Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-26
PORTY-NINTH CONGRESs.
sen ATE.

WASHINGTON. March 25.
In the Senate this morning Mr.. Hoar re-
ported from the library committee a bill. es.
tablisaing committee composed of the sec
retary OF state, the librarian Of Congress 4 nd
the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
to examine and report to Congress as TO the
character and value of the manuscripts be-
longing TO Congress; passed.
Mr.. Frye reported tavorably frem the COM
mittee on commerce bill to provide for the
encouragement OF American shipping and to
promote postal and commercial relations
with foreign countries. Mr.. Frye explained
briefly that the bill appropriated 81, 100, 900
Tor carrying the United States mails in Amer
lean vessels to and from foreign countries.
makes 1t the duty of the postmaster general
to advertise for proposals, to accept the low
est bids and to enter into contracts for the
carrying of those mails
/ he chair laid before the Senate a letter
from the postmaster general transmitting, in
compliance with the recent Senate resolution,
tabular statement of the fourth-class post
masters removed since the 4th of March
1885; referred
On request of Mr. Eimunds the army bill was
by unanimous consent made unfinished busi-
ness OF the morning hour and Mr.. Edmunds
resolutions were placed before the Senate.
Mr.. Voorhees, took the floor in opposition
to the majority report. After stating the
question at issue, Mr.. Voorhees, asked why
the majority contented themselves with an
attack on the agent (attornes general and
shraDk al direct blow at the principal (the
PRESIDENT. Did the senator from Vermont
expect cabinet officer to disobey the pres
ident. The resolutions were meant for poo
ular effect. They contemplated no measure
OF legislation to remove any evil or pretended
evil, they were a illumination of Senatorial
opinion, barren of result other than a cheap
partizan denunciaton. The resolutions now
before the Senate, he said, constituted
trivial and lnconsequential measure compared
to the sturdy and straightforward remedy
provided by the constitution for the punish
men of public officials wilfully recreant or
disobedient to the law. The resolutions were
simply intended to keep republicans in
Office There was nothing more certain how
ever the people understood the object. The
majority of the Senate had turned aside from
the legitimate business of legislation. Labor
all over the country was overtaxed and scan
tily paid by the reason of long standing and
vicious legislation. Human suffering was
ringing its hands and weeping in many parts
of the country in destitution from the want
of employment and proper remuneration.
Great corporations were overshadowing the
land and absorbing the powers of State and
Nation and grinding the flesh and blood of
men and women into their huge and massive
hoppers. American commerce no longer had
ships on the high seas. Great questions of
taxation and finance were pressing for atten-
tentlon. But from all these great and press
ing subjects we must turn aside to discuss
this question raised by the senator from Yer
mont (Edmunds). 1t was thrust into our
councils to obstruct the business of the
country in the favor of lot Of republican
office holders. The president, Mr.. Voorhees,
said, was holding his great office in trust for
the people and it was not warranted in aban-
doning the rights of the presidential office in
favor of any other branch of the government.
As to the removals by President Clevelani.
MIR Voorhees, said there were from 10000
to 10000 Office holders in the United States
for % years. This tremendous patronage
had been in the hands of one of the strong
est most Jealous, vehement and prospective
political parties ever known in the history ot
the world.
Mr.. Voorhees, heartily endorsed Ceveland's
action III making removals as far as action
had been had and he would heartily end orse
the presidents action in the same direction ii
it went a thousand leagues further. With
the exception of f0urth-cass postmasters
there were at The present moment ten repub-
icans in office to one democrat Mr. Voor-
hees had no hesitation in declaring that such
a state of things was not consistent with the
true theory of popular government or with its
safe and honest administration The civil
service law had never commended itself to
Mr.. Voorhees,. Very recently he had voted
in the committee and should in the Senate
for its absolute repeal 1t had proven itself
to be violent and odious obstruction to the
will of the people and stumbling block in
the way of a rational and successful admin
istration
Mr.. Evarts then addressed the Senate in
support of the majority report. The resolu-
tions reported, he said dscared that the de-
mand made by the judiciary committee of
the attorney general should, under the cir
cumstances, have been complied with and
that neither his duty nor the instructions of
the president justified him in his refusal to
comply with the demand In the
language of the constitution whatever
touched common defence and general war
fare belonged to the two houses of Congress.
When, therefore, either house undertook to
deal with public documents in the depart
ments it dealt with what belonged to the
government of the United States for the use
of Congress upon its judgment of what its
duties or proposed actions related. The
question of power of removal was great
question and in Mr.. Evarts' opinion it was a
settled question. He believed it to have been
decided, and correctly decided, that the
power of removal under the constitution be-
longed to the president without participation
by the Senate in what related to the mere act
of removal. But what was the question
here? President Cleveland had not removed
Duskn. He had not asserted his power un-
der the constitution to remove him. Ii was
for the president to determine in dealing
with an office or officer whether he would ex
ercse the power that belonged to him alone
and then perform another act that didn't be-
long to him alone but belonged to him with
the participation of the Senate. Mr.. Evar,s
then proceeded to discuss the tenure of Office
act, which he said gave the president power
to remove during vacation. Suspension
didn't vacate an office. MIR. Evarts had never
approved of that law, but he had never been
able to express his opinion that
it was unconstitutional When Burnette's
nomination came the presidents message
gave the nomination as being to take the
place of Duskin, suspended. That, of course,
meant that he was still in office but su spend.
ed. The senator from Alabama had made a
point now that it was only a moot question,
because Duskins term had expired. So good
lawyer as Mr.. Pugh would have to admit
that issues were always determined as they
we're Joined. Therefore Mr.. Evarts saw no
propriety in the suggestion that the question