Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-12-29
Senators Bayard, Call, Chilcott, Davis of
West Virginia, Jonas, Lamar, Pendleton,
Pueh and Vance.

any person who shall apply for an Office or
place under the provisions of this act
which may be given by any Senator or
member of the House of Representatives,
except as to the character of the applicant,
shall be received or considered by any per-
son concerned in making any examination
or appointment under this act" Agreed to
ayes, 26; noes, 16.
On motion of Senator Allison the pro-
vision in the bill that the chief examiner
should be removed only for cause and after
notice and hearing, was stricken out.
Senator Logan moved to make the salaries
of the commissioners $4,000 year. Lost
ayes 81; noes "a.
. Senator Allison moved to reduce the sala-
ry of chief examiner from Sd, 600 to So 500.
Senator Plumb moved to make it 50, 500.
Lost.
Senator Plumb moved to make it SO 900.
Agreed to.
Senator Plumb moved to strike out all
relating to the chief examiner. Lost.
Senator Brown offered an amendment,
providing explicitly that when vacancy
occurred selections should not be confined to
persons in Office at the time, but should be
open to other citizens desiring the position,
and that an outside competitor should re-
ceive the appointment if superior in qualifi-
cations to those in Office. Lost. Ayes, 90;
noes, q.
Senator Jonas said he was in favor of a
reform of civil service, and he had waited
patiently in the hope tnat this bill would be
put in such shape that he could support
1t, but he was disappointed If the amend
ment offered by Senator Pugh, applying
examinations to those in office as well as to
those outside, lad been adopted he would
have voted for the bill. But as it stood
now, it was q mere pretense and sham.
He did not oppose the bill as party man
or as an enemy to its professed object. He
| believed that the civil service was, in a
large measure, incompetent, if not corrupt,
and that it needed to be reformed. In his
own city, New Orleans, there was custom
house which was used as a vast house of
refuge for political outcasts, and he could
not vote for bill which proposed to subject
new applicants for appointments to exam
ination, while it left those gentlemen un-
| touched.
! Senator Brown said that his amendment
/ proposing an approximately fair division of
patronage between the parties before the
era of non partizan civil service should
commence, and the other amend
ments, tending toward the former, had
party vote. This seemed to show very
clearly that the Republicans did not desire
that there should be fair distribution OF
the offices, but intended to hold on to them
SO that they might be prepared for any
misfortune that might befall them hereafter.
He could not vote for the bill, which was
designed to give the monopoly of the offices
I to the minority party, nor could he see how
| the Democrats could support it.
| Senator Coke regarded the bill as utterly
| worthless, In response 10 the popular de-
mand for a reform of the civil service q
measure which was binding upon nobody,
and which would leave the question still to
| be the foot ball of politics.; nevertheless he
would vote for the bill in the nope that, by
its passage, the author of it might be en-
| couraged to stronger and more practical ef-
forts in the same direction.
The bill was then passed by a vote of 80
ayes, noes, all Senators present, exclusive
of pairs, voting in the affirmative except
Senators Brown, Call, Jonas. Mcpherson
and Morgan.
Senator Brown moved to amend the title
of the bill so as to make it read, IAN act to
perpetuate in Office the Republicans who
now control the patronage of the govern
ment. [Laughter.l Lost.
The Senate at o'clock adjourned.
WASHINGTON, December 28.-At
the close of the morning hour the
Senate, on motion of Senator Ed
munds, took up the bill reported by
him, from the Judiciary committee,
to prevent government officers and
employees from collecting from or
paying to each other money for po>
litical purposes. a.
On motion of Senator Hoar the
bankruptcy bill was set down for
consideration on the 10th of Jan
uary.
At 1:55 o'clock, the bill to pros
hibit the solicitation or payment of
political contribution by government
employees, was passed just as it came
from the judiciary committee
Numerous amendments were of
fered and rejected.
Senator Sewell moved to take ur
the Fltz John Porter bill.
S nator Sherman appealed to
Senator Sewell to give way, in order
THAT vote might be had on the
bonded whisky bill, but Senator
Sewell declined to give way until the
Porter bill should have been taker
up.
The Senate then, by vote o.
% to 21, took up the latter bill.
Senator Sewell was willing thai
the bill should be informally laid
aside to permit Senator Sherman te
call up the whisky bill, but unani
nous consent was required, anc
several Senators objected, so the
Senate proceeded with the Porter
bill.
Senator Logan proposed that its
friends should speak to>day, ant
said he would occupy two or thre,
hours tomorrow in opposing it,
Senator Conger protested agains
any arrangement for the final dis
posal of the bill until it should have
been first considered by the full
Senate.
The conclusions of the military
board, composed of Generals Scho
field, Terry and Getty, were reat
from the report of the committee o.
military affairs, made in May last.
Senator Seweli then addressed tn,
Senate iu support of the bill
At the conclusion of Senator Sew
ellis remarks the Senate went int,
executive session, and soon afte
adjourned.
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