New-York tribune., 1877-03-08
IN THE SENATE.
ACTION on THE APPOINTMENTS THIS wEEK-ThI'
GARNET STRENGTHENED BY THE TRANSFERS.
rRy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUER.l

ACTION on THE APPOINTMENTS THIS WEEk-ThiS
CABINET STRENGTHENED BY THE TRANSFERS.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsE.]
WASHINGTON, March Tone or two important
transfers were made in President Hayess Cabinet this
,orn,no before sending the nominations to the SEN
.te. Judge Devens of Massachusetts,. who had been
Elected either for the War or the Navy Depart
ment. preferred the Department of Justice; and as
Mr. McCrary was willing to accept the War Office,
a was concluded to make Judge Devens Attorney
General This change left only the Navy Depart
roont unsettled. and as Mr.. Thompson of Indiana
nod already been selected for some position i'll the
Cabinet that place naturally ard necessarily fell to
him.
The general tone of comment on the Cabinet leads
a.. The belief that the transfers made this morning,
a. n whole strengthen rather than otherwise the
new Administration. Judge Devens may not be
hetter LAWYER than Mr.. McCrary but he Is a more
brilliant one and the management OF cases before
thc Supreme Court will have an opportunity to dis
rlay acknowledged talents. Mr.. McCrary also. by
his long service in Congress and by his thorough
Knowledge of legislation in general, will be able TO
nerform the duties of Secretary OF war
sotisfacforlv to the country and to the
army The transfer of Mr. McCrav is
satisfactory also to leading politicians from the
Pacific coast These gentlemen did hope that some
representative of Their section OF the country might
be placed IN the Cabinet but when they found TINS
10 be impossible they preferred that some other
man than Mr.. McCrary should be at the head OF the
DEPARTMENT of Justice. Their opposition to nm
was not Of personal nature, but grew out OIL some
report which, as a member OF the Judiciary C0ih-
mitee of the House, he made or signed some years
AGO touching the notorious McGarrahan casf. Inc
representatives of the Pacific coast were AFRAID that
if the doctrines of that report shOIld be accepted,
some doubt might be thrown Oh many mining land
titles west of the Rocky Mountains, and they pre-
ferred that some man who was not committed to
such doctrines should become the chleI ia" oihcer
of The Government.
The Executive session of the Senate tins afternoon
continued less than half an hour. The Presidents
Cabinet nominations were opened and read and By
general understanding, which seems TO have been
reached in advance by the Republican Senators.
they were laId upon the table, TO be referred 10 the
Appropriate committees when appointed. This course
is very unusual one. 1t has heretofore been Gus
tomary for the Senate to confirm the new Cabinet
without reference to committees and usually on the
day of its nomination; and aside from this practice
recent occasion has II ever occurred that the
Senate has refused failed TO confirm at once the
nomination of one of its members for an othclai
position This practice has been so universal tial IL
has become almost as binding as the rules OF the
Senate and it is observed simply as "a
matter of courtesy to the Senator 50 h0nored.
The theory on which this custom is based
that any man who IS fitted to occupy seat III the
senate and with whom other Senators have thus
been associated also fitted for any POSITION TO
which the President may appOin; him, and that the
Senate does not need the investigation of commit
tee to enable it TO act Understandings on the nomi-
6 ;.a u,a.nhprG In office The ref
erence of Senator Sherman's name to-day cannot,
however, he considered as discOurteous to him. Had
his nomination been sent in alone, it would un-
doubtedy have been acted upon at once; but his
immediate confirmation to-day, while action on the
remainder Of the Cabinet postponed, could only
he construed invIdiously to the others.
The committees of the Senate will probably be
announced and elected Tomorrow. The Cabinet
nominations will then be referred to them, and 1t Is
hardly probable that they will be reported back to
the Senate before Friday. At the same time 1t is
possible that i'll Executive session tomorrow the
several committees may report favOrably on these
nominations without holding formal meetings.
This is often done in cases where no opposition 10
Nominations is made.
Much Of the pent-up dissatisfaction among Repub-
hcanS with the Cabinet appointments has found OK
PRESTON since the announcements. The two APP
polntments most criticised those OF Mir. Schurz
and Mr. Key The grounds of dissatisfaction with
the former have already been referred to IN dis
patches to The TRIBUNE. Nobody complains that
ex-senator SchurZ is not able and an honest man
DIT there is much doubt expressed as to his execu-
i've ability and little dissatisfaction at the pros
pee of having his radical ideas of civil service re-
tolm put into practice in one of the great depart
ments OF the Government.
Tie opposition to Mr.. Key is not personal but
political A large proportion of the Republican
p'htlelanS are unwilling that any Democrat shall
nave place of such great influence under President
hsyess Administration as a Cabinet position gives
70 man. They say that the Democrats of the
South instead Of receiving this appointment IN the
spint ID which il is made, will at once repudiate Mr.
hey as a tIaitOr to his party. and refuse to
give him their confidence. They assert that
uls has been the experience of the Republican
party III every Instance in which a Southern Demo-
eiat has been advanced and while they have no
opec,ion to President Hayes's liberal policy toward
ue south, they believe that the South Onght 10 be
'a'ished with that policy by Itself. They believe
'ue south ought TO show its satisfaction by giving
"e administration It's support, rather than by eA-
pec'ihg any share in the offices before they have
sho"h disposition to meet President Hayes on the
noeral platform be has laid down. Some members
VI Congress criicise the appointment of Mr.. Key on
p''SOhal grounds, and say that it Will
" Very Illuminating to them to be obliged to
g 70 rebel general who il not even Republican.
""ffange for appointments under the control OF the
apartment. They would prefer If they must have
~ e1-Confederate in the cabinet, that he should
r- r-'e oeen gwen position with which there was
W." patronage connected; but as rhle they do not
'eheFe IN eonferring upon the enemies of the pant
'ney call them, strength which they will certainly
1 70 defeat the party in the next campaign.
resident Hayes seems TO have had more trouble
0 kLe eefclian a hia AAu Eru dam Raure