New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-02-24

ihH sSevtCr FXAMINATIoNs-YALUE OF PUBLIC
noCUMENTs - AMENDMENT TO THE RIVER
AND HARBOR BILL.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRIBuHRl
WASHINGTON. Feb 23.-The Sundry Civil Appro-
ration hin was reported TO the House from the
rommittee Of the Whole Saturday, aud lively
sehate occurred upon amendments which had been
,.seryod for separate votes in the House Among
these was Mr. Buffers amendment prohibiting the
use of any money appropriated by the bill Tor the
.xpenses of the civil service examinations. MI
pu,er read list of questions prOp0unded to appl-
.ants for clcrkships in the War Department ana
made great sport of them One required correction
of the photography Of the word wagon. MI Buter
snpposed that the examiners wanted II spelled with
two g's but he would soon put two tails on dog
as two e's in a wagon. He said the civil service
bumbug tended TO give all the Offices IN the Depart
uents 10 persons living in Washington, who could
attend every examination without expense and wait
for vacancies to occur Deserving candidates from
distant States could not afford to here on the
remote chance of passing an examination, and the
still smaller chance of getting appointment II
they passed Besides the system made the clerks
lose respect for the heads of Departments and wor-
ship the examiners to whom they had to look Tor
promotion. Mr.. Buffers amendment got surprls-
ingly large vote, but defeated. Elghty-hVe
members went ora record for il. the negative vote
being only 1903.
Mr. Banks's amendment prohibiting the pruning
of any more documents for gratuitous distribution
was also rejected. after an hours debate, which
showed what diverse estimates are placed by Con
rresgmeu upon the value Of the public documents
they distribute. Some spoke of them as rubbish
that goes unread into the watts of the makers
Others told how highly their constituents priced
them and how they were eagerly sought and passed
around from house to house. From their accounts IL
would appear that the farmers in these gentleinens
districts sit up nights TO read the back volumes OF
The Congressional Globe, because they are so much
interested in the dOings of Congress- and that they
do not venture to plant their crops until they have
consulted the Agricultural Report. Other members
appeared to think that free government could not
exist without the distribution of the documents.
MI Conger said that those who opposed the dlssem-
ination Of this valuable information among the
people were monarchists and aristocrats and MI
Hoar declared that the abolition of the franling
privilege and of the public documents would re-
move barrier against despOtism, and give the
country up TO the tyranny of the newspaper press
This notion was satirized by Mr. T.. II. Roberts, who
ridculed the idea that an Agricultural Report sent
10 crossroads grocery,here and there could count
eract the influence of the millions Of copies Of news
papers circulated throughout the country every
week,
The bin was passed and sent to the Senate, leaving
only two appropriation bills uudisposed OF by the
House One of these. the River and Harbor bill,
was taken up and considerable progress made with
&c before the House adjourned An amendment
offered by Mr.. Holman adopted, approprlatng
$4,000 for the completion of the canal around the
falls of the Ohio, at Louisville, and directing the
Secretary of the Treasury to assume in behalf OF the
United States the control of the canal in accordance
with the tersof the joint resolution of the Legisa-
ture of kentucky, approved March Is, 1872 To en-
sble the Secretary to do this indefinite amount OF
money is appropriated. The amendment, as ex-
planned in the course of long debate, means that
the Government shall at once assume the debt Of the
Canal Company amounting to S1.172.OO0, in six per
per cent bonds due as fOll0ws S3720O Jan. ], 1876
$4,000 Jan l. 1891 and the remainder Jan. l, 1885,
Is included for the reduction of the tolls the canal