St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-22

of those laws was; that every four years the
senate and president were apt to come in
conflict in regard to officers whose terms are
expired and when there was contest, offices
remained vacant till it was ended. The
measure in no way affected the right of the
president to remove officials.
Mr.. Mcmillan thought the house should
hesitate before it undertook, under suspen-
sions Of the rules, to repeal law which had
stood on statue books for sixty-four years.
The trouble was not so much with the law as
with the maIadministration of il. He was
opposed to the bill, as being in the direction
of life tenure of Office.
Mr.. Willis said, the gentleman was utterly
mistaken as to the characters of the measure.
Not one word of it contemplated a life tenure
Of Office. There were in this country politi-
cal and non-politieal offices, and not one of
the latter was affected by the bill. 1t did not
contemplate that congress should tread a
new and untried path, but simply it should
go back to the original constitutional path
prescribed by the fathers of the government.
Mr. Springer said, the bill made important
changes in the tenure Of certain officers.
The term of the offices Of district attorneys,
surveyors, general registers and receivers,
collectors of customs and naval officers and
surveyors of customs and postmasters, which
were heretofore limited to four years, were
by this bill extended during the pleasure of
the president. But by the second section
chief justices and associate justices of terri
torial courts could hold their offices during
good behavior, or until the territory was adj
mitted into the union as state. Pass this
bill, and judicial officers in territories could
only be removed by impeachment. In view
of the probable change in the executive Of
fees of government at the ensuing election,
he hoped this democratic house of represent
tatives would not pass this bill, and thus
pension permanently on the government,
and infict on the good people of the terri
tories a lot of local dead beats who have been
imposed on them in judicial positions. Zap
plausel.
Mr.. Holman thought it was wise policy
on the part of the government to limit the
tenure of office, as it would admit Of the
scrutiny of accounts of the officers every
four years.
Mr.. Bayne said there was one simple issue
presented by the bill. The gentlemen who
voted against it voted for the spoils system in
politics. The gentlemen who voted for it
voted for good administration.
Several gentlemen, including Hatch, of
Missouri, arose and denied that any such is
sue was presented.
The motion was lost by 80 to 146. This
was by no means party vote, and the an
nouncement of the result was received with
laughter on both sides.
Shit
tee, moved to suspend the rules and pass the
bill creating bureau Of negotiation in the
treasury department. The motion was agreed
to and the bill passed. Yeas, 10; nays, 4.
Mr. Warner, for the committee on pen
sions, bounty and back pay, moved to sus-
pend the rules and pass the BILL providing
that every person specified in the several
classes enumerated in the pension laws of
the United States, who served in the field, in
the military or naval service in any war in
which the United States has been engaged,
for period of three months or more, and
has an honorable discharge, and is not re-
ceivid}g pension, or greater pension than
that provided for herein, but who by reason
of any wound, injury or disease which there
is probable cause to believe originated in said
service in the line of duty, and not the result
of his own misconduct, or bad habits, or
other known cause occurring since such SER
vice, is now disabled, in whole or in part,
for procuring his subsistence by manual
labor, shall upon making due proof of the
facts, under such regulations as may be pre-
scribed by the proper authority, not incon-
sistent with the provisions of this act, be
placed upon the list of pensioners of the
United states, and be entitled to receive a
pension during the continuance OF such dis
ability, at rate proportionate to the degree
thereof. The true physical condition to be
ascertained and certified to as pro-
vided by law upon examina-
ton by competent board of
surgeons, duly appointed, and such pension
to commence at the date of fling the appli-
cation therefor. That in all applications,
under the general pension laws included in
this act, where 1t appears by the record Of
evidence that the applicant was regularly en-
listed and mustered into the service, and
served for three months or more, that fact
shall be sufficient p1inaa facie evidence that
he was then in good health and free from
disease, or the cause of disability for which
he claims pension.
The motion agreed to and the bill passed.
Yeas 165, nays 81.
Adjourned.