The Portland daily press., 1874-02-27
WASHINGTON.
The Boston COllect0rship.
MOVEMENTS YESTERDAY,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-The Senate TO-DAY.
in executive session, debated an hour and a
half On the nomination of Simmons to be Col
lector of Boston On the question being taken,
the subject went over till the next executive
session. The vote ia represented as being Is in
favor and 20 against. 1t is claimed BY Sim
mons friends that this is not an indication OF
the result, half the Senators being absent.
Both the friends and opponents of Summons
were at work to-day and tonight on this SUBJ
ject. Some of the latter say Mr.. Forbes to day
made written report in behalf of himself and
others, to the President, against the nomina-
ton of Simmons, and that the President re-
piled that he would take it into consideration
and advise with Gen Rntlsr and Mr.. Hooper.
The opponents of Simmons are hopeful that
the nomination will either be defeated or with
drawn.
The following letter has been made public:
House of Representatives, Washington, D. c.,
Feb. 26th, 1874
Dear Sir: At your personal solicitation yester-
day l withheld the recommendation of which
enclose you copy, signed by seven of the eleven
members of Congress from our State At the
interview with the President, of which you
were present on Tuesday, the President said
that if our Cong ressional delegation would sub.
stantially agree upon any person, he would
nominate him instead Of Mr.. Simmons as Col
lector Of Boston.
In pursuance of this suggestion, we haye Sc
been able to procure the signature of oul asso-
ciate, Mr.. Dawes, who is absent from tie CITY;
and three of the eleven representatives, MI
Burlington, Mr.. Hooper and Mr.. Butler, nave
declined to sign it. You said to me that you
could name one or two gentlemen who w0uia
be acceptable to be nominated in the place OF
Mr.. Simmons. Will you be kind enough to
either join with us in recommending the geh.
tleman whom we have selected or state tns
name of the gentleman to whom you referred
I nrOnpr the PrpSidQnGS re-
quest? We hvve no doubt that your selection
would be of person of character and qualin,,
cations suited to SO importont an Office ana
that we shall cheerfully acquiesce in your
choice.
In view of the fact that my colleague, Mr..
Butler, who presented the name of Mr. Sim
mons, now states that he would not have re-
commended the nomination had he known the
trouble it had made, and in view of the fact
that the President has also stated to the COM
mittee OF our citizens who waited upon LIN,
that had not this nomination been made ne
would not now make it, aud that he thought
Mr butler erred in pressing it further, it is evi-
IDENTIFY our duty to unite upon some one and re-
lleve the President and ourselves from the re-
suits OF this mistake,
Very respectfully youts,
HENRY L. PIERCE.
The following is the recommendation enclos-
| ed in the letter:
Washington, D. c., Feb. 26-To the Presi:
dent of the United STATES: The undersigned
recommend for appointment to the office OF Col'
lector of the port oston and Charlestown eithel
of the three following gentlemen: Gen: VIM
, +. Burt postmaster at Boston, Hon =: w. Lin
coin, late Mayor of Boston, and M. Fisk. Dep
. uty Collector of the Boston Custom House
each of whom we think we'll qualified for the
position. JOHN NJ. 8. WILLIAMS,
HENRY L. PIERCE,
GEO. f. HoAR,
Err. HoAR,
b. w. HARRIS,
D. w. GoocH,