Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-03
LAST DAYS WORK.
A Busy Time in Both Houses Of
Congress.
THE FRENCH SPOLIAfION CLAIMS.
The Senate Agrees to the Amend
ment Covering Them.
MIR. PLUMB ON CIVIL SERVICE.
SENATE.

The score or more Senators who had remained
industriously at work until the close Of yester-
days session found when they left the Capitol
at O'Clock in the morning the ground covered
with snow, and those who were in attendance
when todays session began had made their way
to the Capitol through snow storm. As soon
as the morning prayer was offered by the chap
lain and the Journal of yesterday read BY the
secretary, the galleries were cleared and the
doors were closed for IN executive session.
The doors were reopened at 1915, when the
general deficiency appropriation bill was taken
up, and all the amendments that had been
agreed to in committee of the whole last night
were agreed to in bulk by the Senate, except rs
TO four that were reserved, including the Frenth b
spolation claims and the Pacific railroad
claims.
TO RELIEVE CITIZENS OF OKLAHOMA.
Mr.. Plumb offered an amendment appropri-
atlng $50 for the relief of the citizens of Okla
homa who have been rendered destitute by the
unexampled droughtof Of the past season. Agreed
to.
Mr.. Plumb desired to have an amendment
onered and agreed to distributing among the
various departments of the government num-
per OF census office clerks whose employment
Is about to cease, but Mr. Edmunds objected
on the ground that it was a purely legislative
subject and that 1t interfered with the opera
tlon OF the civil service rules, those clerks not
having had to go through the forms of civil
service examination.
MIR. PLUMB ON THE CIVIL SERVICE.
MIR. Plumb said that if anybody supposed
that civil service was run without fear, favor
or affection he was entirely mistaken His in
formation was that it could be shown that
favoritism Of the worst kind was practiced: that
a system OF back-scratching and underhand
work was carried on whereby persons we're
picked out for protection. This was done either
with or without permission of the commission
ers, for it often happened that the butler of
house dispensed hospitality as well as the pro-
prietor.
Mr.. Edmunds remarked that those who did it
ought to be punished.
Mr.. Plumb assented to that, but said that such
thing was inevitable under the sort Of au-
tocracy that had been built up on civil service
reform-and which considered itself not only
beyond the President Of the United States, but
beyond the Constitution itself. The system was
run in way that would, in his Judgment,
break it down.
He did not wish to have it broken down. He
did not wish to have restoration of the forme-
condition OF things under which clerical offices
were scrambled for as the prizes of politics.
Objection being made the amendment was
not offered
The first Of the reserved amendments Gas to
payment to the Pacific railroads) was agreed
to without division.
THE FRENCH sPoLIAT1oN CLAMA
The next reserved amendment was that for
the payment Of the French spoliation claims
Mr.. Edmunds made the point Of order that
every one of them was purely a private claim
and had no business on an appropriation bill
Mr. Hale argued against the point of order
and the point was overruled by the Vice Presi-
dent.
Mr.. Reagan argued that these claims were
really for the benefit of lobby agents and not
for that OF the descendants of the original
claimants.
Mr.. Hoar asserted that there never were
claims that made stronger appeal to the honor
and the public faith of the government than
these French spoliation claims made
Mr.. Reagan could not understand how claims
that involved the honor and good faith Of the
government were allowed to stand unadjusted
for hundred years.
Mr.. Platt repiying to Mr.. Reagan's state
ment about the claims being held by lobby
agents. said that good many Of them were
held In Connecticut and that not one in twenty
of them had passed into the hands of asspnees
Mr.. Frye asked whether Mr.. Platt was inno-
cent enough to suppose that Mr.. Reagan knew
of single one Of the claims being in the hands
of an attorney.
Mr.. Patt-H He made that statement
Mr.. Frye-Yes; but l did not suppose that
the Senator from Connecticut had the slightest
idea that the Senator from Texas thought 70.
Mr.. Sherman said that he had examined the
question when he first went to Congress and
that he had come to the conclusion that there
was neither u legal nor Q moral obligation for
them on the part of the United States. He
still entertained that opinion.
Mr.. Evarts made an argument in support Of
the justice of the claims and gave a brief his
torica! review OF how they were used by the
United States government as part payment to
France in the purchase of the Louisiana ter
ritory. So far as he heard and knew the French
spoliation claims that we're represented in the
city OF New York had come down by inherit
ance to their present holders. They had not
been very marketable commodity, and had
remained by necessity in the old desks and
trunks where they had been found
The discussion was carried on at much length
by Messrs. Stewart, HOar, Edmunds, Spooner,
Morrill,, Daniels, Blair and Hawley-the latter
declaring that in very few things was he
ashamed OF his country, but that this was one
of them. Finally Mr.. German having an
pealed to the Senators to stop the discussion
and to pass the bill before it was too late, the
vote was taken and the French spoliation
claims amendment was agreed to-yeas, Al;
nays, IA.
WASHINGTON STREET RAILWAY FRANCHISES.
Mr.. Ingalls, moved to strike out of the orig
inal bill proviso attempting to forfeit the
franchises of the Washington and Georgetown
Railroad Company and Of the Metr opolitan
Railroad Company in case of their failure to
pay certain Judgments against them. The mo-
ton was agreed to and the proviso was stricken
out
THE MONTHS EXTRA PAY.
The last reserved amendment was that strik.
ing out OF the House bill paragraph giving Q
months exr-a pay to officers as employees of the
Senate and House borne on the annual or on
the session rolls. The amendment was disa-
greed to and the paragraph was retained. Yeas,
"A; nays, 3S.
Mr.. Faulkner moved to add to the paragraph
the words ''and the official reporters Of the
Senate and House."
Mr.. Hale-And I move to add to that the
word. Senators and Representatives in Com
gress"
II the business Of Congress be to add con-
tinually 10 the compensation Of officials Of both
houses there Is no reason why that of Senators
and Representatives should not be added to.
subsequently Mr.. Hale withdrew his amend
ment with the remark that he had not intended
it seriously.
Mr.. Faulkner's amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. Stewart offered an amendment to reim-
burse to the states of California, Oregon and |
Nevada moneys expended by them In the sup
preston Of the rebellion-$2,46 ,46l, ,369 to Cali
iornia. sa2l,6as to Oregon and $40, ,olo to
Nevada.
The amendment was agreed 70 without d.
vision.
Mr.. Carlisle offered an amsndmsnt TO the
extra month"; pay paragraph 20 - TO include
ovxnvlovnn in, Ia L - 49, 49,