Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-24

pom n,,j civil engineers in the otncoof the
ulnisv.nss.rvisino Architect was the text on
5scnssiou on the subject OF clsii-s s;a.'s
Nominations. II came cut IN .no u d,nent
sion that the purpose Oh tne n,ii ~ evil
was TO get rid OF the requi us ~, rIov4s
saryice examination for such cnipios y.
cprrtc1sM or THE crvrI-sERVioh oosni'''O
ERs.
Mr.. German ayailed himseiI ., c,,e COM mn
nortunity 10 criticise the CIV co,a,ors Re
mlssaDtetives. and Cabinet officers as r 9e.
PIe'Snnst;Ia 10 the civil-serylce law lhs
lns n ,,,;ss;onerS he said, had gone neyonu
.H'l hnnnda az propriety when !hey AZ
tne Itod In public meetings ana IN new
.'o,,er Articles furnished by tnelI oief -.
denouace senators and nein ~ DO, oa am
gress and Cabinet and q piece Of audacity.
EySo trouhle with the commissioners gI Nv
Inc u 49, want OF ability 10 enforce the
law in a practical and fair way
,r,,pr,o OF THE cIvu-sERyIcH LAW
A. w., said that there was o vast
M of bumbug IN connection VIII tne
aL ll;I Twice law. II had some go9u Tea
t,,,oa which had been magninea ana SOM
lures VIZ WIZ dafects which had been mini,
InonS S IN some of the departments IL hao
lili aeotod we'll and IN others II nan Deeh
ond fraud, and he thoughJ tnft
s shat ,vas becoming the opinion Oh tne III
teiligent portion OF the AIhhe AN. .~ iapoislatc
Gsr s,resa he thought, ought 70 leglsiA.tic
Song!Iit.ss i.at from this time forward CIVIL
ulIsi;oS denominations should not De re-
sei ;.nJ to- The Bureau of the Architect OF
the HI iI Sochrell said that instead OF eXecu-
~ ni otticera coming 10 Congress ana ask
; nc II TO override the ciyilIserVlee laT
tbev should go TO the Presiuent anu ash
him TO withdraw the ekecutN19 olGeI
placing such offices under the CIV ii-'ei 'i'o
law.
:. rr,,pvsr m A TEAPOT" SAYS Mr.. ALLISON.
Mr.. Allison said he had not had any idea
Of raising such tempest IN Veh-pOI Ds
a. embodiment reported from the Com
,,,;ttee on Appropriations. That amend
r1ant was not intended as reflection on
+be civil Service Commission or on the
Pros;dont or on ANYBODY else, but was
,oaroIv intended 10 supplement the exist
nc state of the law and the orders OF the
President by allowing the temporary EN-,
nlovment of skilled architects OUTSIDE OF
the civil-service law. Inc Archltect OF
the Treasury had told the comlRittee tnhI
IN his belief the plans for many OF the pub
liz buildings might be made by architects
outside of Washington, and in that opinion
the committee generally agreed. For IN,
stance. a public building was 10 be erected
in Burlington, Iowa, costing Sl25,O0O.
There were very good architects IN Chicago
and Burlington and along the line, but as
the law now stood the plans and specltica-
tIons and drawings and details OF all kinds
had to be made In the once OF Jne ouper-
vising Architect.
Mr. Reagan moved to amend the amend
ment by making it apply permanently IN
stead of temporarily.
THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTY.
Mr.. Ingalls, understood that the practi-
cal difficulty was that, the employment
being skilled, artistic. and technical, there
was not a sufficient number of applicants
under the civil-service rules to allow the
work TO be done. he asked MIR. Allison
whether it was not competent for the
President of the United States to revoke
so much of the executive order of July,
1888, as applied to the Architects office.
Mr.. Allison said that he had not exam
med the statute, but he assumed That that
could be done.
A CoNsTCRATED STATUTE.
Mr.. INGALLS,: Then why not, so as not to
interfere with law on which the oil or
conservation has been poured, allow the
Executive to unmake 1t, as he has mace II /!
Mr. Ellison: | certainly have no OBJ
lection. ,,,
not be willing. without further informa-
ton. to interfere with a statute so conse-
Grated az this appears 10 be, and perhaps
TO inflict mortal injury on the republic. L
should prefer very much, if the Executive
had any doubt as TO his power IN the
matter, TO insert provision that will con-
fer authority upon him.
Mr.. Edmunds: There is no doubt but
that he has authority to change an execu-
tive order.
TUE AMENDMENT UNNECESSARY.
Mr.. ingalls,: Then certainly the Execu-
tive would be willing to exercise the re-
sponsibility of permitting this temporary
employment rather than allow" enterprises
OF great pith and moment to go awry " by
reason Of adherence to the letter of the
statute. l see. therefore, no necessity for
the amendment. e,
Mr.. Spooner: II is absolutely impossible
for the Supervising Architect to obtain
skilled draughtsmen and assistants under
the civil-service law.
Mr.. Ingalls,: Do You concur with me IN
opinion as to the civil-seryice commits
sioners that "a breath can make them as a
breath has made" =,
Mr.. Spooner: My statement was that
the matter requires either executive action
or congressional action. e
THE POWER TO MODIFY EXECUTIVE ORDERS.
Mr.. Cocirell: Is there any possible
doubt about the power of the President to
modify executive orders and to except any
Office under the Government from the
| operation of the civil-service law?
Mr.. SpOoner: do not think there is the
slightest doubt about it-not the slightest.
| Nor have / any doubt that it was unwise
to extend the civil-seryice law TO the selec-
| ton of architects and draughtsmen. | be-
lieve that the law, however, has served a
wise public purpose.
| EXECUTIVE BRPRIMAND OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
Mr.. German suggested that the commits
sioners should be men of common sense,
and said that the President had not re-
| buked the commissioners for their letter
| denouncing the Postmaster-General.
Mr.. Cockrell reminded Mr.. German of
| the reprimand which according TO the
Washington PosO the President had given
to the commissioners. That paper, he
said, had had scarcely anything else in it
for several days than that reprimand.
! Mr.. Teller (who had returned to the city