New-York tribune., 1879-02-01
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
NEW-YORK CUSTOM HOUSE.
nm. SHERMAN REpEATs LIS CHARGEs.


Senate yesterday, on the New-York Custom
House nominations, inc0slng a long letter
from Secretary Sherman. The grounds upon
which General Arthur and Mr. Cornell wero
removed are reiterated. In the Senate,
Mr.. Conklng proposed that the question
of confirmation be settled at once. He read
kilograms from members of the Ncw-fork
Legislature saying that their signatures to the
petition sent in this week were given under
misapprehension. The senate voted TO post
pone action until next Monday, III order To al
low time to consider the documents submitted.
POSTPONEMENT UNTIL MONDAY.
THE VOTE rnIRTY-PIvE TO TwENTY-sIX-IHE SIT
UATION As INTERPRETED BY. rhE FRIENDS
or SENATOR CoSKING AND IRE ADMINlsTRA-
TON RESPECTIVELY.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TuGUSC.l
WASHINGrON, Jan. 31.-Thc motion made by
Senator Matthews day before yesterday. which was
carried by majority of two, provided that tho
Senate should go into executive session for the con-
sheraton OF the New-York Custom House appoint.
mcnts at l o'clock to-day. When that hour arrived
Senator Conklmc moved that the Senate proceed
to the consideration Of executive business. There
beng no opposition the doors at once closed.
The message of the President transmitting tho
letter of Secretary Sherman, the letter being ac-
companicd by a large number Of documents in sup
port of the position he had taken in tie former COM
municatiOn and in reply 10 the letter Of General
Arthur was laid before the Senate The message
and the letter were read at length.
The reading Of some of The documents was pro-
ceedng when Senator Herman prcscutad tha petition
signed by majority of the Democratic members OK
the New-York Legislature praying thatt uomina-
tions be confirmed He tool ne occasion - say that
Al. T. !. Ii 4 -
share the opinions or wishes expressed by tbc petit
TONERS.
Senator Conkling then took the floor and said
that he had a word of comment TO mako in refer
ence TO the matter Certain paragraphs which had
appeared in the morning papers asserted that Re-
publican members of the New-l0rH Legislature had
sent TO Washington q paperslniar TO that presented
by colleague. He then read several Geographic
communications from individual signcrs 0f the
latter petition saving that they had placed their
names upon it under mlsapprehcnsion ii Senator
Conkng's wishes in the matter, IL having been re-
ported that he was only desrOus of ofindnga suit
able excuse for the abandonment of his opposition
to the appointments. Senator Conlliug then urged
that the Senate proceed to the immediate consdcra-
ton of the appointments. He spoke Of the great
delay which had already occurred and of the neces-
slty for early action. His manner is described by
those who were present as being expressive OF tho
utmost confidence on his part that the nominations
would be defeated and Of his belief that to accon-
plish this end it now only necessary persist
emily to press the matter to a speedy issue. lid
seemed to feel that he had the votes behind him,
that he knew where his support was to come from.
His speech was not long one.
The principal speech of the day was that made by
Senator Matthews. which occupied about an hour
! in delivery. He favored further delay and the
! confirmation Of the Nominations
Speeches were made by several other Senators,
among them Mr.. Thurman.
The merits of the nominations were only briefly
referred to by most of the speakers, the greater
portion Of the time being taken up in considering
the question Of further pOSp0nement Of final
action out Of courtesy to the President and Secrc
tary Sherman, and in order that the documents
sent by the Secretary might be printed
so that the Senate would be fully informed
in regard to the subject before voting upon
il. II was finally decided, on motion Of Senator
Matthews, by a vote of 30 TO 20 that the further
consideration of these nominations be postponed
until next Monday. 1t will be noticed that the mum.
ber of votes against postponement is exactly the
same as 1t was day before yesterday while the
friends of the Administration number seven more.
At the same time the twcnty-six who opposed post.
ponemcnt were not in all eases the same persons
who voted with Mr.. Conkling on Wednesday.
1t is fact that the result reached to-day not
certain indication that the nominations will be con-
frmcd. Two of the Senator'S, one of whom is Slr.
Plumb. who to-day supported Mr.. COnklng's
movement for immediate action, have since said TO
friends Of the Administration that VIXEN they came
to vote on the merits Of the question they should
vote for confirmation but they believed that tho
matter hed been long enough before the country,
and they were anxious to have il settled soon
l., IN, h. Ia. ham of hos hO
voted for postponcmcnt are known TO have done 50
because they believed that to do otherwise would
be violation Of rules Of courtesy toward the ex-
ecutive branch Of the Government, and in
Oldcr that thero might not seem t0 be any
undue haste in acting on these nominations
without carefully dgestng the information
that was laId before the Senate. The follow
ing are believed 10 be the names Of all tho
Republicans who voted for pospOnemcnt, and
therefore against Mr. C0nklmg: Mcssrs. Morrill,,
Saunders, Window, Wadlcigh, Mcmillan, Ferry,
Ogle-by, Matthews. IIOar. Dawes and Burnside.
Tie following list is supposed 10 contain the names
of ali the Democrats who voted for immediate con-
sldcratlOD: Messrs Eaton Barnun, Mcdonald,
voorhees,, Jones, OF Florida and COckreU
The friends Of General Marntt and the AdminiS-
tTation are greatly eacd tonight over the result
of the contest to-day. They insist that Mr.. Conk-
ling made an issue and that was accepted by the
Administration upon the question OF immediate
consideration or adjournment. They hold there
fore that the decision reached is fair test of the
probable result when hnal vote Is reached.
On the other hand, while Mr. C0nhlngs friends
are disposed 10 admit that the has less favor
able aspect than it has borne at any previous time
during the session, yet they deny that the voto
tins afternoon IN any sense a test of the Opin-
ions of Senators upon the main question; and they
declare themselves no less confident than hereto.
fore that Mr.. COnkng will be able To carry "A
jority of the Senate with him on Monday. Mr.
COnklng is reported by his friends To have said
that to-days vote did not change the status of the
case. lie did not oppose postpOnement very Strenu'
ously because, while anxious to have speedy ac-
ton, he had no fears OF the result when vote IL
reached
Outside Of the Senate and the circle OF immediate
friends of the Administration and of the senator the