The New York herald., 1876-07-08
CONGRESS-.
Debate in the Senate on the Ap-
preparations Bills.
Senator Morrill, on the Action of
the House.
A NEW CONFERENCE AGREED TO.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON. July Z, 1876.


tending and continuing for the period OF ten days the
act recently passed prov temporarily TOR
pcnditures o. the government Referred TO the Com
mittec on Appropriations
Mr.. Hircncock, OF Nebraska called up the Senate
bill 10 provide Tor the sale OF the For: Kearney military
reservation in Nebraska Passed
THE APPROPRIATION
MI MORRILL,, ircp1 OF Me-, from the Conference
Committee oR the Legislative judicial and Executive
Appropriation bill, reported that the committee had
been unable to and moved that the Senate
TO the conference asked for by the House OF Rep
sesen,atves In explanation OF the report Mr. Morrill,
sent to the Clerks desk and had read the proposition
Sfthe Senate conierces presented the House yes
krcay by Mr.. Randall and SAID the Committee Ap.
preparations OF the Senate from the had been
disposed TO meet every honest disposition the part
oil the House Of Representatives to decrease the public
expenditures. Those who had observed the temper
OF the senate would agree that other feeling
or disposition had any time been presented.
The House sent to the Senate this appropriation bin
with certain amendments the first OF which related 70
the compensation of those in the civil service, and the
second the OF the force of that
These we're the two fundamental propositions
upon which tho disagreement took place. The bill
came from the House OF Representatives at the cnd o
Six months. and at the end of this months 1t was
expected that the Senate would pass it 1t
tain,ng propositions changing the law Of the land uo
argued that the only proper function OF the Commit
tec on Appropriations was to consider, first, what
tho service required, and then 10 provide for H.
The House OF Representatives, proposed reduction
In salaries varying from ten to twenty-five per cent
The salaries OF all clerks above the general
reduction OF per cent proposed, and he rcduc
tion OF salaries OF other officers fourth class
clerks was irregular. The senate approved OF tho
tkoC
Ing against the reductions. and declared that tho
province OF the committee not change
he law, but to recommend appropriations
n accordance with It, Now the Senate was
net IN conference with the statement that the
Bouse did not agree with the amendments; that tho
House pat its at Us Judgment against the Senate and
the law II would be said that the House gathered to
itself all that omnipotcnce which is peculiar to tho
English House OF Commons making the House OF Com
mons the British Parliament conference commit
,ee had como to mean the will Of house OF Con-
gress, and only one. On such ground the conference
impracticabe because there could be but
70 the question As long as the House OF Representa-
tives insisted only the Senate the
ference when the House got far adhere It
would he revoutou-absolutc rcvoluton--a defiance
Of tho law ana that meant revolution in this country
Mr. Morrill, then reviewed the action Of the former
conference committee on this BILL aud argued that the
civil service was no myth. 1t had its right to the
compensation fixed lor it law. The Senate conferecs
had met the House half way. ii any more could
be donc consistent with the integrity OF tho
Senate he would be glad II here
elsewhere would proclaim IT. He had done
thc utmost his power to conciatc the
two houses, and he conceded everything possible To
bring about SUCH action MS to the reduction Of the
numerical force of the civil service The House pro-
posed reduce that force to :nc extent OF 200 Tho
senate Committee on Appropriations came to the
clusou that roductl made the extent of
nbO 4 n
would bear ut the present time. The Commit
tee on took the pain to inquire OF the
heads departments TO the the reduc-
tions which could be made without derimen; TO the
public and learned that reduction could
&c made tue extent OF about 800 The Senate
mttce meet the House hallway, agreed to
. reduction TO the extent OF 600, believing that i,
better that the public service should suer somewhat
than have important Appropriate on bill TAIL. But
this proposition absolutely rejected by the House
The whole to be saved by reducing the clerks
salares proposed by the House. would not exceed
e250, 900 or S3O0,000.
Mr. WINDOW OF Minnesota, member OF the Com
nnttcc Appropriations said, after careful cacula-
lion II he'd found that tho saving would be but
little 500 0Oo II was not the amount involved
much IL the principle OF coercing the Senate to
Mr. EpNoSps, (rcr) of vt-Tha, is all they for.
Mr. MORRILL, rcsuming. said:--lt was not the
principle oil Just economy thaiSthis thing by
The House 1t could not DO made apparent mere
anywhere else that there was any necessity or public
Justice the attempt to rad upon tho
sierks In the departments, IL was too Insignificant
sogencr The consider alton of staiesmanshp The
the whole Held OF legislation
and anuhilatcd tho Senate of tho United States Mr.
Morrill, then referred the several appropriation bills
and said IN for the support o the army there
4 proposition rcorgabiZc the whole army-a tn
do Il ntciligently Again, II threatened that the
army would be abolished. In the Navy bill 1t was pro-
posed TO reorganize the navy to some extent Next,
ihcre n proposition IN an appropriation bill to
repeal the Enforcement act and change the Election
~. Then, again. revision OF the whole diplomatic
rps Was demanded.
Pending discussion Mr. SHERMAN moved that the
nmc for the meeting OF the senate as court OF i'm
bsachmcnt be postponed until Two O'Clock, in order
that the ference report the Legislative bill might
Mr.. THURMAN. trep) Of Ohio said this debate seemed
10 him to bc i'm hmcnt of the whole House of
Representatives., and he did not know when IT would
md. IL had been charged that tho House oil Repre-
eptatives was revolutionary
Mr. MoRRuI who held the roor declined to yield
Mrther and, resuming his argument said lac admittcd
,hers been legislative provisions IN appropriation
bills hut IL had been by the consent OF both houses of
Congress The House OF Congress proposing lcgis-
lation was the nnovating party and IN case OF the
other House refusing TO agree TO It, II was the duty
the innovatng house to withdraw IT, The House and
Senate not divided upon the question OF clerks
vaare but upon the general power undertaken by the
House TO be exercised over the senate.
The hour OF twelve O'Clock having arrived the Chair
announced that the impeachment trial would be re
Mr. SHERMAN moved that tho Senate sitting as
court'oi impeachment, adjourn until tomorrow. Re
Mr Epxuxps moved that further proceedings in the
impeachncnt trial bc suspended tor the present that
agreed TO.
legislative business then resumed, and Mr.
NoRKrLL continuing his argument, said
had bcen claimed that .hc House OF Rep
rescntafvcs mad reduced the appropriations,
Al impaired with the bills OF last year. the
extent OF $50 600 ooo there dcnclcpcy bill
"a OOO 900 which counted In the $50 600 600
that had no business there. The senate Cnmmti
aucrorr,as,ons had reduced the appropriations, as
compared with ihe bills vi last year. 70 the extent OF
eal 900 OO0 and IN last three years The senate
Sad rcdu these bills TO the extent ol $J
Nr morrill, then argued that the House hal appro-
prtatcd the unexpen1ed balances without mention ng
tko amount and he believed those balances amounted
- ABOUT IS 900; add 10 this the deficiency bill of
a. 900 OOO and would be seen that the House had
rec the appropriations to c extent OF $50 Ooo 900
only and as tho senate committee had reduced them
10 tho extent OF S22 000 difference between
100 houses WAS only Ss0o0.0o0 The House OF