New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-16

he given to Cabinet officers on tho fioor OF the
House. An interesting report in favor OF
this presented to former Congress and
the principal arguments of this document have
been cleaned from i. by TIE TRIBUNE's correspond
ent at Washington to show in part on what
grounds the recommendation will be made.
THE UTILITY OF THE MEASURE.
TIE UNITED STATES SINGULAR IL ITS PECULIAR
sYsrEM-wmY IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE
A CHANGE.
lBY TELEGRAPH To rHE TgrEUEE.I
WAsUINGTON, Jan. 1J.-The President will
probably recommend in his forthcoming message
on Civil Service reform that Congress pass an act
providing that heads of the Executive Departments
may occupy seats on the floor of the House of Rep
reSentativcs. Such a recommendation as this has
long been considered by the President, and he has
recently brought it to the attention of individual
members of his Cabinet, the majority of whom
understood either 20 have approved of it or to be
indifferent in regard TO it.
This is not n subject. AS long ago as in April,
1864, Mr.. Pendeton. chairman of a select commit
tee of seven members of the House admitting
heads of the Executive Departments to the floor of
the House of Representatives., made report in its
favor AID recommended the passage of a bill. of
which the following is copy:
BE en0cfcd etc. that the Secretary OF State the Sec
Rotary OF tie Treasury. the Secretary ot War; the Sccrc
tay 0f tine Navy, the Secretary OF the Interior the At
torlcyjcrclal and P0stmscrt cneral shall bc entitled
10 occupy seats ON the oOr Of the House Of Representa-
tivcs. WIN The hight To participate IN debate upon mat
tcrs relating 10 the business of their respective depart
mcn-, under such rules as may be prescribed By the
secon2 And b. it further enacted that the said secrc-
tarcs, tnr Attorney General and the POstmastcrGcn-
c.al, Shull attend the session OF tie House OF Rercsc
tatiyrs Immediately the opening of the sitncs
Mondays and THURSDAYS OF each week to give niorma-
ton 10 reply To questions which may be pr0pounded to
them under the nles OF The House.
lie also rcpOr I'd amendments to the rules of the
House, providing that the clerk should keep notice
book IN which he should enter at the request of 4
member, anv resolution requiring information from
the departments, or any question desired TO be pro-
pounded to any member of the Cabinet touching pub
lie affairs or pending business and that these should
be called up on Monday or Thursday of the
ccedng week. bu. not within less than ten days
after the notice had been given. His proposed
amendments 10 the rules also directed the clerk to
send Immediately to the proper officer copy of the
resolution or question: and notice Of the day when
il would come before the House. Ca Mondays and
Thursday, of each week the resolutions and qucs-
tons were to be taken mp in the order In which they
had been entered for that day. The member offering
the resolution was to be allowed to state briefly
its object and scope and the reasons for requiring
information. Then the Secretary was 70 give the
inf0rmltiCl or state 10 the House why il could not
ought not to be- made public; and then the House
should without further debate, vote on the rcsou
,ion uncS, 10 should bc Withdrawn orposlp oned.
Mr.. Pcndlrtous report in favor of his proposed
bill and amendment 10 the rules was divided under
..,-I L,.l, I'irt o., "a tt. ,,,,sfitut,on,l,,,- az
The BILL thc committee entertained no doubt. The
Con.ti,r.io, ,n,l.cd urylc. s,,J tIc ro,,,ritf.c
..,i, Ii,, ans, ,,.,,lo t,,. T,,,i,.
ST.. .,',u l.. =, ,,o,nhor 80 Ii - .~.'"s
ii. co,,i,r,,co 1" Office, bnt the members oi
a., c,;., 20 not, by this resolution, become menu
b-r- of The Iousc nor are they invested with any
powers belonging t. members, except 10 enter on
tbc nn,r and a., u,ricipItr tn li,litrd extent in
1if.t, IS .L H.. - admit ,,.r.,,.
"'"''' -" '" =,
not members or IT'S Ho'i' ana 10 "i''" ,''' ~ We
bate measure " lllcli may bc pniu2 = 700 clcaF
for arsumoutp
en- rI, - tI,. .o,,,,;,t., s,il Eva. evcrcisod
LUIS ''-"', ~
"' 80 80,
were allowed tue PiNH'R'H "l '"' 'u' IN" '"'
ia al, hate u,ss inns iululycl ia the contest
.t .,.........- ti,..,,.. fran, l.,,,
II was eN'r'i-'d whenever "'''7''' i"'' '''"
tories were loved to speak 80 questions before
=, H., r., . IN ,,.,r... 90, =, ;,., ,xcrcisn If .
~. '' ,. .., ~
The same power. SAID the committee, ana one
which would ,''h TO o'''Ic 'hi' Go >'"h w. 'h"''',
II wcr 10 al doubtful u tir pros l>"n 81 ih' IL" "l
49, nr.,u;li,.r tLc Treasury DEPARTMENT that the
l'''' VI ','''''"''- ."' ''''''''
Secretary Of the Treasury, Sjall make, report ana
i rua;iou o e. Their branch Of the L"gis,aturr,
-" ..;. H.. T. ,,. g., 4. ,,i,,,
esther ~ person or ia Ni'lhS as u MAY p' require"
,,.ct,r, all ,,tt.r. which may bn referred to him
j. t,,,t. ne I'm. al P.nr,.rufyti,.. or winch
- ~ rt,.,, :, a.. ,,.'. :, -. Tim. Ills LAW
Hi''i APP ~ , ~ ~, H. - :, ,r H., 49, f',,o
WIS J. N~'" "h'l'iN NV "''' .'''' ~ :. - .,
grc>s TINS power was ulV'o''l'h'' IL H'9 H'''i
been questioned tir''.
As tothr necessity Of the passage of this rCSolu-
-
ton, the Tee SAN l""' thrl' '"hF"'"n l''''u
,;ul,. ,,,,,, fla. ,,,, C,ll,,viuo ,,opusit lions
, , -. a.. 49,. e =, ~. ., .,,.,,l i,.,.rf
IH''' t'' u - ''' "''H W ''-' W. w. ' '
of the inst possible mcars Of information in rcla-
,;,n t t, measures If Legislation on which il may
'''" w. '.'' WV ".''' =
10, called 10 act second that the ui lCuc' ul the
t,..; ,,,,t,.,,.,, ,,,,, ia. ooi .I,tur, what