The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-12-09

The abuses sro 50 serious in thsirnafure
thai tAey can not be permanently toier-
Sied. They tend 10 become more alarm
ing. Win AN enlargement Of the at,uiuts-
trdtite serticn IS the growth of the eoun-
.rT N population Increases the Officers
and policemen employed. The reasons
are imperative Tor the adoption Of fixed
rules for education. appointments. pro-
motions and removals an established ami
form method. haviaS exclusively In
view in every instance the attainment of
the be-; qualifications FOR tue position.
-" question OF such method consistent
with the equal rights az all citizeu>, and
The most economical and efficient admin
iStrs;ion Of public business. He Then
refers 10 the competitiNe examination
and SAYS the result of these practical
trials have confirmed his opinion in favor
or the system, and recommends the an
preparation oi ssS.'tn per anaum - meet
r TIE expenses 81 u commissioner, 70 az ID
pointed ry thr president ia accordance
with the terms OF section a.aS revised
stgtuteS. whose duty il shall be To devise
just, UNIFORM, aud efficient system II
competitive examination, and to super
wise t.le same throughout the civ scrl irs'
OF the government.
! WASHINGTON, December 6.-Thc Pres
| idcni scnt large number of new APP
pointmcntS 10 the senate. They are
| mostly for appointments made during the
| congressional recess. Among them are
the following; W. II. Morgan, collector
| internal revenue of the first district of
| Alabama, JAS. w. Rurk, collector customs
| NJ Mobile, Alabama; Andrew Dumont.
| naval officer II New Orleans. PostmAs-
| ters-FranS Connolly, Alexandria. Louis
| iana;. Richmond Kennedy. McMinnVille
| Tennessee; Alexander q. Pearce, Green
vile. Mississippi, Jos. C.. Boone. Round
Rock, Texas.
! WASHINGTON, December SEN
ArE.-Joncs presented the creden
tirls Off. {. Manning, appointed by
| the Governor OF Louisiana, as Scna-
tor to fill the place OF Hon. SpoiIord.
deceased, until the next meeting OF
the Louisiana legislature. They
were read and filed.
Mcdonald introduced bin TO au-
thoriZe the local taxation ofthe legal
| taxation of the legal tender treasu-
! ~ notes. Referred to finance com
mittec.
Teller and Hin introduced several
bills amending bill TO rcctily the Ute
agreement. Referred.
ingalls, introduced bill authoriz-
ing the issac and providing for the
exchange and the redemption of The
fractional notes Referred
On motion Of Wallace the stand
ing committees of the last session
were continued; Pugh taking Pry-
ors place and one or two other
slight changes being made.
Various communications from de-
partmGnts were submitted, and at
l2:45 p. NJ the Senate went into exc
cutlve session. Doors rc-opened ut
1880 and the Senate adjourned.
HoUsE-Ward of Pennsylvania
introduced bill for the appoint
ment Of an Assistant Secretary of
War. Referred,
Belford of Colorado offered reso-
luton directing the Secretary OF
the Interior 10 inform The House
under what law or warrant of au-
thority Douglass. rs sub-chief If the
Ute tribe of Indians, is confined in
the military prison at Fort Lcaven-
worth. and what steps,if any. had been
taken by the United States authori-
ties 10 bring him TO trial Tor the
alleged coniplicity in The murder OF
Indian Agent Mcektr Adopted.
The Speaker proceeded TO call on
The call having been concluded
without the presentation of any re-
ports, Bicknell called up the
question of the privileges of the
Senate resolution relative TO count
ing the electoral votes,
Keifier raised tile point of order
that the resolutionsdid not present
the question of privilege. 4 debate
ensued in which Bickiicll and Sprin-
germaintained thatwhat ever related
10 the constitutional right of the two
houses TO declare the electoral vote
Was Il question of privilege. The
House had certain powers relative |
TO the election of president, and ii |
alone must determine when the con-
tingcncy arises. Ii was cOntem- |
plated in the constitution of the |
United States when The house must |
act in the matter and choose a presi- |
dent.
kciflcr and Robinson commended !
that Il concurrent resolution propos- |
ing joint rule To prescribe a mode |
of courting the electoral vote was
not n question of privilege. The
President of the Senate alone had a |
right to count the electoral vote the |
House could not make a contingency
and then declare that il had arisen |
and proceed TO elect the president |
of the House. They maintained
they had nothing 10 do with the |
making ofthe contingency.
Springer replied That the House
was the sole judge of the question
OF fact whether or not the contin-
gency has arisen. IL must deter
mine when under the constitution il |
must choose n president, and the
president so chosen must be Presi-
dent OF the United States.
Reagan argued that the matter
presented was II question of privi-
lege and that the president Of the
Senate was merely vehicle and |
medium between the electors and |
the two houses of Congress.
After some other debate in which
COnger, Hooker, Uplighif and
Whetnernc participated, the speaker
said that uniform practice, certainly |
recent practice, goes to the extent
of showing that the two houses do |
count and have counties the electoral |
WV. ~ AhC Niihit htIC ~ /
refuse on any technicality to
allow an adjustment between
the two houses as TO the government
of the houses when in joint session,
it might lead TO confusion and chaos
In the opinion of the chair it makes
no difference by whom the votes are
counted il done by the two houses.
IL is the highest duty they have to
perform. II done by any other per-
son it must be done in the presence
of the two houses, so that any rule
relating TO the john meeting is the
function Of the very highest priyi-
lege. and lie must so rule.
Bicknell then demanded the pre-
vious question, and the Democrats
refusing 10 allow the Republicans
unlimited time for debate, the lat
ter fiIlibustered 10 prevent the ac-
ton.
WAsHINoToH, December BRIG.
Gen. Edward o. c. Ord, at San An
tonic, being over sixty-two years OF
age, has, by direction of the presi-
dent, been retired from active SER
vice and ordered TO his home.
WASHINGTON, December 7.-Col.
ID. 5 Stanley, Of the twenty-second
infantry, has been ordered TO San
Antonio 10 assume command of the | /.
department Of Texas until further
orders. -@ -