St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-06-19

| which would work out Sllcn result,
see no danger in authorizing free bank
! ing without limit.
Congress.
WASHINGTON. June Is, 1874.
DISGRACEFUL SCENES IN THE HOUSE
The night session of the House was
one of interminable and disgraceful
confusion. The subject for cOusidera-
ton WAS the very important bill of the
Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds. The bill provided to extend
the limits as to the cost of certain pub
lie buildings. and to remove certain re-
strictions upon their construction. The
bill appropriated nearly $4,000 in
addition to sums already appropriated
and provide for initial proceedings as
| to other buildings, which doubtless
would finally result in the apprpropria-
ton of Il large additional sum. The
bill was very composite in its character.
and represented ii great number of in
terests. The appropriations were dis
tributed over Il wide section of country
in an exceedingly ingenious manner.
The bill waS of special interest. III
that it proposed To temove all restric-
lstiohs iassegardso the Inatefials used in
ftlle ee6skruckjoa ofhtHem Buildings au-
] tlsorized by law. 1t also comprised an
appropriations of $20l 600 for public
5hni laings atF alisRisesa o0fthis $780,
900 hats already been appropriated. and
so 900 expended for Il site. The bill
also directed the Secretary of the
| Treasury to report ut the next session
1,.t ,,I,lli,. I,,,i1lin,r =, l.,t
Salem, and the estimated cost. Four
hours were consumed in filibustering.
Roll calls were ordered on endless dila-
tory motions: there were loud prOtesta-
tionS of economy. but this virtue was
mainly geographical, and was chiefly
confined to districts. Neither appro-
pridtiomS were made nor surveys order
ed. The bill was finally tabled 10y IL
vote of los yeas to - nays.
BITTER DEBATE ON THE INDIAN CUES
There WAS very bitter debate ON
the proposition to pay the Choctaw
Indians S:2!.:52O.0OO. The amendment
WAS, however, defeated The defeat
is largely due to the persistent efforts
of Eugene Hale of Maine Nh Hale
WI l'lslitlN tiidl llItlt llttl
been some very astounding lobby ing
operations i'll connection with the at
tcmpt> to secure favorable recognition
from the House for this claim. He
thought III best thai if the applopria-
tIon MAS to bc made il should he very
carefully guarded. so that under the
terms of the treaty il mi ght he paid 1"
the Indians themselves for school and
other clNilizing purposes. and not to
hc II, llNrrcd Ia tAo Irresponsible men.
Mr.. Harris of Massachusetts. Il mem
Der of the Committee on Indian affairs.
VIII" had given the subject Il very thor
"ugh examination, Insisted that the at
tempt of the Government to defeat the
the payment of this claim WAS Il most
>tnpcndnUs fraud against the Choctaw
nation. He said the Government had
received from the Indians SlI 900. 600
from the sale of their lands under he
treaty. and had returned and paid them
practically nothiug. He thought. how
ever. that the funds should he guarded
III the direction suggested 10y Mr.. Hale.
I'm amendment WAS finally adopted di-
rcrtIng the SECRETARY of the Treasury
t" examine int" this, claim and to report
at the next session of Congress.
THE DEFEAT OF CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
The House spent most of The day
upon the Sumdry civil hill and finished
1t. Ii" appropriation for the civil ser
vice commission was finally defeated in
the House. although the original amend
mcnt WIS snmrW hat mudiiicd in the
committee of the whole. Gen. Butler
has entirely triumphrd III his attempt
to secure the defeat OF the civil service
system. His amendment providing tor
the repeal of the act creating the civil
service commission. and also providing
for covering into the treasury whatever
sum of existing appropriation may h,.
uncXpcnded, WAS adopted in the House
i'll the Sundry civil bill. without a ,li-
vision and without the yeas and nays.
As previously indicated in these dis
patches. 1t WAS the avnwed purpose of
the enemies of civil service reform in
It's present shape to prevent the ayes
and nays i'll the House. This they sue
ccSStully did. There We're only twenty
members who rose To demand the AYES
and nays in the House. The announce
ment of the adoption of the amendment
WAS followed 10y very manifest indica-
lions of approval on the floor. An
amendment WAS. however. adopted. re-
quring the heads of the Executive De
partmcnls t" prescribe and publish rules
tor examination of applicants for APP
p"intmemtS To positions. and for the
distribution of those appointments. as
nearly as practicable. among the several
states. according to the Congressional
districts. preference being given to sol
hirrS and SailnrS