The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-12-17
XLlXth CONGRESS...SECO SESSION
NATE.
- GNAt Gs
WASUINGTON n,

- WASHINGTON, Dec. 16.
n A bill was passed providing that Admirals
Rawson and Worden may, after forty wears
service, be retired from active service on
their own application with the highest pay
OF the grade to which they belong.
Among the bills introduced and referred
was one by Mr.. Van Wyck proposing an
amendment to the constitution in relation to
the election of United States Senator'S
a Dill to permit the owners of American
vessels and their cargoes to sue the govern
ment Tor losses caused by collision with
United States vessels arising from their mis-
mRanagement, was advocated by Messrs.
Evarts and Hoar, and opposed by Messrs.
Mcmillan, George and Conger.
Mr.. Dolph supported the bill but would
nave been better pleased if its principle had
been extended further
NO bill was passed, the vote ON ordering 1t
to a third reading being "A to II.
Inc Dill granting pension to Mrs. Bar
para f1chs (stepmother OF soldier was
opposed by Mr.. Cockerell as establishing
new principle. and was defended by Messrs.
Edmunds, Blair and Platt. The bill was
passed, and motion to reconsider rejected
yes, 8; nays, 36.
The Senate then took up. the unfinished
business OF yesterday, being the bill to
repeal the tenure of Office act.
Mr.: Edlnunds addressed the Senate in OPP
position to the bill. He argued that if the
executives OF State governments could not
be trusted (as they were not) with kingIy
PONNi, ~ Ndo oilll lttIt important IllaL the
national executive should not be trust
ed wlth such power. The tenure
OF Office law was restraint now,
although the President was making great
number ol suspensions. The passage OF the
pending bill would be an invitation: more
than an invitation, it would be afecognition of
the approval OF the idea that on purely pG-
Utica grounds Of opinion the President
ought las his predecessors bad done before
the tenure OF Office in 1860 to remove imme-
ik rl.. al 1.
him, or with some department officer, or
with the party He thought That would be
step twenty-five Years backward in the
progress Of removing the working opera
tlons OF the government from IA mere cnndi-
ton OF political fortune and prize and stake.
| lie believed that all these offices ought to be
| held Tor hXed terms. and he was perfecry
| willing that the President might, for every
| vacancy, select a man OF his own persuasion.
Ii there was 10 be change couple Of
| years hence (as he trusted and hoped, and
| believed there would be- all these matters
would then be removed from the mere strife,
ana spoil, and contention of politics. At
this point Mr. Edmunds was attacked with a
nt OF coughing which forced him TO resume
| his seat
Mr. George made a constitutional and his
| torlcal argument in favor of the bill.
Mr. Eyarts addressed the Senate, stating
| that he would vote for the bill and that the
grounds OF constltutiOnality would not cover
ms vote, but that the grounds of exped-
| leney would. Ii removals from Office, he
SAID, were TO turn on two concurrent judg-
ments lwhere the Pres dent and Senate
might be opposed in politics. it would follow
tnat repugnance Of the Senate might keep in
| office one whom the President desired to dis
| pense with, and by whose action the p resi-
dent could not accomplish his duty.
At the close of Mr.. Evart's speech, the
Senate, at 4.30 o'clock. went into executive
| adjourned.
HOUSE.
:, Mr. Dingey of Maine, presented in the
House to-day remonstrances against the
Dunn free ship bill from the following as
~ =