Show xLvfl OONGRESS I 1 I > t SECOND SESrfr t r SEKATE Washington12 resolution was adopted directing the postmaster general to report on the administration administra-tion of the New York City post office also directing the secretary of the treasury to transmit the report re-port of Edward Grimes on the administration ad-ministration of the custom house naval office and surveyors omce I New York The Senate proceeded to the calendar cal-endar By Miller of California a bill for the payment of certain Indian war bonds of California Referred Vest offerred a resolution which was agreed to instructing committees commit-tees to inquire and report what legislation legis-lation was necessary to protect public property and enforce laws in Yellowstone Park and preserve the game thereof also whether the area of the park should extended and if so to what extent By Beck to prohibit officers and employes of the United States from contributing money for political purposes Referred Several private bills were passed Debate ensued on the proposition to equalize navy chaplains pay with that of army chaplains Plumb asked if Vance would agree to have the pay of army chaplains chap-lains reduced to the navy standard Vance said he did not want to see it Pendleton said the question civil service had been submitted to the people in the recent election They i spoke in no low or uncertain tone The expenditures of the government I govern-ment this fiscal year of 402000000 nearly 9 per head for every man woman and child in the United States The money is probably more than that appropriated during the first forty years of the existence of the government The method of administratiop by republicansmade it possible for democrats and other citizens who prized their country higher than party to elect a democrat demo-crat state ticket in Ohioand sixteen of twentyone members of Congress Con-gress He said sixteen because although thirteen of them received certificates the other three would certainly be seated by the next House Civil service had welded the whole of its employees into a great political machinewhose efforts at least twice within a short period of our history robbed the people of fair results in tfee presidential election Underlying the principles of the bill was officers of the government intrusts for the people that the performance or the duties is in the Interests of the peouJe tluitno excuse for the existence exis-tence of the officeorpayment of the salary except it is necessary for the welfare of the people that every superfluous office should be and that of incompetent officeholders dismissed dis-missed that the employment of two where ore wjll suffice is rob < bery and that if salaries are so high as to justify levying forced contributions qf from two to ten percent per-cent they are too high and ought to be reduced The bill is designed asa as-a method applying to candidates for public employment Jeffersonian tests of fidelity honesty and capacity capac-ity It dealt only with departments in Washington and custom house and other public offices who give employment to more than fifty perSons per-sons the number of such offices did not exceed thirtyfive and the whole number of employees to whom the bill would apply is not more than 10000 The bill did not touch at all the questions of removals I I re-movals Some gentlemen were disposed to wait till after the next President is elected before passing a bill to reform the civil service in the hope of a change in the administration adminis-tration would give a fair share of the offices to the democrats but the aemocratic party might not elect tho next President and he believed that it would not unless its representatives in Congress did two things First respond to the demands the people made upon the party in the present condition of probation second to disarm thA great body of officials who as a great disciplined army go forth to pervert and control elections In conclusion Pendleton said he believed the passage of this measure wonld hasten tile day of the Democratic triumph but even if he thought otherwise he would still urge it because be-cause much as he loved the demo cratie party he loved his country more Allison replled briefly to Leudle ton whatever else might be said of the appropriations at last session they were recommended by members mem-bers of the committee of both parties par-ties with substantially unanimity and it was not fair for senator Pendleton to attempt to make party I capital by charging the republicans alone with the responsibility I The democrats were responsible 1 equally with republicans for the great increase in the pension roll As to the rver and harbjr bill twentythree democrats vpted for it and only three against while only sixteen repubUcan senators sen-ators voted for it fourteen against yet the attempt was now made to have it appear the republicans alone aro responsible for appropriations appropria-tions forced upon them by democratic demo-cratic votes Sherman said he did not object to his aolleagues manner of advocating advo-cating the bill because he supposed it was designed to persuade his demo rltic associates to support the oause of the civil service reform He hoped the effort to convert them would bo successful but he feared his colleagues would find this like all other reforms must be made if atallbe the republican party J t was a mistake to say the result of the election in Ohio was duo to a desire to rebuke the republican party in Congress for extravagant appropriations The only appropri atiahe heard criticised in Ohio was the one for the improvement of the Mississippi j that was objected to largely because the people of that state was opposed to the levee plan of controlling the waters The real cause of the defeat of the party in Ohio was the demand of the people fcjr free whisky and no Sunday As to the bill Sherman agreed with his colleague that civil service ought to be reformed If the present method of appointing was wrong it ought to be corrected the term of officers oucht to be fixed bv law interfer ence with appointments by senators sena-tors and members was not only demoralizing de-moralizing humiliating them He voted some years ago for a bill introduced by Senator Irumbull prohibition but a civil service reform re-form bili whi h did not deal with the power of removal is the play of Hamlet with Hamlet left our This was a point where the greatest abuse crept in Amendments ordered printed as follows By Slater as additional section to the bill introduced last summer prohibiting solicity ot contributions by government officials offi-cials or employees not heads of departments punishing it by fine not exceeding 3500 and discharge from office By Ilawley as an additional section sec-tion to the bill by him on Saturday to prevent the solicitation or collection collec-tion of contributions for political purposes by officers or employees of government By Logan providing that the examination ex-amination of candidates for office be practical and as far as may be relate only to matters relative to the capacity of applicants to discharge dis-charge the duties of the service they desire to enter By Allison a substitute for first section of the bill providing for the appointment by the President of three persons not all of the same political party who shall constitute aUuited States civil service commission com-mission to hold service respectively I two four and six years saccesaors holding office six years salary 4500 By Harrison providing that examinations ex-aminations shall be open to all perSons per-sons serving in the bureau whero the vacancy to be filled exists and in the discretion of the commission also to parsons in other bureaus tmd that they be directed as far as practicable to ascertain the comparative compar-ative fitness of applicants to discharge dis-charge the duties of the office = By Hoar providing that examinations exami-nations as nearly as may be shall be upon subjects embraced in a common school education By Hale a substitute for section 3 providing that the commission shall sat in Washington and at one or more places in each state and territory I ter-ritory where examinations take place to designate a suitable num per of persons not less than three in the official service of the United States to be members of the board of examiners so as to make it reasonably reas-onably convenient and inexpensive It for applicants to attend and hold examinations at least once a year in f any state or territory where applicants I appli-cants are to be examined By Plumb to authorize the secre retary of war to establish a home for indigent sailors and soldiers in Kansas Referred Cameron WJs gave notice that I as soon as the civil service bill was I disposed of he would call up the bill for the relief of Ben Holliday I I journed After executive session ad i i t II It t I I r HO5JSE F I Washington 12The postoffice i military academy and agricultural I appropriation bill was reported and referred to the committee of the whole Page presented a petition of citizens citi-zens of California fur an increase of I the duty on chickory Referred Henderson Ill leporteU Irom I the militaty committee a rcoolutiou I asking the secretary of war what action was taken under the act ir any to relieve certain soldiejrs from the charge of desertion Adopted By Randall a resolution asking the President how mnch was spent eo on rivers and harbors since the government gov-ernment began with full particulars particu-lars Referred I Ihe House took up the congressional t 11 congres-sional mry bill 1 r i I Holman offered an amendment I that the cost of the building shall I not exceed S2000OuO and that the supervising architect oi the treasury t I I i L prepare the plan ii Holmans amendment providing I j m j that the building shall not cost when 1 completed a sum exceeding S 2000 I 001 and charging the supervising architect of the treasury With tho I l duty of preparing tho plan for such building Agreed to r Hammond Ga rnovel to recommit recom-mit the bill to tho committee on additional accommodation for the library of Congress gath instructions instruc-tions to report a bill providing for the erection of a Horary 01 land in Washington belonging ts the i United States Agreeo t The committee on ciul service I reform reported back the civil service t ser-vice bill V Adjourned i |