National Republican., 1882-12-13
THE SENATE.

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THE SENATE.
The bill to "promote the efficiency of chap
lains in the navy" by increasing their sala-
ries gave Mr.. Vance an opportunity to get off
laid aside without action, and the senate took
up Mr.. Pendleton's civil-service bill, on which
the senator made lengthy argument.
PETITIONS, MEMORIALS, ETC.
The president submitted memorial of the
board of trade of Chicago in favor of the Low
ell bankruptcy bill. Referred to the commit
tee on the judiciary.
Mr. German presented memorial of the
supervisors of election in Baltimore for addi-
tional compensation. Referred to the COM
mittee on appropriations.
Mr. Cameron, of Pennsylvania, presented
petitions in favor of the increase of pensions
to one-armed and one-legged soldiers. Re-
ferred to the committee on pensions.
BILLS
were introduced and referred as follows:
BY Mr.. Ferry: Granting pensions to Stewart Her
bert and to Julia G. Revere, the latter the widow
of Brig Gen. Revere. Referred to the committee
BY Mr.. Mcpherson: To extend certain privileges
to the port of Perth Amboy, N. ]. Referred to the
committee on finance.
By Mr.. Miller, of California: bill for the pay
Referred to the committee on Indian affairs.
Also bill for the relief of A. S. Rosenbaum &
by Mr. Beck: A bill to prohibit officers and en-
ployees of the United States from contributing
money for political purposes. Referred to the
committee on the judiciary.
THE NEW YORK PosT-oFFICE AND CUSTOM
HOUSE.
On motion of Mr. Hoar q resolution was
adopted directing the postmaster-g general to
transmit as soon as possible the last report on
the administration of the post-office in New
York
Also, a resolution directing the secretary of
the treasury to transmit the report of Ed
ward o. Grimes on the administration of the
custom house, naval office, and surveyors
Office in New York.
THE YELLOWSTONE PARK.
Mr.. Vest offered resolution, which was
agreed to, instructing the committee on ter
rit0ries to inquire and to report by bill or
otherwise, what legislation, if any, is necessary
to protect the public property and to enforce
the laws of the United States in the Yellow
stone park, and to preserve the game there (;
also, whether.the area of the park should be
extended and, if so, to what extent; also,
whether contracts should be made by the
secretary of the interior leasing the park, or
portions of it, and giving exclusive privilege
for the erection of telegraph lines or running
of stages.
At the close of the morning hour Mr.. Beck
offered to call up his resolution in relation
to political assessments during the last cam
paign, but agreed that it should be laid aside
on account of the absence of Mr.. Edmunds
whose motion to refer the resolution to the
committee on the judiciary is pending.
BILLS PASSED.
The senate then took up and passed bills on
the calendar as follows:
For the reliefof William W. Screws.
To amend section I9o, of the revised statutes,
relating to paymaSters' clerks in the army.
For the relief of Francis Gilbeau.
THE PAY OF CHAPLAINs.
The bill for promoting the efficiency of navy
chaplains by equalizing their pay with that of
army chaplains was taken up and discussed.
Messrs. Plumb and Cockrell opposed the
bill on the ground of economy, and Mr.. Cock
rell moved to postpone the bill indefinitely.
Mr.. Vance, who had reported the bill from
the committee on naval affairs, said he hoped
the senate would not dispose, in that way, of
bill whose object was simply to provide that
navy chaplains should be paid as well as
those in the army.
Mr.; Plumb Would 1t suit the senator as well to
equalize the pay by reducing that of the army
chaplains to the navy standard?
Mr.. Vance. 1t would not suit me so well as It
would probably suit the senator from Kansas. l
have not the same desire for economy of this
character that he has resulting from the recent
elections. Besides, l do not want to see the pray
ing force of this country reduced Ilaughterl; /
think II ought to be increased.
Mr.. Plumb. hope the senator is sufficiently
amenable to discipline TO take warning by what
has happened TO us. lLaughter.l
The senate by vote of 10 yeas to 35 nays
refused to postpone the bill, and the yeas and
nays were ordered upon its passage, when lat
O'clock it was laid aside to take up the un-
finished business.
THE PESDLEToN CIvIL-sERvIcE BILL.
The amendments reported from the COM
mittee on ciyil-service reform were agreed to.
Mr.. PehdletOn said the necessity of change
in the civil administration of the government
had been so fully discussed in public that he
would not make any further argument on that
point. The question had been submitted to
tho people in the recent election, and they
had spoken in no low or uncertain tones.
Local questions probably had something to do
with the result of the elections in some states,
but he believed that dissatisfaction with the
methods of civil administration, in a
wide sense, practised by the repub-
lican party for some years past, was
tha most important single factor. He
would not say that our civil service was wholly
bad, for that would be doing injustice to many
worthy public servants, but he would say that
it was inefficient, eStravagant, and in some
cases and some senses corrupt, and that it had
welded the whole of its employees into great
political machine an army whose efforts have,
at least twice within short period of our his
tory, robbed the people of the fair results Of a
presidential election. In the discussion last
session the fact came out that in the treasury
department there are 3,400 employees, of
whom fewer than 1900 are authorized
or provided for by law, the other
100 being carried upon the rolls and
paid out of balances Of appropriations and
various funds that have grown up in the de7
partment. He had been astonished to hear
his colleague, Mr.. Sherman, admit this amaz-
ing fact in the senate and defend the system
as necessary for the administration Of the