The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-12-28
XLVII. CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.
SENATE.

Washington, 27.-Forty-three SEM
atorS, i've more than a quorum.
were present.
several petitions were presented.
Miller, of California, introduced a
bill to increase the fees OF witnesses
III the United States courts.
Hoar offered d resolution that the
postmaster general submit state
ment showing the annual payments
to steamship companies for carving
foreign mails since 1910. Adopted.
Call submitted a resolution ask
ing the secretary of the interior for
the number of contested homestead
entries pending, AMI if legislation
were necessary to expedite decisions
OF such cases. Adopted.
The civil service bill was re-
sumed on Hawley's amendment
prohibiting solicitation or the col
lection of political contributions
by officers OF the government from
other officers or employees.
Beck opposed the amendment as
a sham because its prohibitions did
not extend to other persons as well
as to government employees. In
stead Of operating personally, sena-
tors could do so through their pri-
vate secretaries. The good faith of
the Senate in seeking to prevent
these political assessments upon
government employees, had been
tested by the amendment Offered by
Vest on Saturday prohibiting pay
ment OF such assessments to any
person, whether in the employ of
the government or not. That
amendment had been supported by
the unanimous vote OF democratic
Senators, butrepubicans had unani-
mOusly opposed and rejected it.
Hawley said Beck had been
cha llenged to produce ore person
who had been removed from falling
or refusing to make political contri-
button in the last campaign. No
such person had been produced; but
if ii should turn out that any person
had been dismissed on that account.
he hoped the officer who dismissed
him would receive as severe punish
ment as the law permitted, as
well as the contempt of the
American people. The object at
which his (HaWley) amendment
aimed was the prevention of Op-
pressive actions from employees of
the government, and it was drawn
carefully with that object in view
the proposition to 60 beyond this
and provide that no clerk, after
earning and receiving his salary,
should spend dollar of it for any
political purpose in which be might
take an interest, was one which he
could not support.
Vest said any provision of law
which did not absolutely prohibit
employees of the government from
paying money for political purposes
would be nullity. He again Of
fered, in another form, his amend
ment which was rejected on Satur.
day, and after discussion it was re-
jected, IS to q.
George moved to amend the sec.
ton of Hawley's amendment pro
hibiting solicitation or receipt OF
contributions for political purposes
in public buildings, so as to extend
its provisions to the whole District
Of Columbia. Lost, II to q.
Blair offered the following as an
additional section: s'No person ha-
bitually using Intoxicating
beverages shall be appointed to
to or be retained in any Office, bust
ness or employment to which the
provisions Of this act are appli-
cable.
Brown moved to amend by in
serting after the word beverage
the words 'to excess" Agreed to-
Blair spoke briefly in support of
the amendment.
EdmuDdS said the amendment as
it stood, contained by legal impli-
cation that other vices were to be
excluded from consideration by the
civil service committee, and to cure
this defect by inserting after Sin
toxicating beverages" the words
"or is guilty OF any other immoral
habit" Naughter). After some
discussion the amendment was
agreed to-ayes 80, noes 16. Blair's
amendment as amended agreed to.
After some further amendments
had been offered and disposed of
and considerable discussion in
dulged in, the Senate passed the
civil service bill by a vote of SO
to5.