New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-01-25
aFFAIRS AT WASHINGTON.
rorr tn RrJECT MERRITT.

r1rr AND MR.. BURI-PENsloNs-liE lN'lAN'
MINOR NEWS. d.
,,,'a ponnblicans of the Committee on Com
.,orce voted yesterday in favor OF rejecting inc
nnminations of General Merritt and MI btit'
Thora are conflicting reports about the piopa-
81 oo,ion of the Senate. A long debate TOOK
w in the Senate Yesterday upon the question
prothor tbe House had treated the former
II, With proper dignity. The President anu
majority of the Cabinet are Ill favor Oh the
~ Pension bill. The Cabinet Is tlouoieu
hui the return of Sitting Bull to American
coil minority report has been made on the
Rutler- COrbin contest
MR.. CONKLING CARRIES POM.
ms COMMITTEES VOTES 10 REJECT TIE NoNlNA-
TONS CT GENERAL MERRITT AND Mr. buhl
vuAT MR. SHERMAN SAYS.
Try TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEl
,v,eu,NcroN. Jan. 24-Mr Conking has again
triumphed in his committee, and by the solio No'o
&c tbe Republican members secured an adverse re-
nor, upon the nominations of General Merritt ana
Ar Brrt. General Graham, having been named TO
erI O., vacancy will be confirmed, a unanimous report
IN his favor having been agreed upon by the com
mittee. ryo.o
The discussion upon the Ncw-Yori Custom House
nominations to-day, if reports can betTuS'ed' WAS
not a notable one. General ArthuIs answer 10
secretary Sherman was considered by the hep"o-
leans 10 cover the ground amply ana 10 sustain
40 roeitinn which had been taken by Senator Conk-
ing One circumstance which seemed 10 nave
more effect on the minds of the Repnbhcahs IMAM
any other seems to have been the writing oil Il Ie'-
ter to General Arthur by Secretary sherman "l'oi
the JAY Commission made its report, Whlch was
very complimentary in its terms, and sho"ou' 80 IL
Ia az
commission did not then have the weight with the
secretary of the Treasury that he has shce sought
n rive them. This letter with that offering Gen
,ral Arthur foreign appointment after the Ad-
n;pistration concluded TO make changes III New
York have seemed 10 make considerable impression
mon the minds of Senators,
General Arthur has his complaints too, when
have received due consideration. Among other
things. he asserts that when the Jay Commission
was in New-York two special agents were scH'
there by Secretary sherman TO work up evidence
ocaipst the officers of the Custom House that Their
,roceedipgs were secret aud that they hunted up
General Arthul's personal enemies and placed them
nm the stand TO testify against him, having rst eX-
omined tbem in secret and coached them them
selves This accusation, of course, MI sherman
has had no opportunity to answer.
rbeweight of opinion among those who have the
tain the report of Mr.. Conkling's committee. On
the other hand some of the Democrats say that
General Merritt will be confirmed. One OF the lat
fer class had IN his possession canvass OF the SEN
ate which he was showing at the Capitol to-day,
mon which he had the names Of ten Republicans as
voting for confirmation, and not more than two OF
three Democrats who would vote the other way. 1t
nav be that it is upon such csnvasses as these that
The supporters of the Administration base the hope,
which they apparently entertain, of carrying all OF
the nominations triumphantly through the Senate.
An ATTEMPT will be made to have the discussion Oh
these nominations take place in open Senate III
stead Of with closed doors, as is the usual CUSTOM
Mr.. Sherman was asked if he had declined to go
before the Committee on Commerce in regard to
tbe New-York nominations. He said he had never
been invited. The whole proceeding was so eX-
traordinary that in his experience lie had never
seen the like. The nominations were sent III the
ordinary wav and referred to the Committee on
Commerce II was reported in the newspapers
that he was asked for the reasons for the suspen-
sion of General Arthur and Mr.. Cornell. Vic SAID
no such request had been made of him; but sup
posnc that 1t would come in some form, the
reasons we're prepared, and after waiting some
time, and learning from the papers that the case
WAS 10 be decided the next day, the letter was sent
in the proper way to the presiding officer OF the
Senate. All he knows Of the proceedings OF the
committee and the Senate is what he gathers from
the papers, what purports TO be report being
regularly given, although their rules prescribe
secrecy lie said that supposing, as a matter Of
course he would have the benefit of seeing the re-
ply of General Arthur and Mr.. Cornell, he ycsteT-
day wrote to the chairman of the committee
asking for it, and that an opportunity be
given the officers of the Department to verify
the statements made iii his letter. To that no
reply har been received. He had noticed that the
newspapers say that upon tue letter OF General
Arthur. which has never been seen by the Depart
men the case Is to he hurried To DECISION, with
ont reply. lie said he was under no obligation TO
withhold from the public his letter 10 the senate,
that he was not bound by the rules of the Senate
about secrecy. and as Is well known, the rules are
not closely observed by the Senate, but IN def
srcnce to the Senate the letter las been withheld
rom the public.
Mr.. Sherman stated that he was prepared to es-
absh every fact set forth IN the letter, and many
others showing the Reorganization and c infusion
If the New-YOrk Custom House under the admin
stTatiOn of General Arthur and the very marked
improvements that have been made IN il since; he
pad no personal feeling of unkuducss 10 General
arthur, but on the contrary he liked him the only
ieslre he had was TO improve the public service by
change of officers. lie declared that he could
marks made by Senator COnlllng; if true as re-
y ed, they would only tend to disparage and be-
little Mr.. COnklng, and not him.