Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1897-05-15
WASHINGTONLET
THE TARIFF BILL.
Republican Members Now
Satisfied.
THE OWL SERVICE RULES UNDER
INVESTIGATION
(From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington, May 10. 1897


Washington, May 10. 1897
President Mckinley told delega-
tion of G. A. II men from New York
City. who called TO pressingly invite
hum there, that he expected to attend
the memorial day exercises at West
Point. but would endeavor to return TO
New York on the afternoon of Monday
the 3lst inst, in time to also tale part
in their exercises. On the 18th inst
the President and his cabinet will at
tend the dedication of the Washington
monument in Philad hia.
oBJRc TIoNABLE FEATURES REMOVED.
Many republicans in both branches
OF Congress are Dissatisfied with por-
tions of the amended Dingley tariff
bill last week reported to the Senate
but they are not disposed to publicly
criticiss the bill because they feel con-
fident that changes which will be made
will remove most, If not all of its OBJ
lection able features. The bill is to be
taken up by the Senate on the 18th
inst, and pushed through that body
as rapidly as possible. Many changes
are likely to be made before 1t passes
the Senate and still more before it
gets ont of the Conference Committee.
No fears are felt that the bill will not
be as good a measure as can possibly
get through the Senate in the absence
of a straight republican majority,
when it finally goes to President
Mckinley for his signature.
INvF sTIeATIoN.
Secretary Bliss. Pension Comm1s-
sioner Evans, and Land Commissioners
Hermann. each wrote letter to the
Senate committee that is Investigating
the workings of the civil service law
and rules, advocating a curtaiiment of
the extension of the rules made by Mr..
Cleveland. Secretary Bliss said /:
'The chief clerk of this department
and the chiefs of divisions should in
my opinion, be exempt from the classi-
fed service These officers occupy con-
fdential relations to the Secretary. and
on their briefs or recommend tions he
Is dependent to large extent for the
proper conduct of his office. am OF
the opinion also that the special agents
such as land and tim Der inspectors
mineral land commissioners, and par
ticularly the special Indian agents
and the appointment of such. should
be more directly under the control oi
the Secretary, who is responsible foI
their actions, and who must depend
upon them very largely for his knowl.
edge of affairs in distant regions
Land Commissioner Hermann said
1.-THE existing rules of the civil service
should be modified so fav as the bu
reaus of all the departments are con
cerned in respect to their application
to chief clerks, chiefs of divisions
receiving clerks and confidential clerkl
to inspectors, and also to all the spe
cial agents of the departments. If i
is assummed that he dominant part,
should shape the legislation of tn,
country in cOnsOnance with the pOli
cies which it sustains, it has right Il
know that the chiefs of divisions, VIII,
first shape recommendations as the,
are called for through the various di
visions, are in perfect sympathy wit
the party policies. The most impor
tant legislation in Congress eminate
from these divisions in the form O
reports on measures pending befor
Congress. and which are usually frs
submitted to the heads of departments
and by them to the heads of bureaus
who in turn submit to the chiefs of di
visions" These are common sens
arguments. Another batch OF eyi
dence showing the unblusning part
sanship practiced by the Clevelan
administration under the cloak OF civ
service reform was submitted to th
committee at its regular weekly meet
ing.
NOT GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL.
speaker Reed was one Of the counst
in the case in which the U. s. Suprem
Court decided that pension examinin
surgeons were not government official
This decision was made in 1878, bI
was either overlooked or ignored
the Cleveland administration, whic
placed the toards of examining SUI
geons under the civil service rule
The closing words of Mr.. Reed
argument in the case were 40 10