Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-03-08
EVENING STAR.
CONGRESSIONAL.


COOcluSfOO He9uefOoyo frOcee0tmS8.
sENATE.-Aftero our report closed
The Senate proceeded With thu consideration
of the legislative appropriation bill and after a
long discussion, Mr.. Morrill, OF Vermont moved
to lay the amendment authorizing forty addi-
tiODal clerks of class one for the Land Once,
and Mr.. Nickers su Institute, authorizing the C.
rotary OF the Treasury TO detail forty surplus
clerks from that DE paTtment 10 perform duty in
the Land once, both on the table; which was
agreed io-ayes -; noes, 70. So the proposed
The question being then on concurring in the
amendment aPproPriating $4,000 to enable the
President TO carry into effect the new
CIVIL SERVICE
regulations, Mr.. Carpenter moved a substitute
that all laws and part Of laws authorizing the
PRESIDENT to appoint civil service commission
be repealed.
Mr.. Trumbun moved to lay the substitute on
the table; which was carried.
GEAs-Ges-rs. Acorn, NnI-s, Anthony. Baysrd,
BoIsTan, Brcki.ghSm CsmeT w. CSS,seIiiI, CIs,
n@nas TSsss,' Pen west idthaais
Harlan: Hill, johnston. keh,, Morrill, Of vermont,
ton, Ir1p GaIl ,yicStr.. is n and wfSht1o.S
NAy<-hes-rs 7iair, CsIdNe Cameron, "a pen
HitehCock- Kellogg, Log an, Deb I'm, Pomeroy,
Pool. Ramsay, Rice, Stuisba-y, West, and Win
The question then recurring on the amend
ment-
Mr.. Carpenter expressed the hope that no APP
prOpriaticn for this purpose wJgld be voted by
Congress.
MT. sherman moved 10 reduce the amount TO
$1,000. FIFTY thousand dollars was excess
sive amount. In his opinion. this attempt at re-
form should be confined IN Washington, New
York and few OF the other great cities. 1t
would be perfect humbug to be sending an
examining board into all the little towns OF the
country To examine applicants for Office.
Mr.. Log remarked that when this civil ser
vice reform commission trst proposed, ne
had great doubts OF its wisdom, and the rules
which that commission had recommended sus-
tanned his view, that il would tend to set up
Kind of aristocracy in the civil service He did
not believe in this competitive examinations,
and the report of this cOmm- sion was a hum
bug, and he would not vote a cent to carry out
ats Recommendations. He would mention some
examples as an illustration Of this proposed re-
form. The other day there was n competitive
examination in this city OF applicants for Office.
Before the examination a clerk in one of the de
partments had told him Mr. L. who would get
the office, ana the man naTaed by the clerk did
get II. c0mmssion-he did not know whether
it was this one. or whether civil uncivl
cOmmissOn-had examined two candidates tor
post Office in his state. They reported that one
was democrat, and sometimes got tight; the
other was reported 10 be a republican, but did
not always vote the republican ticket therefore
they recommended the appointment OF the
democrat. who sometimes got tight.
MI. Csmer0n asked Mr. Logan what he meant
MIR. Logan would refer that question to Mr.
Cameron. lLaugheT.l This report had been
made, and was now on file in this city. He was
IN favor Of civil service reform, but not such
reform.
Mr.. Edmunds asked what kind of reform the
Senator would propose.
Mr.. Logan had not given much thought to
this, but there were several things he could now
peak OF that he would do. First, when there
was good man in Office, he wOGld let him stay
in; second, III there was a bad man in, he would
tern him out; third, he would make the term of
Office cOeNtensive at least with that of the Pres;
dent who made the appointment.
Mr.. EGmunds said IL strange spectacls
for COngTcSSmen who had a year ago, voted to
create the civil service commission, now turning
around and repudiating the action or this COM
mission He believed thar some of the recon-
mendatlOns of the committee were more far
reaching than they ought To be. He believed
that pOStmastCrs should substantially be made
elective But because some OF the regu atiOn5
did not meet the views Of certain Senators, were
all the II guiatiOns to be thrown ont. He ins-
mated that the trouble was that some members
Of Congress did not like to surrender ther
patronage 1t mattered not whether a man
could east up column of figures or not; his
capabihty for being Treasury clerk cOnsiste
in his services TO his member. But the people
we're not now disposed 10 look upon this
thing in this light. The principle with them
J. that the most capable man is the man for the
0fiee- This is the rule which Prevais in private
life.
Pending discussion, the Senate, at $40 p. m :,
adjourned.
HOUSE--After our report closed
The House resumed the consideration of the
bull TO grant portion of the island of Yerba
Buena to the Pacific Railroad Company; an,
after . long debate, Dir. Wheeler IN. " :
handed the previous question upon the bill,
PENDING which the House adjourned.