Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-01-07
FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, Jan. Z.
SENATE.

At the opening of the Senate to-day
the reply of the Attorney. General to
the Senate resolution calling upon
members of the Cabinet to inform the
Senate what, if any, changes should be
made in the administration of the civil
service law was read. The Attorney
General recommended that attorneys
employed by the department OF justite
and United States marshals ought to be
excepted from the operation ofthe law.
Mr.. Cockrell said that these recon-
mendations ought to be made to the
President of the United States as ne had
full power to act regarding them. he
gave notice that he would move to refer
all the replies of Cabinet officers to the
Senate resolution to the President him.
self.
Mr.. Hoar said that the trouble with
all these communications arose from
the ill.advsed action of the Senate IT,
self. at seems to me-" he said, "a
most extraordinary proceeding for the
Senate to direct the heads of depart
ments to give their opinions as to the
wisdom of the Presidents order. That
is what we have done, Inadvertently,
no doubt. Had my attention been
drawn to it should have moved to re-
sciDd the order"
Mr.. Allen offered resolution declar.
ing that the United States should, in
dependently and without delay, begin
and continue the free coinage OF silver
at the ratio of 16 to l. That such coin
age should BIS supplemented by a safe
and sound national paper money to be
issued by the government without in
tervention of banks, the notes to be
full legal tender and to be issued in an
amount sufficient to meet the business
demands of the country; that any in
crease of the interest bearing debt should
be prohibited and that no government
bonds should be issued or sold except
by specific act of Congress and then
only in cases of pressing necessity; that
the government in the discharge OF its
obligations should use its option as to
the kind of lawful money in which they
should be paid; and that such option
should never be surrendered Mr.. AL.
len spoke briefly in favor of the adop.
ton of the resolution.
Mr.. Teller read from newspaper an
article of which he complained. In brief
it charged that the recent reports to the
effect that the Secretary of the Treas
uro had rendered his resignation were
the result of a conspiracy to create
trouble between the President and his
Secretary of the Treasury and perhaps
disrupt the Cabinet. Mr.. Teller indig-
nantly denied the charge.
HOUSE.
Before the debate on the civil service
question was resumed in the House to.
day an Intellectual attempt was made TO
agree upon time for the termination
of the debate. Monday evening was
suggested by Mr.. Moody in charge of
the bill but the effort failed and Mr..
Gillette took the floor in support Of the
law.
Mr.. Gillette commented wittily on
the spectacle of the white haired
veteran, Gen. Grosvenor, leading the
young hotspurs of the party in the
battle for the spoils.
Mr.. Cummings announced himself
an implacable foe of the whole system
of civil service reform. Roscoe Cock
ling, in his opinion the greatest Senator
New York had ever known, had once
spoke, he said, of the "dreary tlrivel of
SWIVEL service REFORM" "The system is
doomed" said he, sand one of the
factors in it's destruction ia Tammany
Hall "