The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-11-22
From WashinSton-Consr Ar
riving-The President and His Mes
sago-Civii-Service Reform.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch. J


Correspondence of the Richmond Dspatch.l
WASHINGTON, November Goth.
The near approach of the session Of Con-
gress becomes every day more manifest by
the appearance of the members Of both
branches of the natl onal legislature and by
the presence of many others who always
"make it n point" to be on hand while Con-
gress is in session. Every member of any
distinction who arrives takes the earliest OPP
portunity Of visiting the President. Whether
any of them have thought it consistent with
their duties to suggest material for the mes
sage does not appear, but the probabilities
are strongly against any such intermeddllng.
The class of legislators who from the past
experience the country has had Of them
might want to write the message have not
yctnppeared on the scene; but whether they
were here or at home they would not suc-
coed In this. Grant always writes bis own
state papers, and there is no evidence in the
last four years that he has "brooked inter-
ference" in bis works Of that particular ma
ture. There Is much comment already spring
ing up as to what he will recommend to Con-
gress, but any positive knowledge thereon
does not exist away from the President him.
self. It former precedents are followed, this
lllio Iuc ulcSSdSc VIII Uc lSduS III dDOut IL
week, and will be read to the Cabinet very
probably on Friday of next week, aud sent
| to Congress on the following Monday, the
first day Of the session.
Rumor ~ again on raid about the
Cabinet changes to occur about the eth OF
March. Now the talk is that Judge Rich.
ardsoD, the assistant secretary of the Tree.
sury, Is to succeed Mr.. Boutwell, when the
latter is elected to the Senate; but that Rich
ardson will only remain in Office about a
month or SO, retiring with his houors thick
upon him to give some other State than Mas
sachusetts q chance to regulate financial
affairs. Grant keeps his lips sealed on the
subject of Cabinet changes, and it is plain
enough to be seen that in his selection be
will not abandon his Characteristic reticence.
Ii he becomes conservative he will be very
apt to make several changes, unless, as
would not be unlikely, the Cabinet, or me-
jority OF its members, shall turn conservative
with him. at the present writing the Secre-
tary of War is the only member who can be
put in that category.
The President is well pleased with the re-
ception his interview with the noble poll.
ticians of Pennsylvania met with by the press
of the country generally, and he will keep
up this movement about civl-service reform
unless it turns out that he ein be made to
waver when the Senate, in Its might, and
with its power to reject nominations, makes
a square issue with him. The probabilities
are that changes in office will be excessively
few within the next four years.
Mr.. Sherman, who recently resigned the
Office of chief of the Stamp Division of the
Internal Revenue Office, is one of the most
competent and courteous officers ever in the
service of the Government, and the Treasury
loses an official 1t cannot spare. The ques-
ton Is whether competitive examination can
till the vacancy properly. That system is re-
garded as not thoroughly within the mean
ing Of ciyil-seryice reform, which aims to get
"the right man in the right place" in euery
particular, and competition, IS experience
shows, does not, In one case out or twenty,
secure this. TIMos.