Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-23
YESTERDAY IN CONGRESS.
THE HOUSE ADJOURNED UNTIL
WEDNESDAY.

Hs-Ahe Tobacco TaX-The Bonded
spirits Bill-Pleasant Gets the Cold
ShOulder-The Acklen- KeIlogg Fight
Malone on the Civil Service Reform.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-Captain Per-
rler, OF the French army, to-day was
granted permission by the Secretary
oil war to place a tablet on the old
chapel at st. Augustine, Fla, commem-
oratiye of the recent successful obserya-
tlons OF the transit of Venus at that point
by the French observation party.
Pleasant goes at an early date. He is
In the city. To-day he went to the Inter
nal Revenue Bureau to explain. but cot
the cold shoulder. He also went to Sec
retary FOlger. That official did not give
him any encouragement.
Seeing that it was impossible to keen in
place, Pleasant asked Folger that he be
allowed to remain two months longer.
This made Folger indignant. .sTwo
months longer,' he exclaimed. .svou
ought to consider yourself fortunate TO be
retained two hours longer''
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
The Senate, as soon as the journal was
read, on motion of Mr.. Cameron. of Penn
sylvania, went into executive session.
AT l2:2O the doors were reopened. and
Mr. sherman moved to proceed to the con-
slderatiOn of the bonded whisky bill. Mr..
Sherman withdrew his motion temnora.
rIly, and Mr.. Bayard called up his tobacco
resolution.
The resolution as amended was then
adopted. 1t reads:
ReSOtCed, That it is the sense of the Senate
that whenever the internal revenue taxes
on tobacco, snuff or cigars are reduced or
renewed, unless ample previous notice of
the time when the act is to take effect
shall be given, prOpOrtiOnate rebate of
taxes paid on stocks on hand should be
allowed.
At 1:30 the Senate by vote of 3S to 12
took up the bonded whisky bill.
At O'Clock the civil service bill came
up as unfinished business.
MIR. sherman gave notice that as soon as
this bill was out of the way. he would
move to proceed with the whisky bill.
Messrs. Bayard and Ransom urged the
consideration of the tobacco resolution.
After some discussion Mr.. Sherman
temporarily withdrew his motion. and
Mr.. Bayard called up the tobacco resolu-
ton. Mr.. Morrill, offered an amendment.
which was adopted.
Pending action on the civil service bill
the Senate, at 6:25, adjourned until to-
morrow.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House Mr.. Carlisle, from the
Committee of Ways and Means. reported
back the joint resolution providing for the
importation, free of duty, of books for the
use of the blind. Referred to the com
mittee of the whole.
Mr.. HiscOck offered a resolution declar-
ing that on and after Wednesday, the Sd
Of January, 1888, the hour of meeting of
the House shall be at IL a. M. during the
remainder of the session. Adopted.
Mr.. Kelley made motion for an ad-
jOurnment from tomorrow until Wednes-
day. Agreed to-yeas 109, nays 81.
The House then at l 40 went into COM
mittee of the whole, Mr.. Townsend. Eof
Ohio, in the chair on the army apprOpria-
tiOn bill. The provision Of the bill pro-
viding that hereafter all officers now on
the retired list, or who may be hereafter
retired from active service, except in the
case of the General of the army, shall be
borne on the rolls of the army, and shall
receive the pay now provided by law as
of rank they actually held in the army
at the date OF retirement, gave rise to
some debate, and was finally passed over
informally.
Mr. Thomas, of Illinois, offered and adj
vocated an amendment providing that
aideS-de-camp, except those of the Gen
eral Of the army, shall not receive any adj
ditiOnal rank or pay by reason of having
been detailed to staff duty. He did not
think that low grade officers should be
made high sgrade officers by reason of
being selected for staff duty, and in
stanced the case of Lieutenant Grant,
who had suddenly become Lieutenant
Colonel Grant. Agreed to.
Mr.. Browne, of Indiana, offered an
amendment to gradually do away with
the pay department and add the duties of
that department to the Quartermaster
Generals office. Notices were given of
other amendments to be offered.
The question recurring on Brownies
amendment, developed no quorum pres
ent. The roll call showed 100 present.
The committee rose and reported the abb
Sentees to the House.
The Speaker announced the appoint
ment of Mr. Hill on the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and Mr.. Mclean on Pen
siOns, Bounty and Back Pay.
Twenty-eight leaves of absence were
granted, making total Of one hundred
and thirty-One absent on leaves.
The House, at 4:25, adjourned, the COM
mon understanding being that no busi-
ness would be transacted tomorrow, but
no formal agreement to that effect was
arrived at.
MALONE ON CIVIL SERVICE REFORM
While the civil service reform bill was
under discussion Mr.. Malone addressed
the Senate in a prepared speech. He
thought direct accountability of public
officers to the people the safest guarantee
of the proper discharge of their duties,
and believed that the honorable conten-
tiOn Of political parties would ever serve
to stimulate to such performance of
duties and afford the means for cor
recting abuses, If these existed,
executive heads were responsible
and reform would not be effected by inter-
posing an irresponsible agency like this
committee between them and their re-
spOnsibility. Turning from the bill, he
proceeded to reply to certain references
to himself which he found in the Record
of the first week of the present session.
The Senator from Kentucky { Mr.. Beck J
had made an open circular let
ter issued by him (Mahone) as
Chairman of the Readjuster
State Committee of Virginia, the basis in
sided Investigation.
Mr.. Beck-DOes the Senator think it
proposing One-sided investigation to refer
the whole matter to the Republican com
mittee of which the distinguished Senator
from Vermont Mr.. Edmundsl is Chair
man?
Mr.. Mahone-I certainly think it was
One-Slueu proposition 10 propose 10 IhNes-
tigate one side of the campaign in Nir-
ginia and not be willing to investigate the
other.
Mr.. Malone assured Mr., Beck that he
would 20 with him in support of any
measure within the bounds of the COnsti-
tuition to secure fair and free elections
and prohibit and punish the use of money
in connection with them. To tighten the
burden of the investigating committee
and for the satisfaction of the Senators
interested he would state that the
circular letter referred to had been sent
to 252 of the 800 POstmasters i'll Virginia,
and that of these only 92 responded. Of
the other government officials in that
State, about go in number, exclusive of
those in the lighthouse and the life saving
service. the letter was sent to As, and
only 36 had responded. In the depart
menfs ~ Washington, exclusive of the
Bureau of Engraving end PRINTING and
the War Department, there Were a.
employees charged to Virginia. The cir
cuIar has been sent to ninety-two OF these,
and repOnses were received from forty
nine. and no authority over any OF these
employees had been consulted about the
circular or informed to whom 1t had been
sent in any case or what response had
been received.
He had nothing to conceal about this
matter. He then read from the Record
some remarks made by Alr. Bayard in the
debate on Mr.. Beck's resolution for an
investigation, in which he spoke of state
ment published last fall that the decaplta-
ton of unfortunate office holders from
Virginia was so general that blanks were
kept to be filled out with the names of the
victims removed because they refused TO
prostitute their place for political end.
ssAnart from the criticism leYeled at my