The New York herald., 1876-08-16
The President in Defence of the
Executive Prerogative.'
VOTE OF THANKS TO THE PRESIDING OFFICERS.
Resolution OF Sympathy for Mr..
Kerr in the House.
THE TOMAHAWK BURIED AT PARTING.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, August 10, 1876.

invoked the DIVINE O.csslng o
houses OF Congress- about to separate and scatter
far apart through all the land He returned thanks for
the personal regard the general concord which has
prevailed and tho freedom, frankness and the tol
erance with which all views and all questions have
been discussed.
The committees on Printing and on Public Buildings
and Grounds authorized to sit during the recess
The Senate then proceeded to consider the House
bills granting pensions to persons and large
number passed. but before acting upon all on the
calendar motion for executive session. made by
Mr. Anthony, agreed to- and at hali-past twelve,
the galleries cleared and the doors closed.
| At O'Clock the doors reopencd and the
Houseb to provide for the payment of full months
wages certain OF the employees recently permanently
discharged from the service OF the Bureau OF Engrav
! ing and Printing of tho Treasury Department. was
passed without amendment
Mr. WEST submitted a resolution to pay the pages Of
the Senate their per diem compensation until August
80
The resolution was agreed to-yeas %, navs 15
on motion of Mr.. WINDOW tho Senate. by a vote Of
90 yd - nays receded from its amendment to the
House bill TO provide the necessary TO defray
the expenses the District of Columbia until Dccem-
Der l. 1876 and the bill passed IL from tho
| Aousc of Representatives.
On motion OF Mr.. LOGAN the Senate insisted its
amendments tho House bill to authorize the President
accept the services OF volunteers aid suppress
ing Indian hostilities and Committee OF Conference
The CHAIR appointed as-mcmbers Of tho committee
on the part of the Senate Messrs. Logan Hitchcock
and Maxcy
The CHAIR laid before the Senate a communication
from the President. enclosing report from the Secre
tary State in the Senate resolution of July
"a, TO the number OF civil officers and employees IN
the State Department
EMPLOYEES IS THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS
Mr. CRAGIN, Tep) OF n. H., said the report OF the
Secretary State Just submitted completed the list
OF reports from several executive departments OF
he pOV
from 1859 to 1875, inclusive, in the
resolution submitted by HIM on the oath Of July last.
On the 10th Of July last the Senator from North
Carolina Clr. Merrmon introduced table, purportng
10 be statement of tho employees in the departments
register A slight glance that table
vineed him (Mr Cragn) that it was erroneous.
government 1871 81, ,6o5 1873, So,6 637, and in
1878 a. l9 This table had hgurcd in the other House
Congress well as here and the statement that the
United States had lls civil employees in 1875 was a
gross error aud great mistake. He had prepared
table from the reports oil the heads o the departments
submitted answer to his resolution covering the
years namcd and II showed that in 1878 the number OF
such employees was 1892, instead OF so 637 the num-
Der stated by the Senator from North Carolina In
1875 the number 62 liz, instead OF 04, ll9 The
table prepared by him tMr Craginl showed gradual
increase since ISL. Such increase the Post Olce
| Department alone being about 5000 per annum,
caused by the appointment OF new postmasers In the
Treasury Department the increase amounted to about
su0O during the whole period, but it was fully ex-
paued by the Secretary OF the Treasury in his letter
accom- panyhg his report One thousand eight hundred
eighty caugcrs and storckcepers OF the In
| ternal Revenue Department were included in tho
bienniaI register in s73 and although they were en-
ploycd by the government in previous years their
names did not appear on the biennial register. An
other cause OF the increase was the employment Of per
sons the National Bank Redemption Agency, whose
salaries were paid by the national banks The
names of s77 deputy collectors OF internal revenue
increase in the War Department in 1915
pared with 1873 was AGO, but it was fully
explained by the Secretary OF War in his letter. The
entire number of civil officers and employees in the
of the United states in 1875 So IT, instead
OF 49, stated by the Senator from North Carolina
Ho called attention to the various reports OF heads
OF departments, transmitting the information In an-
to his resolution and said he desired the country
to know What gross exaggerations had been made IN
the Senate and in the other House OF Congress in this
year OF our Lord lS16
1t was ordered that the communication bc printed
and lie the table
The House bill to amend section of tho pro-
vide Tor the rcpavcmcnt Pennsyl avenue
TO provide that the pavement shall be completed by
January l5 1877, was called up and passed
The amendment OF the House to the bill TO encour-
! age aud promote tclegraphc communication between
| America and Asia was agreed TO, and the bill
passed.
The CHAIR laid before the senate message from the
President of the United States reFning without his
approval the senate bill to provide for the sale OF
portion o the concerated Otoc apd
Missouri bands of Indians anu the Sac and Fox
Indians in Kansas and Nebraska Also another mes
sage the President stating that he convinced
alter further examination. that hts message returning
the bill without his signature was premature, and
quesng that the bill might be returned TO INN for bis
signature.
/ EDMUNDS, (rcp.) OF Vt, said he would be glad II
| some one older tuan himself would inform him
whether the senate could return bill tn the President
alter he had vetoed it, The Constitution OF the United
States ACCORDING TO his views was explicit ON that sub
ject Whcaa bill returned without the signature
OF the President the senate must proceed to consider
whether the D should be passed, Notwithstanding the
objections OF the President thereto
He mns cd that the Message be referred to the Com
mittec Oh Privileges end Elections.
Mr. SARGENT agreed with the senator from Vermont
Mr.. INGALLS, oi Kansas, agreed that tho President
could no more recall bll alter he had vetoed II lnan
he nnlI In q "A L Ila p1Q
duly OF the Senate under the constitution TO say
whether the bill should be passed over the Presidents
veto.
The motion to refer the Message rejected.
The question being on .he passage OF tho bill, not
wthstanding the objections OIL the President It
passed by unanimous vVtc.
The House JOINT resolution approprlatng $4,000 to
dcfray the expenses OF the JOINT commission to frame
permanent iorm OF government Tor the District of
CoiuMbia was agreed to.
The CHAIR announced as members OF the committee
ON the part OF The senate 10 frame permanent iorm
OF government for the District Of Columbia, Messra
Spencer, Window and Whyte.
The solution OF the House to clerks OF COM
mii.ees Of 1.-The The House. nv receiving an annual salary,
Mr. SPENCER tcp) Ala called up the resolution sub
| mitted by him yesterday to provlde Tor the appoint
nicr OF special committee OF 1--we senators to inquire
into the oircums,anccs attending the late election IN
Alabama He arsnea that the purpose OF The Southern
democracy was to overcome republican majorities in
that section oy fraud nagrant and garing as the
frauds were IN the State IN 1874
Several Senators on the democratic side rose to do
| bate the resolution
Mr.. SPRINGER said 1t would lead to debate hc would
press his motion TO consider H. but would let 20
over until December ncXI
COMMISSION.
Mr. MoRR'LL. OF Vermont, called up the House joint
resolution, providing Tor the appointment OF a com
| mission TO inquire into the change which has taken
place In the relative value OF gold and silver,
! thereof &c lie said the Senate Commlttec FL
nance had proposed amendments to the resolution
but account OF the close OF the they
did desire TO press them They willing
to have the resolution passed as 1t came from the
House. The resolution passed.
Mr.. PArrRRsoS rep OF s g., called up the House
bill relating TO the promotion VI comuiodorcs on the
retired list ci the navy. Passed +"
The House bill Tor the rccf OF Mrs James X. Polk
widow oil cx-prcsident Pok, was discussed at seine
| length and passed.
large number private bills were passed and the
Senate at quirtcr.past six, ON mot ON oil Mr.. CoSK-
LING, went into executive session.