Year: 1878

posite base metal that has the weight, clear
ring, and appearance Of silver. Brooks, chief
of the secret service, showed some of these
coins to DR.. Linderman, and asked him what
he thought of them. Il think" said Dr. Lin
derman, "they are better than the govern
ment coin, and this is the general opinion Of all
who see them. There is no way for any one.
not an expert to detect these coins without
testing them: There is nothing about them
to attract attention, and they will pass with
out suspicion in all general business transac-
tioRs.


A report has been submitted to the
House committee on banking and currency
by the subcommittee consisting of Chitten-
den and Ewing which recently visited New
York for the purpose of ascertaining the pres
ent condition of the sub treasury in that city
with regard to the amount Of gold held there
belonging to the United States governm ent
and to Others, and with the view OF conferring
with certain financial gentlemen regarding
the practicability of the proposed resumption
Of specie payments on January 1st next The
following are the substantial points Of the re-
port. The bankers were Of opinion that re-
sumption at the earliest possible moment was
not onlyeconsstent with the public welfare
but was of the greatest Importance to the
best prosperity Of the country. Also that
resumption on the first of January, 1879, might
be made practical and safe if adequate meas
ures should be adopted but all who express
ed themselves on the subject were agreed that
the plans Of the secretary of the treasury were
inadequate, and that if he should make an
oft r,t fO rpcl hn fire cf
der such circumstances as arc likely to exist
at that time, the attempt would most probably
fail. They were of opinion that the remone-
tization of silver had seriously interfered with
the probabilities of resumption at the time
fixed


The bill introduced in the House by
Mr.. Harrison, to provide for a more efficient
civil service in the United States, provides
that from and after the passage Of the act
there shall be created a new department of
the United States government. to be called
the department Of civil service, to consist Of
five commissioners, who shall not be appoint
ed from any one political party. The term Of
Office shall expire respectively on the 1st Of
January Of the years 1882, '84, 49, 'SS and 80.
At the first meeting of the commissioners
they shall draw by lot for their respective
terms, and the commissioner drawing the
shortest term shall be the head Of the depart
ment, and thereafter the commissioner hold
ing the shortest term shall be such head. On
the expiration of the term Of Office Of any
commissioner, or in case ofdeath, the term Of
office of the commissioner appointed to fill
such vacancy shah expire two years after the
expiration of the term of the commissioner
then holding the longest term. The salary
of the head of said department shall be
$4,000 per annum, and of each commissioner
$4,000. 1t shall be the duty of said board to
prescribe the qualifications requisite for ap-
pointment into the several branches of the
civil service, and to examine all applicants
for appointment. The bill further provides
that no assessment shall be levied upon any
officer of the United States for political pur-
poses, and the payment of any such assess
ment shall BE- cause for immediate dismissal
from service.