Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-07-01
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON, June 80, 1886


ecutive sessions and the speech of Mr.. Mo-
rill against the proposed change was read
| Mr.. Henderson, He thought that his frien
from Connecticut (Mr. PlatD was, in thi
matter, Immensely wrong" Mr.. Morri
| denied that public sentiment clamors fo
open executive sessions. He thought prob
| ably some opposition to executive session
with closed doors had arisen from unrecog
nizable reports of what had been said o
| done by Senators. He paid his respects t.
the newspaper correspondents and did no
| think it would cause them any profound
| grief to learn that what they had said abou
| an executive session was all wrong Ri
hoped Senators would continue to pursu,
| the even tenor of their way and not fee
| too ambitious to have all that the,
said and did daily reported in tn,
Record. In closing Mr.. Morrill's speech re
ferred to the innovation now proposed as
freak of levity" which would not compori
with the character of the American Senate
Mr.. Hoar next addressed the Senate in op
position to the proposed abandonment of Sc
cret sessions. He said the experience of E
hundred years was in favor of the existing
practice and of an increasing strictness in its
observance. He utterly denied that there
was any public sentiment in favor of the
changing of the rules and intimated sarcas-
tica!ly that the movement for open executive
sessions had been gotten up solely by repre-
sentatives of the press But with one excep.
ton he had never seen or heard from sin
gle person IN this country-not connected
with newspaper-who thought the change
desirable. The suggestion that the Senate
was becoming unpopular and losing the con-
hdence of the people he characterized as
silly stuff with no claim to serious consider
alton. He said that the Senate represented
the peoples deliberate will and second sober
thought. Had not the Senate been the lead
er in accomplishing and trying to accomplish
all the great reforms demanded by the peo-
pie? He denounced the talk about the Sen
ate being an American house of lords as the
merest and idlest chatter. This discussion
of treaties required the expression Of judg-
ments as to the character and designs and
weakness of foreign nations, the publication
of which would tend to destroy friendly
relations. The reasons were still
stronger against putting it in
the power of man to provoke a public dis
cussion upon the character of any officer. To
open the doors to those debates would have
vast tendency to prolong the debate. An
attempt had been made in some quarters to
connect this question with the difference of
opinion that had lately arisen between the
President and the Senate in respect to the
Presidents reasons for making removals.
He did not mean to reopen the debate. There
had been in some quarters a disposition to
charge the Senate with purpose to embar-
rass the administration of President Cleve-
land. Mr.. Hoar declared that there was
never greater mistake. This Senate had
shown a greater Difference to this Democratic
President than was ever shown by Republi-
can Senate to any of his Republican prede-
eessors. Among its earliest acts was a
bill which diverted the succession to the
presidency from its own chosen officer who
is under its own control to any official ap-
pointed by him, bill which the Democratic
House refused to entertain when Republicans
were in power. An amendment to the con-
stitution favorably reported from Repub-
lican committee unanimously passed the
Senate which will prolong his term of Office
two months. The Senate had prompt
ly created a new Office to enable
the Secretary of the Treasury to
remain in Office during the illness they all
SO much regretted. The President had in
fifteen months nominated successors to 2 LOST
civil officers. There were left 1906 upon
whom time or the axe of thep residential
headsman were to do their work. He pre-
sumed that by the end of the Presidents
term there would not be twenty Republicans
left in Office in the United States whom he
could get at where he had the
power under the law to give
the places to Democrats. Yet the
Senate of the entire number had already
confirmed ], 749 and rejected but sixteen.
Mr.. Hoar branched off on a long and Sc
we're arraignment of President Cleveland for
abandoning his civil service reform pledges.
Judging of the Presidents fidelity to the
cause of reform by his conduct and policy
and the conduct and policy of officials whom
he had selected to carry out his policy, Mr..
Hoar could not find that he had kept or had
even attempted to keep the pledges made
before and after his election. The civil
service law was not the Presidents
achievement and people had a right to expect
much more than compliance with this Re-
publican law. Instead of taking firm step
forward the President had failed to make his
understand that he meant bust
ness. In few localities where the Demo
Gratis need the votes of civil service
reformers, slight concessions had been made
to this sentiment" while the doctrine "to
the victor belong the spoils" was in force
for the rest of the country. What doctrine
of reform is that which is sound where it
will not hurt the Democratic party and I'M
sound where it would hurt that partys Of
the thirty-six hundred civil officers of whom
the President has the appointment he had
already nominated successors for more
than two thousand "nI the axe was
falling W the necks of
worthy and faithful public servants
for no other reason than that they were Re-
publcans and he wanted their places for
vice commission and Mr.. Higgins, appoint
ment clerk in the treasury, were the two
persons from whose character the theory and
practice of true civil service could be best
Judged.
After Mr.. Hoar concluded the chair laid
before the Senate the joint resolution extend
ng the appropriations of the current year
tor ten years, but on objection of Mr.. Ed
nunds to second reading it went over.
The legislative bill was taken up. Mr..
Beck and Mr.. Plumb criticised the House
FOR the delay in passing appropriation bills
and after disposing of forty six pages of
The bill the Senate had brief executive
session and at 6 p. IN. took recess until
p. m. During the executive session the
nomination of Mr.. Thompson, of South Car
Dina, to be assistant Secretary of the Trea-
sury was referred to the Finance committee
AT its evening session the Senate resumed
of the legislative appropriation
bill, but took no final action upon it. Much
Of the evening session was consumed in
desultory discussion over the proposed re-
duction of force in the surgeon generals Office
and the reduction was finally rejected
The Senate at II rs adjourned
HoUsE-Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, from
the Pan Electric committee. submitted report
signed by four members of the committee
upon the subject of it's investigation. It is
by the following resolutions:
Resolved That full and exhaustive investiga-
to show thai Attorney General Garland Solicitor
General Goode Secretary Lamar, Indian Commits
sioner Atkins, Railroad Commissioner Johnston or
Senator Harris, they being the officers named in
the Pan Electric publications of the newspaper
press which gave rise to this investigation did any
act, official or otherwise, connected with the mat
ter investigated which was dishonest or censur-
able
The report and resolution, which is con-
Cured in by Mr.. Hale, were referred to the
House calendar.
Mr.. Ranney, of Massachusetts, also sub
mitted report signed by the four Republi
can members of the committee. Mr.. Hale,
of Missouri, presented his individual views.
These reports were placed upon the calendar.
Mr.. Reed, of Maine, reserved all points of Or
der against the resolution accompanying Mr..
Boyle's report, and Mr.. Ranney, stating that
the resolution had never been submitted to
the committee Or acted upon by it, also re-
served all points,