Evening star., 1886-07-16
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER
K representatives Laird and Cobb EX.
change Compliments, and the For
mer Strikes tie Latter.
SENATOR VESTS INDIGNATION.
River and Harbor, and Legislative Bills.



After dtsposing of some business Of little i'm
portance Mr.. Mcmillan moved to take up the
river and harbor bill, but waived that motion
temporarily In order to allow some pension
bills to be considered. Objection was made to
this, but the Senate, by q vote of "a to 10,
directed the pension bills to be proceeded with.
Mr. Beck criticised the action of the chairman
OF the committee on commerce for not pressing
the river and harbor bill, aud intimated that
the apparent desire of Mr.. Mcmillan to get on
with that bill was not sincere
Mr. Mcmillan explained that he had yester-
day agreed to yield to the Senator from New
Hampshire for pension bills, which would con-
The House bill increasing the pension of John
Ryan and Senate bill granting a pension to
latter bill being described by Mr. Cockrell as
mere act Of charity TO colored preacher who
nad only served a little while in the Louisiana
Native Guards, but MIR. Blair said that the man
had also served in q colored regiment and in
the veteran brigade.
The next bill taken up and passed was
to Miss NJ ry A. Thomas who had &C ted as vol
unteer army nurse aud Superintendent of
nurses at Frederick, Md.
Alter ten more pension bills were passed the
senate at 12:3O resumed consideration OF the
RIVER AND HARBoR BILL.
Mr.. ingalls, called attention to the lax and
careless manner in which the new edition of
the bill (printed this morning) had been got up
he had been assureu by the chairman of the
lnmlttee on commerce that great care had
oeen exercised IN arranging the bill in lis latest
form, yet upon the most curSOry and casual eX-
animation OF the bill he found
GREAT VARIETY OF "ECCENTRICITIEs,"
such as items in which the total appropriation
was less than the amount directed Gn the same
item) to be expended in some special part of
the work. He instanced some twenty or more
OF these cases. and submitted that it was hard
~ appropriate that the Senate should be led
q RI nn,f in
iuftncr consideration. He said this without
hostility to the bill.
Mr.. Mcmillan explained that the reduction of
20 per cent had been computed on the amount
o the appropriation aid hat the distribution of
tue amount of an item among several parts of
the works was merely matter of compu ation
that coulo De done as the bill Was being read.
Mr.. VEST INDIGNANT.
Mr.. Vest called attention to a sentence in Mr.
Conger's speech yesterday-which he had not
heard, and which appeared to be aimed at the
Senator from Texas (Mr. Coke), and himself. It
was 10 the effect that two members OF the COM
mlttee On commerce had confessed that they
mad been actuated by corrupt motives, II he
had heard such statement 1t would have re-
Indignant denunciation. Any SENATOR who
would SO stultity himself as to make such an
admission would deserve to be expelled. So
far rom making any such confession he had
repeied an imputation made upon the COM
mlttee by the Senator from Kansas (Mr
flumb), and had said that the committee had
nuenced every senator in the matter OF getting
apPi oprlaLlons for his own state; but he had re-
bill mad oeen butchered, but its blood was not
on his hands.
MR.. CoNGER DIsCLA1MED
making any such imputatiOn as Mr.. Vest COM
planned Of and said that it he made any re.
marks, not called for, 1t was made under ex-
citeinent The Senators from Missouri and
It xa> had been (with hlmselD firm advocales
of the bill, and he had had no fault to lind with
them.
MIR. Plumb said it had not been in his mind
yesterday 10 make any charge against the
committee ON commerce or any member of it.
ana ne had especially excepted from blame the
senators from Missouri and Texas, but mad in
tended to commend them as being tue only
members OF the committee who had stuck To
the Uil.
Mr. Coke expressed himself as satisfied with
the explanations made. As to the amendment
reported by the committee, he considered il an
unreasonable, illogical and unjust assault on
the Senate,
Mr.. Beck said that, without going into the
motives OF the committee in offering the
amendment TO reduce the amount in the bill
20 per cent, he would vote Ior that amendment
u anu TAKE the cuances ci what the conference
would do in regard to some items of
the blil to which he was opposed.
lhe reaalng OF the ameuded BILL with the
orisina amounts reduced 20 per cent, was then
Proceeded With and The "ecce tricit,e," pointed
Out this morning by Mr. Ingalls, were Corrected
as the items were reached.
House Of Representatives.
THE DISTRICTS CIVIL SERVICE QUOTA.
The Speaker laid before the House a commu-
nication from the secretary of the civil service
commission in reply to resolution of the
House calling for information as to the auth
ority for appointments to the civil service from
the District OF Columbia in excess OF its proper
tion. Referred.
Crne secretary says in substance: 81 am di.
rected by the commission to reply that If the
would be stated that only two appointments
anu not tWenty-three had been made from fLe
District OF Columbia on certihcations OF the
commission during the year ending January ia
1856. Buttt is presumed by the commission tha1
exact Information on the subject OF the rpsoIn
tlon Is sought, and therefore there is herewith
full statement OF all certifcations
Tor appol lntnent from the District OF Co,umhla
rom 10Th july, 1883, to 9th January 1880
An th eAam'naion OF the table will snow that
Lhese certlncatlons were regularly made in
pursuance OF acquisitions from the appointing
power Tor persons examined for services OF a
speclal ana technical character aud sometimes
needed Tor temporary work only. The elIgibles
for these certidcations were obtained by SPECIAL
examinations for places in the departmental
service al w aShlngton, as provided IOr in the |
rules prom mulgated by the President w hen teen
meal ana peculiar qualifications were needed |
Inc position to he flied was specially stated in
each requisition and called for persons eligibIe
and graded highest, whether from the District
Ut Columbia or otherwise. and in all cases those
graded highest were certified by the commission
or appointment. The enecessaryappOintmen on
the Scspeclal matters We're placed with The an
pointing poWeran as directed by the civil ser
vice act, the appointment was made as nearly rs
Tue conditions OF good administration would
warrant. 1ne highest special and technicaluuuIi-
locations were not obiainable through appoint.
ment alone, and therefore the highest graded
were Certified and selected without regard 20
locality, because good administration needed
lL"]
THE LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION BILL.
The House then resumed the consideration of
The conference report on the legislative appro-
priat1on Dill and IL was agreed to- thus dispos-
ing Of SO many Of the amendments in dispute
as were agreed TO by the conference committee.
Mr.. Findlay (Md.) moved that the House re-
cede from Its disagreement to the Senate
am mendment increasing from 81, 900 to S4.5OO
the salary of the assistant treasurer at BalN.
more. Agreed TO.
Mr.: Townshend Qll.) moved that the House
recede from Its disagreement to the Senate
amendment increasing from 81. 900 600 to
eZ,OoO,OOO the appropriation made fOr the |
officers.
After short debate the motion was lost
MIR. Weaver (lowa) moved that the House
recede from It's disagreement TO the Senate
iInenunent ApprOpriating $4,000 TO enable |
the commissioner Of labor to collect statistics
relative 10 marriage and divorce. Lost.
CLERICAL FORCE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COM |
MISSION.
Mr. Cannon ul.) moved that the House re- |
,ede from its disagreement TO the Senate
amendment providing for an increase OF the |
clerical force OF the civil service commission.
Agreed 10. Yeas, 1913; nays, III.
. A turtner disagreement was ordered on the |
amendment providing for Senators |
sleFAs' Sno 1urtner conference ordered.
VETO MESSAGES
Mr.. Matson Qnd.) called up the report Of the |
On invalid pensions on the message |