The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-12-13
NEW YORK CUSTOM HOUSE.
Rejection of the Nominations of Roosevelt
and Prince-Merritt Confirmed

and Prince-Merritt Confirmed.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE Senate was in
executive session today nearly six hours, adj
journing only at o'clock this evening. The
entire session was devoted to the New York
custom house nominations, two of which,
namely those of Theodore Roosevelt to be col
lector in place of Arthur, to be removed, and
L. Bradford Prince as naval officer, vice Cor
nell, to be removed, were reported from the
committee on commerce unfavorably; the
third namely that of e. A. Merritt to be sur
veyor OF customs in place of Mr. Sharp, whose
commission has expired, was reported with a
favorable recon mendatioD. No opposition was
manifested to the latter, but the contest in re-
gard to the two proposed removals was ex-
tremey animated and took a very wide range,
covering discussion of the right, powers and
dates of the President in regard to removals
from office and the subject Of the civil service
policy in general.
Mr.. Conkling, chairman of the committee on
commerce, opened the debate with brief state
ment of the reasons why in the opinion of the
majority of that committee the two first
named nominations should not be confirmed
These We're in brief that no charges. either of
corruption or inefhcIencv, had been made
against the present incumbents but that on
the contrary they were conceded to be faithful
honest. experienced and able officers.
Mr.. Bayar followed in an extended argu-
ment, maintaining the right of the Executive
to make changes which in his opinion would
be for the benefitof the public service, be be-
ing responsible for the execution of the laws
aud entitled to select bis agents subject to the
confirmation of the Senate, bat without being
obliged to furnish to the Senate statement of
his reason.
Mr. Herman then delivered a speech of con-
siderable length on the same side of the ques-
ton, defending the action of the President
His remarks were mostly read from manu-
script
Mr.. Gordon was the next speaker. He
warmly commended the vii service policy of
President Hayes, and in regard to the pending
nominations asserted emphaticaly that the
removals which they contemplated vera de-
manded by proper regard for the purity of
the service. He charged that Arthur and
Cornell had dsgracefully made use of the DOW
or and patronage OF their offices for merely
partisan and selfish purposes, and he intimated
that it was time for the one man power in
New York state to be broken
The debate then became quite general
Messrs Hoar and Matthews spoke in favor
OF sustaining the action of the President in the
exercise OF his constitutional power and of
what they argued was his sound public policy
In removing the civil service from the domain
of partisan control.
Mr.. Teller and others spoke briefly in reply,
arguing that in the present instances at least
the President had departed from the PRINCIPLES
of civil service which he himself had announc
ed, namely that faithful and efficient services
should protect officers from removal. etc.
Messrs. Burnside and Matthews spoke briefly
in favor of confirmation and Maxey of Texas,
democrat, and Edmunds and Morrill, spoke
against confirmation.
Mr.. Conkling closed the debate in a speech
OF considerable length with great vigor and
earnestness. He replied in detail to the argu-
ments advanced by the supporters of the nom
nations and repealed nth the utmost emphasis
the charges that had been made against the
oft1clal character and conduct of the officers
whom the President proposed to remove He
insisted that they had been faithful, no nest
and efficient in every particular, and
challenged proof that single charge had ever
been madelagainst them, either by q mercan-
tile community, by the Secretary of the Treas
ury or the President himself. He also defed
any ooe to show or to assert that his (Conk-
ing's) action in this whole matter had been
otherwise than fair, open, courteous and alb owe
board. In conclusion he claimed that the Sem
ate would be alike unjust to faithful officers,
careless OF their own prerogatiyes and duties.
and unmindful of the dictates of true civil
service policy if it failed to vote that these
nominations should be rejected
a vote by yeas and nays was then taken up-
on the nomination of Roosevelt, and it was re-
Jeoted by majoIity of Yeas %, nays 80
The nomination of Prince was rejected by the
same vote. In each case Senators Eaton. Dem
mis-, Whyte and Maxey (Democrats) voted with
the great body of Republicans against the con-
nrmstIons, and Senators Burnside, Christian
cy, Conover, Davis Hoar and Matthews IRE
poDlicans, sided with the mass of Democrats
N favor OF confirmation. The nomination of
MERRITT was confirmed without division.
a motion was made to remove the Injunction
OF secresy OF votes, but under the rules single
objection carried it over until tomorrow. when
1T will undoubtedly be adopted.
meanwhile The following Is believed to be n
correct statement of the votes actually cast by
those Senators present and not paired. The
names OF several who are mentioned ahove IA
having separated from the majority of their
political colleagues on the question of sustain
ing the Presidents action, will not be found ip
tnls list, but their respective positions were
made manifest by the announcement of pairs.
Those who voted in favor of confirmation were
according to the best information obtainable To-
night: ~
Messrs. Bailey, Barnum, Bayard, Beck. Burnside
Christiancy, Coke Conover, Dawes, Eustis. Gordon
G5aogsl,e Harris, Hereford, Hl hoar, Johnston,
thews Morgan, Randolph and Saulsbury-25.
The Negative were cast by the following:
Messrs 4 Allison, Anthony, Blaine, Booth. Bruce,
Ghsffee Conkling, Davis Of Illinois, Dorsey. Eaton
Edmunds, Ferry, Hamn, Howe, Inge SOIL Jones Of
Neya9a, Kellogg, HARDWOOD, Mcmillan, Mitchell.
NO Morrlil, ogies6y, Paddock Patterson. Plumb Ro.
ms, sargent, Saunders, Spencer and Teller-32
:. 1t Is said the majority against the contirma-
ZION OF Roosevelt and Prince would have been
TWO or three greater but for the absence of an
equal number of Senators known to be opnosed
10 the nominations, who had temporarily left
the capitol without pairs, in the belief that
vote would not be reached till later honr
With the exception Of these two or three Sena.
tors and Sharon, who Is still absent from WASH
lngten, the full number OF Senators were nres.
ent or had made their votes effective NV means
of pairs. -A'