Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-03
Especial Telegram to the Globe. |


WASHINGTON, Jan. 1T is desired by
Mr. Kasson and the house committee on
reform in the civil service to take definite
action at the committee meeting upon the
civil service bills before them. so that the
house may dispose of that question before
proceeding to other busisess, but it is now
doubted whether there will be a quorum of
the members of that committee in the
city tomorrow morning. If there should
not be, special meeting will be called
for Wednesday or the first practicable
time. A disposition is manifested to put
the subject before the house as soon as
possible and press it to conclusion
Members of the house who have been Civ
ing it more attention since the Pendleton
bill passed the senate, say they find among
their fellow members much oppo-
sition to the kind of civil ser
vice reform that is, proposed
than they had anticipated. The objection
is not to civil service reform, but it is
claimed that neither the Pendleton nor
the Kasson bill will secure the object that
is desired. They say it will not purge the
existing clerical force, where reform Is
most need, and even if the Pendleton bill,
which is the better of the two, was to be
enforced in good faith, it would operate
only upon new appointees. The most
serious opposition coming from Demo
cratic sources is that the payment of
money for political purposes by govern
ment employees is not prohibited. 'Demo-
ocrats say they will make an earnest effort
to have the bill amended so that clerks
shall be forbidden to pay assessments
or make contributions, and that without
this inhibition the provisions against as
-ee.i-lg clerks or making collections from
the4l will be utterly worthless, as protec-
ION for employees or as means of purifi-
als.ou OF the service, while there is great
III 5ersity of opinion among members as to
tne probable efficiency of the Pendleton
bill, which will be reported favorably by
the committee, and form the basis of the
discussions, and while not few Of them
declare in private that it is shame, and
that it shall not have the sanction of their
votes. 1t is evident that the representatives
realize that the people demand that some
thing shall be done IN the direction of re-
form, and they will hesitate long before
recording their votes against the most
promising scheme that has been brought
forward.
THE BUSINESS.
Tomorrow in the senate Gen. Logan
will have the floor to continue his speech
on the bill for the relief of Fitz John Por-
ter, and in the house the army appropria-
ton bill will be the unfinished business
that will be taken up. The pending ques-
ton is the compensation to be paid TO
land grant railroads for transporting sup
plies and munitions for the government.
THE DEATH OF GAMBETTA
is the occasion of considerable comment
in diplomatic circles here. Among the
European diplomats particularly there is q
feeling of gloom, coupled with apprehen-
sions of impending danger to the French
republic. A member of the French lega-
ton is reported to have said to-day that
Gambetta was the minority of the republic,
and that his death fills the future of France
with uncertainty. The representatives
of other nations than France have very
little to say about Gambetta's death and
its probable influence on European poll
tics If their expressions of opinion are
: correctly reported, they feel that the crisis
is approaching to the affairs of France,
would not be surprised if a bold attempt
1T revolution was made by the enemies of
! popular government.