Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-26
NIGHT SEES SION
The Senate at Work on tn Sundry Civil
Appropriation Bill
A Lively Debate on the Recommenda-
ton OF tho Superintendent Of
tho Coast Survey.

The Senate held a night session last
evening, beginning at o'clock, and fin
ished the first consideration of the sundry
civil bill, with the exception of the two
amendments at the very end Of the meas
ure. the one providing for the erection Of
a new printing office on land now owned
at the present site and the one relating to
bonds. These were passed over until to-
day. The local items in the bill were all
agreed to as they came from the commit
tee on appropriations, with a single ex-
ception. In the paragraph relating to the
Geological Park, at the request of Mr..
cockrell the Senate rejected that portion
Of the committees amendment which
struck out the provision that 5000 shall
be used for the construction of a road from
the Holt mansion entrance on Adams
Mill road into the park, including bridge
across the creek. According to the action
passed by the House, remains in the BILL
The paragraph appropriating money to
provide for the use Of a portion Of the
White Lot as children's playground was
$4,000 to pay the widows and heirs of the
Ford Theater victims was adopted, with
the understanding that Mr.. henderson
should have the right to offer two amend
the Senate.
Most of the time of the session was
taken up in a debate upon the reduction Of
force in the coast and geodetic survey.
The House reduced the force from forty
two to thtrty-four. but the Senate commit
tee struck out this reduction and restored
the force to its original status. Mr.. Nc
Laurtn opposed the committees amend
ment and read two letters from Gen. W.
w. Duffield. the superintendent of the
survey. explaining that the reduction made
by the House was in conformance with his
suggestion made to Chairman Savers of
the House appropriations committee. Mr..
McLaurfn went at some length into the
history Of Gen. Duffieid to demonstrate his
efficiency and competency.
There was some pretty sharp talk Us to
Gen. Duff1eld's right to recommend these
reductions without passing his recon-
mendations through the Secretary of the
Treasury. and it was shown that the Sec
rotary had not made the estimates for the
reduced force. Mr.. Lindsay said that it
was little singular that nobody's salary
Gen. Duffield. but Mr.. Hawley retortcd that
the probability was that lightweight men
are wiser than one.
Mr. White characterized the reduction as
FOOLISH and ill-adviscd, and Mr.. Cockrell
said he felt very sorry for Gen. Duffield
Tor having put himself in a condition that
many bureau chiefs often do when they
go before the House committee on appro-
Mr.. Allison's Criticism.
Mr.. Allison called attention to the fact
that the careful examinations" after
which Gen. Duffield had reduced the num-
Der of assistants from forty-tv-o to thirty
four, dispensed with the services of Prof.
Davidson. who. for many years, has had
charge Of the Important work Of the sur
vey on the Pacific coast. Lie said 1t did
not lie In the pathway of Gen. Dufiield, in
private communications to committees Of
Congress, to override the omnipotent power
Of the Secretary of the Treasury on such
questions and present recommendations in
the privacy of the committee rooms with
out the assent or the Endorsement in writ
ing of the Secretary. He said that there
was history connected with these reduc-
lions that had not yet been disclosed in
the Senate. which would connect not the
superintendent, but other employees Of the
coast survey with this attempted reorgani-
cation. without the knowledge of the Sec
rotary. The amendment Of the committee
restoring the force to its original status
was finally accepted without division.