New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-06-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, June 18, 1856

! strong expressions of opinion both fol
and against the civil service law. 1t il
evident that the Democrats are anxiou.
to do away with it, as it's faithful OBJ
servance will efectually debar then
from Office Still, it is conceded by al
that the strongest hold President Cleve
land has upon the country comes from
his apparent observance of the provi
| sions of the law, and if the Democrats
succeed in repeating it they will seal
the doom of their party.
The President yesterday has from the
! Committees on Enrolled Bills of the
Senate and House one hundred and
thirtyfour bills that were passed by
Congress while he was away on his
honeymoon, and must examine them
all within the next ten days. AS two
Sundays intervene, and it mnst be as
sumed that the President of the United
States observes the commandments, he
will have breathing spells, but will
have to do up at least thirteen bills and
four-tenths per day in order to get
through with them. Nearly all are
pensions bills, but he is in the habit of
examining these as closely as any
other, and will probably veto several
Of them, as they are open to the same
objection that he has raised to others.
Among the measures now in his hand
are bills granting pensions to the wi
dows of the late General Godfrey Welt
eel, and Colonel Farquhar, of the En-
gineer Corps. Mrs. Farquhar is the
daughter of the late General Alpheus
Williams,a one time member of Con-
gress from Detroit.
This promises to be an eventful week
in Congress. Each branch of the ma
tional legislature will be called upon to
decide a momentous question-the Sen.
ate whether it really means to forfeit
some of the more valuable land grants,
and the House whether the tariff shall
be debated. The proceedings in the
House will attract most attention.
Personal and political debates. as
lively as those which characterized the
proceedings of the House last week, al
so occurred this week, an incidental eff
feet Of which was to secure increased
attendance of members. The roll call
of Saturday revealed the absence of 40
members, but strong efforts secured a
full House when Mr.. Morrison moved
to take up the tariff bill. The motion
to take up the bill was defeated-157
TO 140.
In the Senate the Northern Pacific
forfeiture bill was passed Monday. The
bill to repeal the timber culture and
desert land acts will be next taken up.
Following that it is expected that a
subsidy debate will take place upon
the report of the disagreement of con-
ferees upon the postoffice appropriation
bill. The committee on appropriations
expect to report the pension and mill
tary academy bills early in the week,
but may not press them to considera-
ton at once.
Five of the annual appropriation
bills, namely, the District of Columbia,
postoffice, consular and diplomatic, ag-
riculture, and army have passed both
houses, and await the action of the con-
ference committees; three, the pension,
military academy, and river and har-
Dor, are in the hands of the Senate com.
mittee; and five, the legislative, naval,
sundry civil, Notifications, and general
deficiency have not been passed by the
House. Only one, the Indian bill, has
reached the President.
AS a matter of great interest to
many, my attention has been called to
a movement likely to be made to create
bureau for the purchase of supplies
of a general character which are alike
needed by all the departments and
bureaus of the Government. At present
these supplies are purchased as needed
by the several bureaus or departments
for their own use, and are largely fur
nished by District bidders. The advo-
Gates of the change in the present me-
thod say that if all the supplies such
as coal, wood. ice. stationery, carpets,
furniture, and the hundreds of other
articles required by the Government
We're purchased by one bureau of sup.
plies, they could be purchased more
cheaply because of the large quantities
aggregated in one bid. They also say
that in case eli supplies were purchas-
ed by one bureau, bids would be more
largely made by producers and manu-
facturers, and that the cost would be
less, because the profit Of the middle
men would be chopped off.