Evening star., 1877-12-13
The New York Nominations.


York appointments was settled i'm the eNecu-
tive session of the Senate yesterday. The
nominations of Theodore Roosevelt and l..
Bradford Prince for collector and naval officer
OF the port of New York, were rejected by
vote of 81 10 ., and Edwin Merritt. as surveyor
IL the port was unanimously confirmed.
THE VOTE IN DETAIL.
Ihe vote ON confirming the nominations was
Yeas-Messrs. Bailey. Barnum. Bayard.
Beck, Burnside, Chrisliancy, Coke. Conover.
ia DawI, ' E9stlS' @ Garland, Gordon, Grover, Har-
rs, Hereford. Hill, HOar, Johnston. Herman.
Lamar McCreery, Matthews, Morgan, Ran
dolph and Salisbury. Total 25-DemocralS,
10; r1puhicanS, 6
Nays-MessrS. Allison. Anthony. Blaine.
Booth, Cameron of Pa, Cameron OF Wis, Chat
fee, Conkling, Davis of H.. Dorsey Eaton. Ed.
muHdS, M Wd Ferry; Hamlin, Howe, ingalls,, Jones
ol Nevada, Kellogg. kirkwood, Mcmillan
MaXey, Morrill,, 0glesby. Paddock. Patterson.
Plumb, Rollins, Sargent. Saunders. Spencer
and Teller Total Sl-Repubhcans, ~; demo
Absentees-MesSrs. Arms rong. Brucr. But-
Ter, Davis of West Va. Dennis. Mcpherson.
Merrimon, Mcdonald, Mitchell, Ransom. Sha-
ron, voorhees,, Wadleigh, Whyte. Window.
Nithersand Wallace. Total l7-Repub.iclns.
3: democrats u
Three democrats, MessrS. Cockren. Thur
man, and Jones, OF Florida, were present but
did not vote. MessrS Wallace and Merrimon
were absent from sickness. Had they been
present they would have voted i'm the afiirma-
i've. Some of the absenteeS, among them
voorhees, and Mcdonald. We're paired
This vote was ihe result of a hard d-fought
battle OF several weeks duration.
THE DEBATE.
The Senate went into executive session at
3:l3 y. IN. yesterday and adjourned al u. m
the entire five and one-half hours being occlI-
pied solely III the discussion of the New York
appointments. Senator COnkling felt reason
abby sure of a victory, before reporting the ap-
pointments from The committee on commerce,
but lOr long time in the executive session
yesterday the ultimate result of the contest
seemed III doubt. and the most strenuous ef-
forts were made 10y democrats and republicans
each To carry their point.
Senator Bayard opened the debate. speak
ing against rejection OF the Presidents ap-
polnmentS. He referred to the abuses which
have CHARACTERIZED the New York custom
house under the management of Arthur.
sharpe and Cornell, the officers whom the
President sought 10 remove. and pointed out
the necessity for reform in that important
branch OF the civil service. The reports of "A
Senate investigating committee and the jaw
conmls sion were alluded 10 by senator Bay
ard as showing the necessity for reform and a
change in the management of the New York
custom house.
Stanley Matthews was the next speaker and
occupied the floor for considerable time He
discussed the tenure-of-Of1ice act in its several
phases. and claimed that the President had an
nnquestiOnabie right To make the appoint
mentS which Mr.. Conkling deemed IN def
ance of the tenure Of-office law.
senator Edmunds followed In a brief speech,
opposing MI. MdttneNS Views.
Senator Blaine also made a five minutes
speech, not espouSing any of Senator Conk-
ilngS alleged personal quarrelS, but saying
that the present occupants OF the New York
custOm-hOuSe Offices were capable, efficient Of
hCeTs and gentlemen Of high standing. He
claimed that il was in defiance OF good civil
service reform 10 remove the present collector
and naval officer OF the port of New York.
Senator Gordon made the longest and most
effective speech against the adverse report OF
the committee. He took the lofty ground that
the President, in makingthe new nominations
for the New York Offices was carrying out the
civil service views adopted by both the repub-
lcan and democratic parties III their last ma
uOnal conventions. He went through the
abuses which investigating committees aud
presidential commissions have revealed iu the
management of the New York custom hQuS'
and held that the entire country der.auded
that the use vi federal offices is Political ma
chimes and aSylumS should be stopped. Re
form III the eXtrayagant expenditures i'm the
custom house was also demanded. In closing,
Senator Gordon appealed 10 members of both
Parties to eradicate these abuses root and
branch. and by sustaining the President.
Senator COnkiing replied to Gen. Gordon's
speech III one Of the most concise and eloquent
speeches he has ever made in the Senate. He
advanced every argument and made every
appeal Tor support from the Senate in behalf
oi the report of the committee which was pos
>lb.e for him 10 do. The many views which he
has given in private conversations on the sub
lect, enlarged and fitted together, were pre-
sented in solid form 10 sustain his position. He
gave history OF the management of the Gus
tom house under the present lncumbentS I;
claimed that they had always discharged their
duties faithfully: told of the abuses they had
reformed: OI the evil effects which would fol-
iOw their removal, and closed 10y making an
allusion tO an attempt which a Cabinet officer
was making 10 destroy him politically by try
ing To prevent his reelection TO the Senate.
Senators H0ar, ,ChriStiancy, Teller and others
followed in shorter speeches, and when the
vote WAS taken the report OF the committee
was sustained by a vote of 81 to ., as above