New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-27
AFFAIRS AT WASHINGTON.
rHr SENATE AND THE DEPARTMENTS.

4.
: - ,S,Ypsr FOR REPUBLICANS TO PURSUE UNDER
s s-oxs1prRAnoN-A CAUCUS PROBABLE TO-DAY
THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT
Mr.. JONES IN REPLY TO Mr. FRYE.
Tho Republican Senators have under thought
{ f., consideration the present situation In the
60 and n caucus will probably be held to-
-, 20 determine upon course of action. Cmet
cas,s French, of the Office Of the Second AS
s,stant Postmaster General, was dismissed yes
.~v,,ay. Mr.. Jones, of Florida, occupied uie
lime of the Senate in an attempt 10 repy !"
the recent speech of Mr.. Frye.
THE QUESTION OF EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
/. c.rcus OF REPUBLICAN SENATOR'S PRobADLi w
nv HELD To-pAY-THE ARGUMENTS FOX AND
AGAINST THE CONFIRMATION OF EAECClNE "
PoISTMENrs.
;py TELEGRAPH THE rRIBUSE.l
s. xv.s,uxcYox Arril 2G-There has been much
..rnest discussion among Republican Senator's TO-
a.,, in regard TO the present posture OF anairs MI
Conr,,po and his nearest friends are eVioeh'y
tronc,v opposed to the sentiment which has lateiy
manifested itself among some OF the kepuoica"s ;"
favor of holding executive sessions for the purpose
~ oetrg mon certain nominations to fill vacancies
h;eb the interests of the public service require
should be filed without further delay
The terms of Office of certain bonded officers OF the
Treasury Department have expired; and, whiIe
,hese officers still continue to perform their duties
they are acting without giving any bonds to secure
tbe Government in case of defalcation or loss. For
EXAMPLE the term of Office of the AssisantIreasurer
of the United States at San Francisco
! ov,lred some weeks ago. He still continues
to ,erforu the duties but the tm for which his
,r,etes are bound having expired the Government
"a obliged to trust entirely to his honesty ana vigil
lance for the safekeeping and honest disbursement
of the millions of dollars of public money In MS pos
3 session. In the Judicial branch OF the Ooverhineht
and in the Indian service also vacancies when
thapubic interests demand should be filled promptly
With all these reasons to appeal to, Senators who
have for sometime believed that executive sessions
oaght to be held have been earnest ID the
of their views and have won over to their support
number of those who were at first Indifferent or were
avere to proceeding with the consideration OF any
executye business until after the end OF the present
struggle to obtain control of the Senate organiza-
t;or II in understood that the chief arguments
. nsed by those who still oppose any executive ses-
sions are two.
Tn the first place they assert that, should the SEN
ase once 60 into executive session, the Republicans
would lose strength for the present struggle and
goold be compelled sooner or later to abandon 1t.
pecond. they declare that such course would I'M
usri, the success of the Independent movement in
virginia by lending encouragement to the adveIsa-
ries Of Malone and enabling them to say in the COM
ing political campaign that the Republicans are
pcwerless to sustain his cause There is no question
chat General Malone fears that such would be the
e6oct upon the movement which he is so gallantly
leading, although it is well understood among the
Republicans that he will cheerfuy acquicsce In any
decision which the Republicans may reach in regard
7. to the subject.
The advocates of executive sessions are quite rs
strenuous in the belief that the policy which they
favor would not lead to any such result as the oppo
nents of il fear They say that 1t WILL on the whole,
strengthen the Republican position and will enable
the country to understand better than it does the
true philosophy of the present struggle. They also
point to the fact that the Republicans have never
taken the position that executive business must
be transacted during the pendency OF the present
struggle and say that that question was purposey
left open to be decided when the exigency should
arise. In their judgment the time has now arrived
when the public interests demand that certain exec
ntiye business should receive attention.
II Is understood that the new plan to bring the
Democratic minority to terms, when was descrlbed
Z In THE TRIBUNE to-day has been submitted TO
tho President 1t is believed that he did not receive
with much favor this proposition TO cut the Gordan
hnot by withdrawing from the senate te an Pnnh Ros
can caucus will be held tomorrow. tl quite I'M
possible to predict whether or not majority OF the
caucus will he found in favor OF holding executive
sessions One Republican Senator said to-day that
he believed fifteen Senators would vote for it, He Is
of the fifteen. The opponents OF that course ex-
press considerable confidence that the present policy
will not be changed. All the Republicans evince an
unaltered determination not to abandon in any event
the struggle to gain control OF the senate orghza-
The Senate Judiciary Committee met to-day and
referred most of the pending judicial nominations TO
Enb-committees. Several of them were informally
discussed to some extent, but no action was taken
except as above indicated.
cu,Dcpc IN THE pOSTOEFICE DEP ARTNFNT
GENERAL BRApY's CHIEF CLERK REMovED-sPECIAL
rrTNEss OF HIS sUCCEssoR-THE STAR ROUTE
SCANDAL.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBCNE.l
WASHINGTON, April 26.-Chief Clerk French, of
the office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-Gen-
eral was dismissed to-day So far be learned
no allegations of dishonesty are made against him.
He was filing responsible position in the office OF
General Brady aud it ia held must have known of
the irregularities of his chief He had never taken
any steps to make known to the Postmaster-General
the President that improper practices were going
On In the Office and for this reason nc was dismissed
II. D. Lyman, who has been appointed in his
place came into the Department five years ago and
left on the first Of April to engage in other busi-
ness in Rochester n. Y. During considerable Dor
ton of his service be was the clerk in charge Of the
Office work OF the Bureau of Depredatiuns, where
be made an excellent record. Ho became very fa-
miar with all sorts Of investigations, and, there
fore brings TO his position ripe experience OF
the kind he will find most ussful. The appointment
was not Of bis seeking. lie was invited by the Post
master-Gepefal 10 return to Washington to accept
the position.
There has been considerable criticism of the
OF tho Postnsstcr-General in permitting the reports
Of the work Of investigation to get abroad it being
argued BY the friends Of those whose names are
mentioned as being under slspicion that nothing
Ahort Of absolute proof can Justify the nnhlicaton