Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-12-25
FORTY-SByEATH CONGRESS-.
second Session.
SENATE.
WAsHIxGIox. Dec 23.


department to be closed early during Christ
mas week, so as to give clerks the usual half
holiday Mr. Edmunds objected to the present
consideration of the resolution, and II went
over At the close Of the morning hour the
| civil service bill came up as unfinished busi-
ness.
Mr.. Pendleton. in charge of the bill. yield
ed the floor temporarily to Mr.. Plumb, to
| call I'D the bill to provide for holding term
of United States District Court at Wichita,
Kansas, which passed. The President iald
communication from the chairman of the
Washington Monument Commission, trans
mitting the annual report of progress. Mr.
Logan moved that when the Senate adjourned
TODAY, to adjourn until Wednesday next. but
| at the suggestion of Mr.. Anthony. withdrew
| the motion temporarily.
MIR. Plumb gave notice that he would call
ND as soon as possible after the holidays. the
| bill to constitute the Bureau of Agriculture.
a separate department. The Senate then
resumed the consideration of the civil ser
vice bill question. being on Pugh's amend
ment, providing that the present force in the
departments. except soldiers, ETC., shall be
subjected to competitive examination like
persons outside, and to facilitate such exam
| nations shall be divided into three classes.
| Mr.. Jones of Florida, opposed the amend
ment He favored the bill as it came from
| the committee.
Aft, r some debate Mr. Pugh's amendment to
| the civil service bill, by which it vas pro-
posed to subject the present clerks in the de-
partment to the same examinations as to
! their qualifications proposed for new ap-
pointees, was rejected upon yea and nay
vote-23 to 10.
Yeas-Messrs. Barrow, Brown, Butler,
Cockrell, Coke, Garland. German, Jackson,
Jones of Louisiana. Lamar, Pendleton, Pugh,
Slater, Vance, Vest. Voorhees, and Williams.
Noes-Messrs. Aldrich, Allison, Anthony,
Bayard Blair. Comeron of Pennsylvania,
Cameron of Wisconsin, COnger, Chilcott.
Davis of Illinois, Edmunds, Frye, Hawley,
Hill. Hoar, Logan, Miller of California, Nor
rill Platt, Plumb, Rollins, Van Wyck and
Window.
| Mr.. Allison offered the amendment of
which he gave notice the other day, and ex-
plained that it made the bill mandatory upon
| the President to act under it, and also that it
secured publicity to the examinations and
their results.
Mr. Butler asked Mr.. Allison to consent
to an amendment permitting persons outside
the departments to compete for all vacancies.
Mr., Allison declined to do so.
Mr.. Bayard said that the introduction of
this new proposition at the end of two
weeks debate on the committees bill would
be the defeat of the civil service reform as
recommended by the committee.
| Mr.. Morgan moved to strike out certain
| portions of Mr.. Allisons amendment 50 as TO
make it conform to the language of the bill
as amended by the Senate. Agreed to.
| Mr.. Brown moved to strike out the pro-
! visions in the amendment, that the promo
tions shall be from the lower grades to the
| higher, and that the competitive examina-
| tions shall b, open to all persons who have
| served in the departments for a year, and
said that his object was to throw these exam
nations open to all. The amendment was
agreed to-yeas 20, nays IL.
| Mr.. Van Wyck's amendment, pending
since yesterday, was agreed to, striking out
| the words ''as far as practicable so as to re-
quire that the appointment of the offices
among the States and Territories shall be
made absolutely on the basis of population.
| On motion of Mr.. Morgan the first section
of the bill was amended so to provide that
there shall be three commissioners instead
of five, and that they shall hold no other Of
| fetal places under the United States.
Mr.. Voorhees, offered an amendment, Of
which he gave notice the other day, pr0vid-
| ing that the applicants for appointment as
commissioners under this act shall be ex-
amined by a board of school teachers to as
certain their competency to prosecute the
rules for the examination of other candidates 8
for Office.
After debate Mr.. Voorhees, amendment
was rejected.
| Mr.. Allison offered an amendment, of
which he had given notice, providing that
the commissioners may designate in each
State and Territories suitable number of
persons, not less than three in official SER
vice of the United States, to act as exam
iners of applications for office.
| Mr.. Brown proposed an amendment, which
Mr.. Allison accepted. requiring that the Of
fcials so designated shall reside in the State
or Territory in which they are to act las
examiners.
| Mr.. Morgan offered as an additional
section his amendment, providing that no
advice or recommendation by senators or
representative of any applicant tor an ap-
pointment in civil service shall be consider
ed or received unless previously asked for
in writing by the examiners.
| Mr. MOrgan's amendment was lost-yeas
81, nays &c.
| On motion of Mr.. Brown the provision
in the bill that promotions shall
be from lower grades to higher on the
basis of merit and competition" was struck
| out.
| Mr.. Hawlev offered as three additional Sec
tions his bill to prevent United States officers
and employees from soliciting or receiving
from each other assessments or contributions
for political purposes.
| Mr.. Slater offered as a substitute for the
6rst two section his amendment extending
the prohibition to receiving voluntary contri-
buttons from any officers or employees tor
political purposes.
Mr.. Hawley opposed it on the ground that
Congress has no authority to prescribe what
a man shall do with his money after he has
earned it.
Mr.. Beck did not believe that Mr.. Hawley's
amendment would affect the object to which
it is professed to be aimed.
| Mr.. Vest offered an amendment slightly
modifying Mr.. Slater's.
| In the discussion Mr.. Butler asked Mr.
Hoar if he thought Congress had the right to
prohibit giving money by an employee of the
government for political purpose.
| Mr. Hoar said yes, for a corrupt political
purpose.
Mr.. Butler asked him how the EMPLOYEES
| could know that 1t was for such purpose?
Mr.. Hoar-To buy shot guns to shoot me-
groes would be such purpose.
Mr.. Butler-Or to buy votes and disfran-
chise 10000 people, as it is said they have
done in Massachusetts.
Mr.. Hoar- What does Senator Morgan
saw on that?