The New York herald., 1878-01-17
A Bill to Relieve the Overbur-
dened Federal Courts.
CONDITION or The REVENUE MEASURES.
Secretary Sherman's Call for Subscriptions TO
The Four Per Cent Loan.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.


The preparation OF the special message on civil
service reform has not yet begun. The President 1t
Ia understood will sena Ia with IT, an accompany
ing document a report the subject by Mr. Dorman
b. Eaton, aud he will recommend legislation by
Congress perfect civil service system In the
House the message VIII go 10 the Civil Service Com
mittee OF which Mr. Carter Harrison s Chairman,
and he has been Tor some time engaged in a
study OF the question, and means to take Il
up and perepare report and bill General
Cox. OF Ohio; Mr. Hewitt, Mr. Clarkson Potter aud
others will give him assistance. In the Senate Cen
.ral Gordon, Senator Randolph and others are also
Interested IN ,he question.
IL IL thought probable that the President may rec.
,nmend tue selection of postmasters In the smaller
and for all minor places by popular suffrage,
.he General merely COL frmng the ~elec-
pon made, but retaining The power OF summary re-
noval. This proposition has good deal OF favor in
ooth houses II would relieve members from dis.
agreeable duty recommending great number o!
petty officers tor appointment
one OF The principal recommendations will be- IL
is believed the repeal OF tho laws which make four
years the term OF oco federal officers. This rogu.
iation IL Is found, office seeking troubles
lhan any other. Under IL good officer must be
rcappointed expiration OF his term, and is
posed anxieiics and TO tho n,rigues or rivals,
whereas If the appointments ran 'unt!l removed"
there would be no particular time when Office
seekers would make their efforts, and permanence
OF tenure Tor fathu officers which the President has
much Insisted on in his letter and message would
follow as matter OF course. 'fhe belief Is that with
out permancnce OF tenure no reormis possible, and
that while this four year law remains pcrmancnco OF
tenure cannot be attained.
There have been rumors that the President would
kscommend in his civil service message thar
Cabinet officers should have u voice Ia the House
OF Representatives but is not at all
Certain that he will do HIS theory OF
ADMINISTRATION, so far, has been tina, the Executive
Should conhne itself strctly the faithful execution
OF the laws and should leave Congress the respon-
sbility OF framing these laws, aided only by such
recommendations as the constitution allows tho Prcs,-
dent 10 make from time TO time as he lit. On
this theory he has acted throughout neither he
nor any member of the Cabinet has endeavorcd 10
ercse any influence on Congress, vtaly inn
portant measure as tne silver bill 1t has been
understood by those III his confidence that he has
been OF opinion that he ought to sign as matter OF
course any bill presented 10 him by Congress which
did not Involve what appeared TO him Job or
morality, hueh as an attack on the public credit; and
that such questions the tariff, silver internal i'm
provements &C., coming under the head oil business
oi the country, belong properly to tho legislative
branch and should not be crfered with Influenced
py Executive, with COURSE the exceptions above
named, IN which he ought IN veto message to
call the attention OF Congress the that pro-
poses a wrong II he now thought 1t desirable tha.
Cabinet Minister'S should appear in either House TO
propose measures or defend them on tho noor
he would doubt have requested Secretary sherman
to prepare substitute Tor tho Bland silver bill and
appear with 1t IN the Senate. Section 2is OF the Re-
statutes expressly directs the Secretary Of tho
Treasury to "make report and give information
10 either branch OF the Legislature person IN
writing, may bo roquirod respecting all mutters re-
ierred TO him by the Senate House OF Representa-
hves or which shall apperlan TO his ofeo" This is
generally understood to give The Secretary Of The
Treasury the special right in either House
whenever he shalt funk IT expedient to appear Sec
rotary sberman's appearance in tho Senate with u
SILVER bill and speech favor OF II would have
ii sin ular effect the Bland bill.
AND MEANS coMMITTEE---THE FOUR PER CENT
loan.
Tho sub committees of tho Ways and Means in pre-
Jnrng tar Il md internal revenue schedules base
them estimate Of revenue in excess Of tho reg
uar Treasury estimates. The book estimates calls
for s23l 600 600 Of for The next fiscal year.
Mr. Wood wan the OF experts. has arranged
tho revised tarn IL such u that 1t will yield.
lie thinks revenue OF Sl50,Uooouo Tho
internal revenue he thinks. can be made to yield
$I20. O0DOu0 1hc present tarin produced last year
FIJI. 0OuuOO and the internal taxes Sis, 900 900 1t
vii tc seen that n large allowance is mane for a
possible falling OF IN receipts, but II Is noteworthy
iact tDat tarn greatly simpilhcd and with the
number OF duuaDle aruccs largely decreased should
promise, IN the opinion OF experts, produce con-
sideraDly more revenue tnan the present one
secretary sherman's bill Tor popularlzng tho loan
Will be referred subcommittee OF the WAYS and
Means on Friday, aud VIII probably be considerably
changed before It IS reported. There general de.
sire III the House Tor measure enabling the pco.
pie TO invest tie Jour per cents, aud bill properly
guarded Will bc reported from he committee.
TAE ovERDURDENED FEDERAL ooUETs-MR
ccNKLrNGs Bin FOR THEIR RELIEF.
The bill ~ revise the judicial system II the United
States, introduced by senator Conkliug days ego
and at his request referred the judiciary Commit
tee has been prepared with great care and has tho
approval of Circuit Judge Johnson District Judges
Biatcniord, Berceict and Wallace ana OF
nua,Ler OF eminent lawyers In the state
or New York and elsewhere 1t Will bc
iaken up by the JUDICIARY Committee the Same tmo
with the bill OF Senator DAVIS, ol Illinois. establish
intermediate courts OF appeal aud u expected that
put Of tho two the committee will prepare d bili which
viii give relief the overburdcncd federal courts
The pressing necessity for this relief IS known to tho
Bar and is frequently and strongly urged by the
Judges Tho bill establishes n court OF review
Ia each federal judicial circuit to con.
sist OF the circuit justice, Tho circuit
Judge and the several district judges TO be caei
the Unncd States Circuit Court OF Reviow and the
terms OF inese courts to be held IN Boston, New
YORK, Philadelphia, Richmond, New Orleans, Louis.
gille San Francisco and one other city unnamed. At
least two terms shall be held every year, ana special
terms whenever tho Court may detetmiuo, and as
courts OF equity and admiralty tho courts OF review
thaii be always open. The supreme Court Is 10
prescribe the general rules undcr which these
,ourts shall ACT. THO bill prescribes with care
The manner and right Of appeai TO the courts IN cv
,ns criminal CAGES snd the cases In which they