Year: 1869

rslastye 70 esnpssssass Ssr British vsasss nisgal,
seized during tie rebellon.


NJ. sr1wzn1, rep.) Of Nsb.. said he was oppossd
. tee D sn0 opRosSd % sor ships sssSd Ss
our government daring the late wal. unsn Gsess rs
Britain should agree 70 settle our claims seainss ner
own courts had decided that the British vessels had
beon wr0ngfully seized.


N. sr.wART was aI . loss 70 gee how Britisn s
States during the rebellion when Great Britain Was
hcrself making active, nagrant war upon ~. He
proper for Us to capture or destroy British ships
wherever found.


Mr.. FEssENDEN was astonished at the avowal Of
the Senator from Nevada, and thought the policy
which that senator advocated inconsistent with law,
equity or national honor. The pending bill was In
tended simply TO carry into eject DEGREES OF our own


Mr.. STEWART did not hold himself under any obli-
CATION to carry into effect the DEGREES or any court %
pay British claims until our claims against Great
Britain should be in fair way OF being settled. The
DEGREES were no doubt legally correct but they were
war and without reference to the conduct OF Great
Britain during the war. He repeated that 1t would


os me Ur Sy tns G
stroying her ships 1t might not have been wise, for
4 would, OF course, have led to open war. Even as
two cOnntries but II had been all on one side.


The bin went over at the expiration OF the morn


THE TENURE OF OFFICE ACT


came up as unfinished business.


Mr.. ScoTT, trep.) OF Pa, resumed his argument to
the jurisdiction Of Congress- ana may be regulated
oy legislation. The republican party was committed
on Inc impeacnment and by its party % DlatIorm % He
hoped, therefore, that the senate would stand upon
principle and refuse 70 repeal the law; but he would
vote for lts suspension with proper quaiincations


Mr. sCHURz, Tepl Of Mo-, thought that man
without being open on the one hand to the charge
OF obsequiousness on the other to the charge OF
discourtesy to the President Had the question been
have voted i for % repeal he believed the law to be
strictly constitutional but the constitutional view
was not always the only, nor sometimes even ven the
most important view OF question, and IN this case
there were certain great practical questions to be
taken into consideration. One OF the greatest
day was how to reform the public service
and root out the degrading and disgraceful
msn SOURCE Of aa WAS not q e IN
the exercise OF arbitrary power Of removal by the
Exec%t but II sas system Of q pub
SsSns tRsi ss syse% as souS uSGs e
continued 1t would be question whether law like
preventing salutary removals by good President
than 1t would do good BY preventing improper re-
movals By bad President. When the body polite
was daily swallowing poison 1t was well TO
have at hand, ready TO act promptly, powerful
emetic like the absolute power Of removal from
peal II he believed that the majority Of the Senate
In favor Of keeping the law on the statute book
IN Its present FORM II seemed however, to be gene
rally understood that II the law was not repealed 1t
would have TO be modned at the next session OF
Congress. For this reason, parad0xical IS might
hoped that when the subject should come up again
Congress-having already attempted reform In the
wrong direction and taled-would go to the root OF
the ev and at least attempt true reform by estab-
fishing system OF examination, appointment for
merit and removals for cause, thus giving respecta
blty and permanence to the public service. lie did
M n hiring abOuf the millennium nv act of
Congress; but ne did hope that at the next
session one step at least weuld be taken
he would vote to suspend the law, In
order facilitate the action OF President Grant in
me s nae
on the subject and would not send any nomina-
tions TO the senate until the Tenure OF ONCE act
less without foundation, had o tendency to make
trouble between the legislative and executive
m o. sae ana @
Congress with Mr.. Johnson has SHOWN that Pres-
dent, even with the fullest 0fficial power and
win OF the people and their representatives yet 1t
had also shown that he could imperil, and TO some
He Mr scnurz, could mot not hmself Believe any Of
these Stories He was not one OF those VINO availed
themselves Of every opportunity to ny into
had too favorable an opinion OF his character and
judgment TO believe that he would not avail himself
pected him 1i to do do whether that aid came IN The
shape OF suspension or repeal OF the Tenure OF once


Mr.. srRAGuE, (rep.) OF r. L. followed with an ar
gument for repeal. A day or TWO ago, he remarked,
the Senator nom Maine mr. Fessenden) had felt
called upon, he often did, TO lecture the Senate,
and had been especially severe upon those VINO advo
Gated the repeal Of the Tenure OF Olce act because
Of the high character OF the President but he tMr.
Sprague) believed that that was legitimate and an
excellent reason for repeal. He believed that one
such man, occupying responsible position like the
Presidency, might more safely be trusted 10 act with
reference to the interests and views OF the whole
country than an irresponsible, limited and nom
both houses OF Congress was that too many OF the
members were lawyers, men educated only IN one
line, In one range OF ideas and experience, and,
therefore, incompetent TO represent faithfully the
diverse interests and necessities OF the great
mass OF the people Or slxty.six members
OF the Senate forty-nve were lawyers, and
or the twenty-one remaining five had re-
ceived q legal education, and most OF the
few remaining members were guided and governed
by lawyers and their teachings. In the House the
preponderance Of members OF this profession was
even greater than In the senate. Some states had
no other representatives. This was most unwhole-
some state Of affairs. He was not one OF those who
by our fathers or attributed to 1t great material
growth The mainsprtn6s OF prosperity had
been slavery and foreign immigration; the former
American monopoly and so had built up the manu-
featuring and commercial interests OF the North
and these had In turn invited foreign immigration
The politicians had, Of course had something TO do
but all they had accomplished after all was the build
ing up OF two great powers for mutual destruction
The politicians had never been willing to let the
people know the true state OF the country. They
had failed 10 them Of the approach OF the late
war and had plunged them into It unprepared. The
politicians still adhered to the same bind policy, but
he had already done something TO let the people
know the true condition OF the country and he
meant to do more. The object OF the majority In
Congress seemed TO be rather 70 perpetuate the ex