUSSED IN THE HOUSE
IRY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRlBUNkl
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, Jan. lG, 1917.
Como of the Senators amused themselves
rs the morning hour, to-day, by facetious PROPOSE
,ons with regard TO the reference Of the petitions intro
uced by Mr. Scott and Others asking the passage OF
constitutional amendment making all persons IN
eligible TO Federal Office who are addicted to the
.se Of Intoxicating liquors, and praying also Tor
the passage OF National Prohibitory law
NJ Scott osked that they go the Judiciary Commit
nee Mr Trumbun thought that the Committee on Prvi-
I.pes and Elections the proper references Mr. Pome-
,oy sursested the Committee Disabilities, and Mr.
Merrill OF Vermont the Committee on Revolutionary
Claims Ry vote OF the Senate the first was sent TO
the Privileges and Elections, ana INC OlheIs'V 'o 81"
uiciary Committee.
The great event OF the morning hour the report 10y
Mr. sherman of the Tariff law as an amendment 70
tie bill repeating the duty salt. Mr. Trumbull repro
rentng the Free Traders and Revenue Reformert' oo
.ected TO the recommitment of the report on two
grounds First that he desired 70 dismiss the Commit
Zee from the further consideration Of the bills repeating
-he duty ON salt and coal and pass those bills ana,
second because he thought that the Committee had no
right 20 report revenue bill As an amendment to them
Tie REQUEST of the Committee was sranted-leas, 81
Nays, IS.
tbe issue Of clothing &C. 10y the War Department TO
Chicago sufferers admit articles contributed by foreign
countries free of duty and lOw drawback on building
materials used the burned district of that city, Ihe
Finance Committee had made report striking
out the section relating TO drawbacks Cen
Ingans speech strong plea Tor Ch-
eavo The bill viii probably pass the senate
intact in spite Of the amendment OF Tie Finance Com
miitee Mr. scott from the Committee on Finance oc
cupied the half hour of the open session with an eA
ulanatiou Of bill TO relieve corporations from the TAX Oh
dividend, for the last five months OF 1870 III the present
hin masses il Will take from the Treasury about S2Oo"N
A bin three four lines in lencth, TO increase 'Hc
SALARY of the L. = Consul at Tcn-Tsn, China hr0ugm
irto the House by Gen Banks from the Foreign Affairs
Committee called forth discussion OF the sp-DmldhG
neson the tariff iron and copper, the misuse OF the
sppoiuinc power Civil Service Reform, the distance
Travelled 10y a Government Commissioner III gong 10
China and south America, and other subjects equaiy
rprmane 10 the TcnTSn Consul, until Gen. Banks, 10y
whose courtesy the debate went when asked to yed
further said he would only do II the gentleman want
,nc the floor would agree say nothing relating to the
nir under consideration. Mr. Brooks was responsible
Cor first getting the debate of The track, and setuns
"a wandering about He has just returned from 'hlha
sud WAS naturally willing 10 share with the House
some of the information he had gathered there
He spoke Of the disappearance OF American
fuilt ships Chinese waters, where they
once were be seen in greater numbers than those OF
ANY other nation. The fact that New England ship
fders 10 longer furnish craft for navigating the Chi
nese rivers he of attributed 10 the tar IN snip
builC ng materials and in particular Nobody can
.sy Iron" in the House without bringing the
watchfu Pennsylvania representatives to their ieet'
Messrs Kelley Negley, and Myers piled Mr. Brooks with
anestons some Of which he answered, while others he
tlfuuy parried Tie lst Of his argument was that as
American mechanics had once, under low tarn Ouit
wooden chips TO compete with the world, they could
NOW NV applvnc the same skill and industry construct
iron vessels not hiudered by high duties Mt Dawes
had nothing to say about shpbulding, hut discussed
che manner in which the appointing power Is cx-
sreised He thought the Civil Service would never
he reformed until disposition was manltested
20 select the right men for the right places.
High salaries rules for examination he thought could
not effect reform He gave an amusing account OF the
travels OF special agent sent out to examine tue Con
.ulates In China and South America who was PAID $'"
wear and ten cents mile for 5i4l 9lO miles OF travel
"a ofter all brought back no information Of value. The
.cent he said was entitled 10 be called The Great
American Traveller" Mr.. Cox ntimated that The
agent got his appointment as reward for
writing book on santo Domingo dedicated 10 the Pres
dent MT Hoars remedy for the evil of such appoint
ments was TO adopt angle rule that bringing
II recommendation rom Congressman should be ap-
rointed This reused Gen. Butler, who ridcued cX
aminaiions and rules governing appointments. and de
slared that II the duty of reproscutye to recon
mend such bis constituents were competent to hold
ofce. He for enc believed ne could 90 ths bet'tf lai
any broken down schOOlmasters in the 'ond.
The TenTsn ConSuls lite bll finally passed, ans
The House then went into Committee on bill maxim!
an appropriation Of 100000 the boundary line be
tween the United States and the British territory frou
fhe Lake Of the Woods the Rocky Mountains, which wa
debated for an hour Remembering the fact that Bound
ary Commission once took six years to line from
The Mountains Puget sound and which only finished
the work when Congress stopped the pay, the Hous
amended the bill 10 limit the appropriation Il
sAO0 II also provides that the engineer officers OF th
army shall 30 the work. The new line 10 be Trl unde
the bin Will give Mr Morgan stated S'4 sqrale miles t
the United States heretofore supposed % belong TO Grea
Britain.