Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-07-03
CONGRESSIONAL.


!
SENATE
WASHINGTON, July 2.-The Legisla
tive apportionment bill, for additiona
clerks for the Civil Service Commission
was opposed by Vance, who remarke'
that If the Commission was unable to d.
fany more business, 1t would be so mucl
ths,bsslsr.N
aaulsbury looked upon the Civil Ser
vice commission from the beginning +
the end rs q useless piece of machinery
If he had his way ne would repeal tn
law.
! Voorhees, seid he had never been TO
. law, sleeping or waking, but Will
&C was law ne would treat il fairly anf
pive it fair chance. II there was am
good in il he hoped the good woule
come out. The fact would be manifes
in due time. The people would
pass upon 1t.
Ingalls, did not wonder at Voorhees, be
| ing in favor Of q civil service law as ad
ministered by the Democratic party. He
quoted from the statement of the Com
missioner of Pensions that out of sew
enty seven men appointed by him under
the civil service rule seventy.two were
Democrats and the other five were ol
unknown politics. He had no doubt
that il the clerical force OF the Commits
sioner had been sufficient the politics Of
the other five would have been found
out and the men would have been Dem.
ocrats. ~
VOORHEES, defended the Commissioner
of Pensions, aud commended the prac-
tice Of the two parties in putting their
own adberents into office, still, he would
no more cut down the force Of the Civil
Service Commission, or deny 1t the means
of giving the system fair trial, than he
| would vote ~ cut of the supplies from
the army in the fiela, even il be did not
approve the policy Of the war. The
commission was discharging its duty and
he was for upholding its hands in lib
eral and proper spirit.
Harrison said that il the Civil Service
Commission needed any additional cler-
ical help he was willing to give il. II 1t
shall be found, however, that the office
was in some way administered so as to
give it partizau turn, so that while
things were put promiscuously and fair
ly into the mill nothing but Democratic
results came out, it would be time
enough then to arraign the Commission
and hold it to Just responsibility.
Hawley said that the interests of the
country demanded resoNute and per-
sistent attempt to reach Improvement in
the public service. After three years
trial he believed that the law was strong
er now In q public respect than 1t was
when 1t was passed. 1t was to be ex-
pected that such a law would be imper
fectly executed. The whole movement
was tentative and experimental.
Vance asked Hawley whether the law
had materially improved the character
of government employees.
Hawley believed that the law had
been benefit to the public service.
Teller declared that while he was at
the head Of the Interior Department ap-
pointments made under the Civil Service
law were made utterly irrespective Of
politics. Of one hundred and fifty
special exam lners appointed by him
there was not one whose politics was
disc ssed or known by him or the heads
Of the bureaus.
Voorhees, disclaimed any idea of i'm
pugning the uniform fairness and impair
tiality of the Senator while he was Sec
retary of the Iaterior.
Dawes thought the validity of the
Civil Service law was taken out OF 1t
when Congress refused to enact that se-
lections should be made from the three
highest on the list, certified to by the
commission, but the law was on the
statute book, and under it there were
great advantages in the condition Of
things. 1t deserved the ardent and sin
cere sapport Of everyone who believed
in the possibility OF improving the Civil
Service, and the amendments would
ultimately come to make 1t more strin.
gent and perfect.
Collins said he did not propose now to
arraign the law as being in the direction
Of the aristocraoy and the privileged
class. or as being q clear denial of the
responsibility Of the President and
heads of departments to the people.
He should AXE occasion before the close
OF the session 10 present bis opinion on
Llat ouDleCt. AL ne Wantcu W bthtc
now was that no person ia Florida,
whether Democrat or Republican. had
been able to obtain an Office under the
civil service law.
The discussion closed and the amend
ment was adopted, 36 to ii.
The amendment increasing the
compensation of the Commissioner
Of Pensions from $4,000 to 5000
was rejected, "a to 25. The vote
was subsequently rescinded and
the amendment agreed to without di.
vision. A like amendment as to the Com
missioner Of Patents was agreed to, "a
to 10. The Senate then took up the
River and Harbor appropriation bill
and soon after adjourned.
HOUSE.
The House went into the Committee
OF the Whole. Mr.. Hammond, Of Geor-
gia, in the chair, on the General Def
ciency Bill There was no debate and
the bill was forthwith read for amend.
ments. Cannon, of Illinois. offered an
| amend ment making an approprlatiOu for