Evening star., 1886-06-09
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
More Discussion in the House
THE SUBJECT IN THE SENATE.
Senator vance's Bill to Repeal the Law.
The Senate.

protectlOn. Let people buy OleOmargarine,
they say "as they would any other article o
food"
Alter routine business the Senate proceeded
to the consideration OF bills on the calendar
under the five minute rule.
THE BILL TO REPEAL THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW
Mr. Hawley moved to postpone indefinitely
the bill introduced by Mr.. Vance to repeal the
civil service law.
Mr.. Vance called for the yeas and nays
Mr. Harris objected to this consumption Of
time, and the matter went over.
ane n.lt 10 authorize the employment OF law
clerks for tho justices Of the Supreme Court was
passed.
OTHER BILLS PASSED.
A bill to give Mrs. Phelps, widow of the late
us. minister to Peru. a sum equal to one years
salary of the office held by her husband at the
time OF his death, and a bill providing for the
purchase ofthe portrait of General George II.
Thomas. painted by Gen. S. W. Price, were also
passed.
House Of Representatives.
THE LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION BILL.
The house to-day went into committee of the
whole (Mr Blount. of Georgia, in the chair, on
the legislative, executive and judicial appro-
priation bill.
MR. COMPTON, OF MARYLAND, OPPOSED TO THE
CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
Mr. Compton tMd.) did not propose to answer
the speech OF ill-omen made by his colleague
(Mr. McComas) Time would show that the
PiopheCy haoc ny Luat gentleman was not
correct. When the administration had done
Its duty, and when the House had done its
duty, 1T would be seen that the figures pre-
sented by his colleague were not correct. He
proposed to address himself to the civil service
reio.m provision of the bill, and he expressed
his admiration iOr the courage OF the commit
tee on appropriations in placing the provision
on the pending bill. In announcing his oppO-
sltlon to the rules adopted by the civil service
commission, he gave voice to the
sentiments of the people he represented
lie Yielded to high lOyv in nffif or
out oi Office, in the entertainment OF an honest
earnest and sincere desire Tor the thorough
civil service OF the go .ernment but this, he ar-
gued, was not accomplished by the existing
civli service law. That law had been case VI
'heaus Win, tails you lose" In case of repub-
llcan success, that party was to have the law
ana the offices; in case of democratic success,
that party Was to have the law without the
ofnceS. That law was, he cOntended unconsti-
tutlonal and he protested against it as an an IL
democratic and anti-repubiican usurpation of
the peoples right. He was against the law as
1t stood, radically and irreconciliably.
Mr.. Hltl llli.l commented on what he term ed
the extraordinary provision which had been
forced upon an appropriation bill TO nullify
the civil service law. Ii 1t were not ruled out
on point OF order he hoped that the House.
representing the country and the advanced
Thought OF the day, would defeat it with u
square VOTE The law had been tried; it was no
longer speculation, and it had, upon the
most thor"ugn trial, been found TO be condu-
eve to efficiency, honesty and purity of the
civil service. Tie committee on appropriations
did not refuse 10 appropriate for the civil SER
wee commission, but IL coupled the appropria-
tion with proViso which broke down
the barrier which prevented spoilsmen
from appointing their workers to office
He believed that the response of the country to
the provision would prove a Quietus to the
attacks upon the civil service system. He
briefly reviewed what he asserted TO be indirect
violation of the law by the Postmaster Genera!
ana the commissioner of pension, and COM
mended the more direct course pursued by the
Secretary Of the Treasury in the appointment
President in appointing MIR. Oberly as civil ser
vice commissioner, declaring that that gentle
man was the very type OF party boss.
/ MR.. BAYNE (PA.) PROTESTED
against the provision, and called attention to
the fact that the change proposed to be made
could be made by the Presidant. To put this
proposition on the bill was to vote a want Of
confidence in the President aud his cabinet.
He believed that the President was doing his
level best to carry out civil service reform and
that most, If pot ali, OF his cabinet were en-
deavoring in good faith to execute the law The
only gentlemen who were complaining OF tie
civil service rules We're the members OF the
Kitchen cabinet"--whO they were he did not
know.
SHARP CRITICISM FROM Mr.. PRICE.
Mr.. Price (Wis) analyzed the bill and criti-
cised many OF the items of appropriation az
being extravagant. He took up the appropria-
ton of $4,000 for the Capitol police, declaring
that the work could be well done tor $40, 600,
and that S26, 600 was thus taken from the peo-
pies pocket and conferred upon political pets.
He gave this only as u sample There was rot.
teuness every place you put young finger.
There Was petty larceny in every provision
and grand larceny in the aggregate.
TOO LATE IN THE SESSION FOR POLITICAL
ESSAYS.
An attempt was then made to arrive at some
determination as to the time when general de.
bate should close, Mr.. Holman Qnd.) suggesting
that it should end at 4:3O, but the republicans
OBJECTED 10 II as being too short time, and MIR.
Reagan CTeXas) on the ground that debate
should close at AN earlier hour. 1t was, he said,
too late In the session for the House to con-
sumo the time in listening to political essays.
1t was finally agreed that the general discus
sion should close at ten minutes to five.
Mr.. Springer (lli.) defended the commissioner
OF pensions from the charge Of having violated
the civil service law.
District i'm Congress.
JOHN FRAsER's CLAIM.
In the Senate yesterday Mr.. Morrill,, from the
finance committee, reported back the bill to
pay John Fraser, OF this city, $914.2O, for SER
vices as acting supervising architect of the
Treasury, and had it referred to the committee
PROTECTION FROM FIRE.
In the Senate to-day Mr.. Vance, from the Dis
trict committee, reported favorably the bill to
require fire escapes and other appliances for
the protection OF life and property in the Dis
trict. [The bill has been published In THE
STAR.
ANOTHER GENERAL PENSION BILL.
The House committee on invalid pensions
has agreed to report as a substitute tor Senator
Blair's pension bill the bill introduced by Mr..
Elisberry, Of Ohio, with amendments The
Blair bill granted divisible pensions, according
TO disability, ranging from $24 per month
down to 81, to invalid soldiers and sailors of
the United States in the late civil war who are
dependent upon their daily labor for support
Tho bill agreed upon by the House committee
provides for uniform pension of $12 per
mouth for all soldiers and sailors who are alb
solutely disabled and unable to maintain them.
selvest and does not recognize distinctions In
rank.
THE TERRITORIES
The House committee on territories to-day
agreed to report bill extending the operations
Of the general homestead laws over Alaska. A
favorable report was also directed Oh the bill
authorizing the expenditure of $50, 600 in sink
Ing artesian wells for irrigating purposes in the
Territory Of Montana.
THE CIVIL SERVICE DEBATE IN THE HOUSE.
In the debate In the House yesterday on the
civil service clause Of the legislative appropria-
ton bill Mr.. Holman explained the objects OF
the new features of the bill and attacked the
system that does not allow heads Of depart
ments to scrutinize the full lists Of eigibles In
reply to questions he admitted that the object
was TO give democrats the appointments. Mr..
springer insisted that there could be no such
thing AZ civil service reform until half the
Offices In the classified service are held by
democrats. Mr.. Taninee, Of Kentucky, voiced