National Republican., 1882-12-18

sometimes NJ night, and who were paid out OF
lhe general appropriation made for that
burcdu. And So with the government print.
ihg Office, for which the specific appropriations
dmotintcd to only $4,000 while the aggregate
general appropriations for paper and the pay
of the employees was between two and three
million dollars year. 1t would be impossible,
from tho nature of the case, for con
grcss to mako specific appropriations
for all the employees required IN the
great executive departments and the
employees whose names were not mentioned
In the appropriation bills, constituting about
% per cent. of the whole number, were not
the droncs, but the honCy-bees of these great
hives. As TO superhuous employees, 1t was
true that some years ago there were good
many in the bureau of engraving and print
ing, but one of his lSherman's) first acts as
secretary of the treasury was to correct that
abuse, by reducing the force 800 in tiulnber,
and also reducing the pay to rates which the
same kind of service commanded i'll private
employment and the result was that Sb000JO
appropriated for that bureau by congress was
returned to the treasury. Assccrctary of the
treasury, he had done his best to bring the
force down to the proper standard and if
there were any supernumaries there now, lie
did not know it.
As to civil.service reform, he favored three
provisions; /. The taking away of the power
to select employees by favotitism and the pas
sage of law that admission to the service
should he secured by competitive examina-
tions open to all 2. The prohibition of poiti-
cal assessments, without interfering with the
right of officials to contribute voluntarily for
legitimate political purposes. Removals with
out cause would be very rarely made if the
pressure of senators and representatives for
appointments in the executive departments
were stopped, and therefore he would vote
again, as he had voted years ago. for law
Of
congress. As an executive officer he had felt
kecnly such interference
Mr.. Plumb asked him about what number
of removals he had made at the solicitation of
members of congress.
Mr.. Sherman replied that under his adj
ministration of tile treasury there were
mighty few removals except for cause, he
having made standing order to that effect.
Mr.. Window confirmed what Mr.. Sherman
had said about the departments. He was tired
of hearing that the executive departments
were reeking with corruption. 1t was not
true. The losses by dishonesty or dcfll-
cations were probably less now than at any
former period. He was amazed at the state
ment about there being | 700 unnecessary cni-
ployes i'll the treasury, and glad that Mr.. Sher-
man had exploded it, and he thought that the
senator from New Jersey ought now to ac
knowledge that he had been misled ON this
point.
Mr.. Mcpherson said his remark had been
based OIL the authority which he had stated.
After SOME further discussion Mr. Wipdbm
asked MI. Mcpherson whether he wished the
country to understand that he now believed
there were LOO persons employed in the
treasury who had nothing to do.
Mr.. McPhersoh. believe that there are in the
Treasury department, ana In every other depart
ment Ialge number Of employees who are use.
less, aud who'e employment Is deception and a
fraud uuoh the peOple.
II, Window. Has the senator given the COM
miitte on appropriations any Information upon
that su'jyct?
Mr. .Mcpherson. I suppose the committee on ap
proprihtions are sufficiently able to look after
these matters, and sufficiently Jealous too.
MIR. Window. Docs the senator know of one em-
plcye in gny department who has nothing to do?
II So who is he?
Nj. Mcrhefson. That is petiif6gglng way of
dealing wi h great public question.
Mr.. Window. The senator says he believes there
are a great number of employees in the depart.
ments who are useless, aud when he is chal .enged
to name one III any of tile departments who has
nothing to do he says that is petiifogging. will
leave 1t 70 the people 10 judge OF that
Mr.. Pcndlet0n did not desire to be put in
false position by the colloquy between Messrs.
Sherman and McPhersUn, SO he read the pof-
ton of his speech made the other day to
which Mr.. McPhersoh's remark yesterday re-
lated, and said he did not understand that the
strict accuracy of it had been questioned e&-
cept on one point namely: the statement
that clerks, not authorized by law were en-
ployed and paid out of lapse appropriations
and to sustain that statement, read from the
testimony given before the committee on
ciyil-seryice reform last session.
Mr. Sherman said Mr.. Pendleton's state
ments in his speech tended to create the i'm
preston that the employees of whom he spoke
were not paid out Of appropriations made by
law, when in fact they were. explained that
when an employe died, his salary for the year
was spoken of in treasury parlance as ''lapsed."
At o'clock Mr.. Cocktell moved to adjourn.
Lost-Ycas 90, nays26.
Mr.. Cockrcll said that this senate which
was now so virtuous that it refused to adjourn
at o'clock on Saturday, was made UP of the
same sehatOrs AS at the last session, and lie
read from the journal to show that in the first
part of that session the gentleman now so
eager for reform had favored early adjourn
mcnts, Mr.. Edmunds, "the pope of the SEN
ate" llaughtcrl having moved on the first day
TO adjou at $50 ..lnd Mr.. Cameron, the dis
tnguishcd Pennsylvania reformcr, [laughterl
having moved 10 adjourn from Thursday till
Monday.
Mr. Pendlcton moved to adjourn.
Lost. Yeas, 20; nays, 25.
Mr.. Bayard was at lost to understand the
tactics of gentlemen on the other side of the
chamber In refusing to adjourn late on Satur'
day evening, on motion of the senator whose
bin was under consideration. If this action
iucant that there was to be an attempt to
make this party measure he protested
against it. He did not wish to see a party
wrangle over bill of this character.
Mr.. Hawley expressed surprise at Mr.. Bay
ards remarks, and said that his only object In
voting against adjournment was to try to
make some decisive progress with the bill to-
day; but rs that appeared impossible he would
now move to adjourn.
Mr.. Edmunds said he would vote against
the motion because an adj journment now
would be substantially the destruction of the
bill.
Mr.. Hawley. Then shall not be respon.
sible.
NEW BILLS.
Mr.. Vance introduced bill to refund tC
North Carolina S36, ,i62.47 on account of 33l
bales of cotton seized by A. G. Browne, a treas
ury agent, at Thomasville, in 1865.
Mr.. Morgan introduced a bill appropriatinl
| S13,550 for fifty bales of cotton seized from
We'll and Moore, at Mobile, in 1865.
Mr.. Dawes introduced bill appropriatinl
| $250,000 to settle the Indebtedness of the Kan
! saS Indians, as represented by the Kaw scrip
| with proviso that the United States shall be
reimbursed from the sale of Kansas Indar
lands.
Mr. Voorhees, offered the Rice library bill q.
a substitute for his pending bill in the senate
The bill makes preliminary appropriation o
$5OO,OOO.
Mr.. Hawley's motion was agreed to-yeas
22; nays 16-and (at o'clocl) the senate ad
| journed.
THE HOUSE.
The speaker laid before the house at th
opening of Saturdays session a letter from th
secretary of war, transmitting "a statement a
tln tai, 4 a., 90