The New York Herald Newspaper, January 19, 1872, Page 8

8 Senator Carpenter’s Onslaugh! 4 Civil Service Reform, ro nnn ee Lively Debate on “ne Subject. by Trumbull, Mccton, Frelingtuy- sep, Edatiunds and Schurz. ARTIFICIAL LIMBS. Samner Accepts Frelingtaysen’s Amend- ments to the Civil Rights Bill. The Widow Triumphant in the House. The Postal and Pension Ap- propriations, SENATE. Wasnrnaron, D. C., Jan, 18, 1872, Mr, CONKLING, (rep.) of N. Y., presented the memorial of the New York Chamber of Commerce setting forth the depres- sion of Ameriean shipping mierests, and recommending the payment of liberal compensation for mail service performed by American steamships sailing to forelgn ports, Referred to the Committee on Post Offices, WOMAN SUFFRAGE, Mr. TRUMBULL, (rep.) of Ill, from the Committes on the | Sudiclary, reported adversely upon the part of the commit fee on the memorial in favor of woman suffrage, signed by Mra, Isabella Beecher, Hooker and others, asking to bo heard before the Senate in support of their claim, and asked Ubat the committee be discharged from its furthsr considera tion, Anto the main point of the memoriai—claiming that under the amended federal constitution women have a right % vote—he said the committee wou! d report in writing at an early day, PHILADELPHIA TORKOATS, The bill to exempt Phiiadeiphia iceboate from the raual inspection prescribed by law for steamboata was passed, THE FIGHT HOUR LAW, Mr. Monnzt.t, (rep) of Vermont, from ihe Finance Com. ‘mittee, reported the House bill to detine the construction of the right Hour law, The bilha sespecial reference to the Sp.ingtield Armory, and equallzes the pay of laborers in the government workshops, ‘The bill making an appropriation for the erection of a range of lights around the Craiy Lill Channel in Chesapeaki Bay was passed. ir. A. G. THURMAN, (dem.) of Ohio, presented the cre- dent ais of his colleague, Mr. Sherman, ARTIFIOIAL LIMBS FOR THE ARMY AND NAVY, Mr. BLatR, (dem.) ot Mo., from the Committee on Mill- tary Affairs, reverted favorably the bill amendatory of the ‘act providing artiicial Hmbs for soldiers, The aot axtends tke provinons of the act to all oflicers above the graue of captain, Mr, CONKIING moved to amend by extending the pro- ‘Wistons to all men in the army and navy regardless of rank. Are bh was the passed, e bill was: 1 a @RANTOPHONTA, Mr. Davis, (dem.) of Ky., gave notice that to-morrow, or et some early day, he would call up bis revolution directing the Committee on investigation aod Retrenchment to ine quire into the President's derelictions of duty, and would submit some remarks upon it, PUMLIC LANDS. Mr. WILSON introduced a bill to grant 9,000,000 acres of public land for educational purposes in the Territory of Co- mia. Also a bill to allow women to vote and hold office in the Territories of the United States, Mr. CHANDLER, (rep.) of Nich., from the Committee on reported witbout amendment the bili for deep- jar Flats Caual to sixteen feet; also the House DU to make Pittaburg, Pa., a port of entry and de.ivery. AUSTRALABIAN MAIL CONTRACT. Mr, COLE, from the Comroittes on Post Ofices and Post Roads Frported, with ameniments, tue bill authorizing the eatabliaiment of maii steamship wervice between the | hited Btates and Austraia. Itdirects the Vostmaster Genera: to contract with the United States, New Zealand and Australian Mall Steamship line to make thirtecn round trips per annum. ata yearly compensation not exceeding #8uU,00, the steamn- ships to be hrat class American-built vessels oi not Jess than 3,0 tons regintsr euch. Hilla were introduced as follows :— pede ftinouovoK, “(rep.) of Nen.—To constitute Ne- wake City & port of delivery; also amendatory of the Homestead law. cy af By Mr. Wret, rop.) of La.—To authorize the sale of pub: Ke pre at Shreveport, La. ay ark re AMBKY, (rep.) Of Minn.—To perfect navigation e Mianivsippi River; relating to the grant of landato | Dl the State of Minnesota by act of July 28, 188, tor construct- imga certain lock and dam, BRITIGH LIGHTHOUSES. Mr. Connerr.trom the Committee ou Commerce, reported the following reso nijon, which was agree 1 to:— “Resolved, That the Preskiept be respect{uily requested to Jay before Vong: tor publication, 1 the public interest shall allow, the correspondence which has passed between the governments of the Unitea States and Great Britain re- Jating to the dues now collected in the latter country trom merc shipping for the support of lighthouses and beacons, ‘With a view to renewing the application of our own govern: muent, at the proper time, for Friiel of the. shipping Interest from those charges and for the maintenance of the light- house system of (reat Britain from the public revenue fn accordance with the policy and practice of the government of the United States, which has lighted 1s coasis and harbors for free use of the ships of ail nation ‘The above is the resolution recommended by the National Board of Trade. THE AMNESTY 1 Atone e'clock the Amuesty bill cauwe up a8 unfinished ‘business. Mr. SUMNER, (rep.) of Masa, announced that he had con- sidered the amenaments proposed by Mr, Freliaguuysen yew: ferday and had cecided to accept them CLVIT, BF REFORM, ‘The Amnesty bill was then a CARPENTER called up bis resolution deviaring wiee reform scheme unconstitutional, and aadres ate upon it, and Mr, civil were ed the Sen- ENATOR. OAT! PENTER'S APRRCH. He deeply ent imessage of the President announcing adopved the rules recommended by the Civil Servic sion. He new, however, that thers bad been a of clamor lately in support of this had golly were in favor of ade it soem aeneme, whic tiat the peopie gene- and he supposed that th amor upon the prin (pat We best way w secure the ident bad yielded to thi fp bis inaugural address, repeal of an 0! noxio law was to exectit Some persons bad expressed surprise at th senting to give up the patron was using for his own advant was that he knew he could afford to give advantages and yet defext them. Neverthe the President had done wrong 10 yielding to the hour. The sober second thought of the people was al ight: but their suduen impulses wo be resiste emies eaid he 90, provably, enemies many he tl t ways often wrong, and ought rvanis, Le kuew thas it THR BOER KROOND THOUGHT faithful pubhe officer wou ad hin _nead in the sand to a public oflicer—a Si for instance— with Ambitions of re-election, there was a [reat temptation to Jeli to the pressure of the mumeut, Rut ve he was the only nator Who probably woul! not be re-elected i he wished At there serms tbe a upon him to ect independentiy. As reform scheme the Kevator trom Massachusetts (Air. wonatitutional amendment renderin, verved one term | ple fe treating General Presiient who bas fon. This woud be than Jeiferson Davis, because, althougy the Maliiied by the fourteenth améendm: tis aul within the power of Jongress to remove | bia disaviliies, wile ‘President Grant would have no means ot from his, (Laughter,) If the doctrine was trie that one term of were | vice was enough Benator from M achiaetta my oughly demoralized by tin tim Principles above all perronal cous: me, he woul ree, take nis hat und leave the | Hones hae oS upon the adoption of bis amendment, poitt » demoralize very thor- «man who sets Jee, said Mr. Carpenter, words are thinza aya eet service reform is a cunning cate.w 5 he coneiusion tg that whoever is not i favor ¢ 11H Must be I lavor OF tuition whieb telle a veate structure as this uf ouri We bave than fy to others that we Mr. CARPENTER then discusmed 1 butlon of powers between che leginiative any n& govern te better * partments of tne government, und came to Goat if the appointing power were Presi an it would be by this refor BOE sean be no greaier than th wanker: although the framers sdeemend it indispensable that nd the ener: of atl part mn @p appropriation bill on the last ni * Striking example of the evil elects of to) appropriation bills, depended upon its own alone, would probably ma have ree the votes of twenty meabers, But it aving bean passed, the President had & Fesuit was this C ulation fir. eNTFR here had the regnlations eriticived them in detail. His tre eri the most important oficers in the Service Commission with its rey wholly exempt (rom the operation of them. If a k ip the Interior Department or a cavdidate for th abip of @ United States bnildiag must pass an ex Gon, be could not see why ihe Secretéry of the In or ‘the Secretary of State wid not be era alto, By th regulations @ copying clerk mus citizen of the United Stati but the head of depariment need pot be bthouse keeper the sbore of Lake Michi be able read a write the k language, but the Attorne: alof the Gaited states would vot b Tequired to do either, (Laughter,) also argued that there was ® covilict between the ninth rule, whieb provia any person bec fed after long and faith(ul service by bodily ity ing be appointed tos place of jess responsibility in the saiue department; and the first rule, whicl that no pers vv sal) be admitted to auy position in bo shal: pot bare fcrnisbed satisfactorr ega to character, health, ac, These, he said, were wiuor de- fecta in the clvii service reform scheme. ‘TUR GREAT OWSKOTIONS to it were :—-First, that it violated the constitution by taxing away from the President the discretion vested in him toetect his appointees from the whole peop ie, aod limited him to the Of the persons referred to bim by the examining board; e@econd, that it set up for pubic vanta the stanaard of education of the schools to the ex who have mot enjoyed the benefits of a liberat ednca- » this setting up an aristocratic governmental ‘loss, composed of the sone of the rich, In sup. rvof bis position that the scheme was vunconstitational had read by the Clerk # portion of Attorney General Ak Znao's opinion given in August, 1671. Continuing bie on ‘civto he #aid that, according to these rules, the su it was to be chosen fry Paseing the best examinat!o neither of the candidates abould a Bhow bis competence, mii) Jove who had 18K altogether and fai iter cane what wi ff President must appoint the FX AMTN ATION, bis own dtseret fo which A vecorme of the civil service reform ? tee preseuling (heumeives .OF CxAmIae: ONGRESS.| Laughter. | whiea law anthor. | th ap) the Civil e Commission had been engrafted up | 1 wer) had proposed a | for ail the statements of the report, asin his message trane. \ or, th An ee - 4% 108 public nowER,” wonld always be arfventurers, men ol bo Tank OF ability. Soppore a y y in celrectorship of New York and an advertisemen ur sdraites papished by Khe Examining Boo rd—did anybod: @powe that such men as A. 'T, Stewart or Hevry G Stel Paw or George Opdyke woud prevent themerives fo: examina hon / ano if’ they did, wouls they not probably be beaten by “the candi ates Who have just lett school, “This may be re form,” satd Mr. Carpener, “bat party that adopts it, (or ic Wil excite the indignation and con tempt anc deriwon o the peopie of this country, Tt may be frefori,’ or whatever eae its friends may choose to cal it, bu! ik certainly is not # constitubonal or a Wise mode of ap: omting (he puvlic otticers ol the United States? He said we wowed examine the regulations more in de.ail but for the fact that he had been inicrmed an: Mictaliy that the operation of tein Was suspended watt! better ones could be preva red, hivning m the ruiesto the report of the Commission dik Was based upon a vicious Jeaulng idea, VEEMANENOY OV TRNORE for public servants This idea had beon advocated at the formation of the government by those who favored a strong overnien, bot it had been rejected hecause it was seen to e anti-republican, Tt was hoavht rieht that judge ould be mace Independent oi the popular will because the ques tions they to decide depended apon pry ud the popular wil had nothing to do with them, right that oficers of the army aid navy a life tenure because they had w be educated by the government for their duties; but there was no parallel between there and civil service officers, ‘The duties of the inter were penerally prescrived by law and impie that any witehivent. ian could, son tmaster them, and he could have anopporiuaity to do so without detriment to the public service; but vo law could prescribe how & ship should ve handied a sturm oF an army in bat- tle, ana theretore it was necessary jo edticate a class or men specially for these duti fo secure their services, "Anothe? fallacious idea waderlying the report waw ‘that purty Jw the bane of this government, an ton, rat ” ca r ‘pecially LAROR FOR THE SOCCESS OF A PARTY onght to disqualit Iv ail free conn- tries there must be partics, ‘The great republican party, whien bas ueved such wonders in the lag. ten years, fount the public offices filiest with ita enetivs when it came into Power. According to the civil wervice reform dactrine it ought to huve left those otfices In possession of the old cupants; but if it addons so bow diferent would h been the history of those years, Mr an extract from the report of the Commission charging that under the present aystem the appointing power is | often “subjected to threaty and the blandiaiments | of personal solicitasion,” and sald it was a base. and | malignant libel on the jeading members of the republican party 10 Concrens. Mo bad been told by a bigh authority hat only two persons had demanded appointments in terms | that could “he called inaulting or. disrespectful; that thone two were high in the legislative department of the | government, and that, having had. thelr applications refured Oa accountol unfitness, the caodidaies in both cases beln, relations cf the applicants, they Were now high champio of cavil eervies reo Recurring to the competitive exam- he saidhe did did pot meen to decry learn- that persons who had not the advantazes jon in youth were more likely than ouhers to sppre~ oa fully, and be belonged to that class, wi BK KNOWS ALOUT REVENUE, ig “Why,” said ho, *&f I we tandidate tor the position of copying clerk 1 one of the departwents and should go be- fore an examining Hoard of a chemical turn of mind I should certainly be rejected, althoagh I write a fair hand and can copy papers with great speed and accuracy. 1 know 00 more ol chemistry than T know of the pearly gates and pollen streets of heaven—laughter)—and never expect to— mean { never expect to know chemistry, I do expect to know more of the pearly gates and golden streets, tor 1 un- derstand that admittanoe there dogs not depend updn a compe- Utive examination.” (Langhter.) In conclusion Mr Carpenter said there Was @ special reason why the scheme ought not to de adopted at this time. At the breaking out of the war atriotic fathera sent thelr gone to tho army, while others, trlotic, ent theirs to school, and now, if this system Were adopted, the nous of the Gre’ class, who were fighting | for their country while the others were cramming at sohout or coliege, would be excluded fram public ofloe becuuse they aid not Know all about the tluctuatious of the tides, or how near the moon comes to the earth, or the name of the four principal rivers that flow into the Caspiun Bea, Mr. TRUMBULL wiahed to aay a few words on this suujeot, Dut not in behaif of the competitive examination systent | which the Senator from Wisconsin (Mr. Carpenter) said. had Deen suspended, and against which, therefure, it was Fe- markable that be should have directed a0 much of his upeech, Mr. CARPENTER denied having said that the system was not to go into operation. What he had said was that the rules and regulations were to Ne revised 0 as to carry it into Overation more effectually. In other words, the administra: tfon had morely let go to get a better hold, Laughter.) Mr. TauMntLL—t eertuinly hope that ihe civil service re- form is not to be abandoned, but {a to be pursued. But, hav. ing given the best attention I could to the Senator's remarkn, I certainly understood them to be devoted almost entirely to the rules and reguiations which it is now sald will not work and are to be changed. Lahall take up no time in attempting to defend those ruies or the system of competitive examina: tion, but Tam certainly in favor of civil service reform— = reform that shall save this government from being plundered uncer a system which wastes ONE-FOUBTH OF THE ENTIRE REVENUR of the couptry—and it 1s sad to me to reflect that the Senator from Wisconsin now takesa position, not azainat the particu lar rules, but agaiout the syatem which would correct it; thut he stands up herein the {ace of an oficial document, pre- pared by careful and considerate triends of the administra tion, by its best friends, which states that one-'ourth of your | entite revenue, more than ninety million dollars, ts wasted an consequence of the mm, the correction of” which the Senator from Wisconsin (Mr, ner) now Opposes, Mr, BURRMAN, (rep. ) of Obio—What document Is that? 2 Mr, TROMUULL—It ie the official statement made by this Civil Service Comimission. Mr. CARPENTRR—1 have no desire to become the special champion of that Board; but what they do say fs that about one-quarter of the revenue is wasted, and they do not know how much of that Is chargeable to the civil aurvice. © Mr. TRUMBUL1.—Well, We will see what they say. Tam tread, and the whole of it, unlike the Sen- who bad read the part of the opinion of the Attorney General, given upon another question alto- gether, wh ch sustains bis argument, and left unread the concluaion, which condemns the whole of 1. Mr. Trumbull bere read from the report as follows: — “It is not easy to complete in tigures the exact economical difference between a go id a bad system of the civil service, It ts neceasariiy a matter of inference aud of com- Parison between the probable operation of a careless and & Careful method, But it 1s calcwiated by those who bave made @ careful study of ail the facta that one-fourth of the revenues of the Uniied States are annually lost in the collec- tion, and for a large part of that lors a system of the service which ts fatally unsound imay reasonably be held responsi- ¢. Mr. SHEUMAN, (rep.) of Ohlo—T wish to ask the Renator whether he knows that the whole expense of collecting the internal and externa, 14 lean than five per TROMBULL—If the Senator from Ohio will d ntion to the investigation now going on in New York I think be will find how a great deal of the revenue Jn I Mr, SHERMAN-—I will Inform the Senator that have not only given attention to that inveatication, but [ have joined in reporting a biil to which I hope to call the attention of ihe Senate in a tew days, and whicl WILL ENTIRELY OURE TER ABUSES which have occurred at New York. Mr, TRUMBULL-—I shall be very bappy to concur with the Senator In the passage of that ‘bill which. ie to correct all Abuses, The Senator irom Wisconsin (Mr. Carpenter) pussed & high eulogum upon the character of the President, ‘aud at the ‘same tlme informed us that the President lad put these theories, as he calls them, into operation for the purpose of rendering them odious, ih the expactation that the people will soon cry “Enough!” Sir, [think better of the Chief Magistrate of the United States than to suppose that uuder the authority given him to adopt rules and regulations for the retorm of the civil service he has adopted such rules as wi!l bring civil service reform into contempt. Mr. TRUMBULL bere controverted Mr. Carpenter's views as to the extent and importance of the President's powers under the constitutton, twas true, ne said, that the ap: pointing power belonged to the Executive, and the great evil ‘was that inembers of the legisiative department of the gov- ernment had gradually uaurped the power aud ussumes 0 dictate appointments, and the great aim of civil service re- form was to restore the Executive his constitutional power | of appointment instead of tuking 1 away, Does not the Senator from Wisconsia know that althouch the conatitation and the law vest the appointing power in the Executive and in the beads o: the departments, vet virtually that power ia not exercised by them, but is controlled by Seuatora and Representativra in Congresst Mr. CARPENTER I know nothing about the patronage of Tiincia, int as to that partof the patronage of Wisconsin of | which {have anv Knowledge 1 answer that I do not kaow that to be ihe fact. Mr. TrUMEULL—Well, T cannot speak a to the rule in Wisconsin, but thts report states that this in the veneral prac- ice, and (he President endorses this report and ends it to ngress, The trouble 1s pot ia the want of scholarship of ur public officers. It arises (rom the appolncments being CONTROLLED RY CONGRESSMEN, and I introduced a bill some time azo designed to correct that evil, This report is the work of gentlemen ot high character, great fadustry and laborious research, who have in red inte the eviis thatexist under the present system, and have set them forth ere with great clearness and fo ‘These are the evils, and if they cannot be corrected by the competitive examination aystem let us apply some other kyavem; but let them certainly be corrected. This repurt comes to us endorred by the Fresiaent. Mr, FRELINGHOVAEN called the attention of Mr. Trambull ‘to the fact that the President could not be held responsible Sitting ithe sald he was desirous of bringing the subject 1 the attention of Congress before the recess, and that he had not sniiciently examined the report to suggest the requisite legislation. Mr. Frelinghuysen expressed himeelf at at pres- ent advised favorable to some civil services reform, Mr. TRUMPULL—Does the Senator believe that the Presi- dent lid not read this report ? Mr, FRELINGUUY8RN—Tbe President says he had not time to examine the rep Mr. TRUMEULL—TO examine it, for what purpose? To augcest lesisiative action, But does the Senator trom New Mr. Frelinginysen) impute to the President, even by impiteation, such ignorance a@ to send us ap important re- ort withont having read it or without knowing what state- nents were in it? The {den to me iw inconceivable Mr. FuRLioneyses—I pould not impute to the Pres dent any ignorance, neither would I impute to the Senator froma Ulinole uny purpose te make the Prestlent apyenr in diferent light before the people than that io which he himself. Mr. Trumpunt—Well, let us see what the President doce nay. Hosaya, “have hothad time to eramine the accom- ponving report aufiicieatly to suggest detinite leviniauve on to insure the support which may be necessary 10 crier ive a thorough trial to @ policy jong neaded,” say expressly that iti# a policy long needed. He xiso vt had time to examine the report #9 as to to sng. et detinite legilation ; but, of course, he must Feat it not have suid that itembodied « el. He had read it ana understood it, eyorloomn here endorsed as to its errential facts {hey relate to the present mode of appointments by ‘osell, who has been for peariy three years (glow woat the present system is. Even the ‘eeonsin bimaell endorsed the statements of «rad that two persons high in the Jegisla- 1 the government had \ TNGVATENED THE PRESIDENT A make cercain appointments dictated ator had tolt ug who they were that tfor chen he would have given a Fation of the system whieh Civil ser Mr Trumbul, apeaking of Dar'y purposes, ald— na} will Fay It dere and everywhere—if eee ee me Virtue enongh to be sustained Patronage of the government to bold it | save that he hae have INSUL by the the tase of aro free i tho republ without using ment patronag v ether it demsrvev ty go down. Ne Seuerie ey tained thas cannot sustain itself withous using tte ome ronaze of "the government © Be ¥ a tO pee penne power, That 18 the "very chjecti pointed by ‘the Civil Fervise ® qogndeetion nage of the government is being uscd toy nee the purpose of 6 e and Keeping them. there au Tt ie an interference with th ‘eecow of @ ection, interference with the rights of the people, and'n ht to be Kustained that cannot he susialned by t bimased votes of the people uniniuenesd by purty age. (Subdued applause in the yailerie “Mir, SHERMAN explained that the on Tales and reg’ iy ' ne wih patrou bange made in the tions of the Civil Service Reform Commis. on was the adoption of an additional one, whioa be rad, and then aatd:—I voted for the propoaition of the Senator from Litvois (Mr. Trumbull), in reference to. appoimment to office. believe thet some yood will yet come irom this discussion of otvil service re Wnt T believe toe abuse renent system uf ely CxagKerated, The expenses of our government are less! proportion than those of any other in the world. The entire cost of collecting the nue 18 less than five per cent. Does not the Senator know jal report to Congress that the ment from the runoing in of cargoes withovt payigg duty amonnt, and bave amcauted fur MANY years, to from $12,001,000) to «25,0000 year t Mr. Surnitan—T bi d'that question. The great Jous to our revenue wengers arriving al vie ort of New York in eqnenmve gous ja tr but tbat care in alt Ct countries and it cannot be remedied aervice other plan that yet . os irom thie aource inated at #10,000 000 a year, and that, proontl purthe of the entire losses; bu I ua (hat eanuot be avolied by any #yslem yet devieed, Jbe only way to co itis to repeal Lie custom laws, Bir, [RUNAU Lard Ubversiaud be Sensor to #ay thar he J woONL three whl defeat any portical ) Ba | hou have | nd give them a lite tenure inorder | Carpenter read | j Worth the lary | lor as istance; but the ankouwn being, } Won yesterday witernovm had reported « Bfltthad would rorrect aft the abusee at New or’, Mr, SNTRMAN said he meant only all the abuses brought to Uch¥ vy the Custom tlouse investization in New Yorks. He then dirciissed same diikeu tea in the way of elvil nervice reform, but said that he, for one, had made up his min’, ¢ gIve ILA Lair trial, and Lo vote for whatever might be aocer- bary bo Cw 80, Mr, MOGTON, (rep.) of Ind.—T do not desire tantiscnss at ' tbo me the merits of this civi! service retorm, ‘So faras I am concerned, what r the Presivent re The. Seuaior trox, Ponto shall ula, froz, "Ohio (Mr. Sherman) i io part, anticipava what I | tended to aay, oI intgndéd to chalienge a state ment made on the floor of the Beanie “nis aiternoon, and I believe read from the report of thig¢ormmission to the eifect that ove-(ourth of the entire reveyiue of the tnited States is nually iost in the collection, I desire to challenge that atement. don't call in question the sincerity ot the Board who make that isatement, but 1 sub- mit to the Senate and the country that they have been grosmly imvosed upon, and that, so fur trom {went pe cent of the reventies being lost id that way, no evidence has been found, or can be found, which wil ‘show that five per cent have been loat in that way under this administration. Mr, | DMUNDS, rep.) of Vt, called Mr, Morton's attention to the fact that the Commissioners did not make that state ment on their own authority, but merely said thas it was 0 stated, and quoted the statement merely as a means of | calling att 90 te the oceurring in that way. | (Mr, Mowvon-I knew that; but they mention the atate- bove a ' ment aa though they believed ft, and what I want to say s that repret made to them and embodied by them in. thet Senne the President 19 a cross exaggeratio | whieh ougl 19.2? ginllowes to go betore th country witho challenged, fr our. pres- reauite in the loss of twenty-five per ues it is the worst in the world, and this atement does such gross Injustice to tbe administration ‘that 1 think ites gt to be met upon the threshold. Three- fourths of all that has been the last two yeare said durin, about the abuses of the Servi believe to be the grogsest exagueration, the merest froth and suis, and while there are gvi a, in our aystem that ouzht fo be reme- died, 1 bel Thave said before, that our system 4 tovday, with all ite fauite, | the best an the at our system has faults I have nlwaya sald, and, for one, 1 am determined to sustain the President | In this attempt to correct those faults and give it a tair trial. But 1 still repeat it—I believe our system to be, with all its fault the best in the world. It may have faults thas others have not; but others bave faults that ours hes not, and they are enormous ones, and if any one will take the trouble to read the history of the civil service of the great governments of Kurope they will be forced to the cone usion that they have gnormoua faults tnat do net belong t In conclusion Mr. Morton pointed out that Mr, Trumbull idea of the best way to reform the civil service differed from the plan of the Clvil hervice Commission. Mr, LDMUNDS announced that on Monday he would speak 1m reply to Mr. Carpenter. At four o'clock #. M. the Senate adjonmed until Monday, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wasnrworon, Jan. 18, 1872. The SYUAKER, owing to the extreme illnes of one of his children, vacated the chair upd appointed Mr, Dawes Speaker wro tem. A large number of pension bills were reported from the Committee on Jnvaild Pensions and passed. Mr, GARFIFLD, (rep.) of Ohio, oppoxed one of these bills which allowed a widow who has been drawing » Penmon for nineteen yearw to receive fourteen years? back pension on thé principle of the bill passed yesterday, making the pension vommence from the death or Gischar,e of the soldier, Mr. Garfield said th: | that bill, although only applying to pensioners of the late war, will take twenty million dollars ont of the Treasury, and’ he vommented upon the inattention of the House to these pension bills, ‘The bili was passed by a vote of 109 to 65, Mr. BRooKs, (dem,) of New York. presented a memonal from the New York Chamber of ‘Commerce, signed vy George Updyke, Vice President, setting forth the almost utter ruin ot our foreign Davigation, and praying Congress to Adopt measnren for is restoration, Also from Jobn F. Seymour and many others, dealers in eurthenware, stating that under the Treasury and other regu- Intions @ legislative duty of forty per cent is Increased pri tically to sixty per cent, and aeking @ reduction to twenty per cent as before the war, Also from Mensra. Ives, Beecher & Co., and other Importers and dealera in wines and liquora and rectifiers, tor a cousoll- dation of all taxes imposed upon them, whereby they reason that the revenue can be increased over five miliion dollars. LET US HAVE PEACK. Also from the Society of Friends, 1n their annual meeting, asking in all national disputes a reference to arbitration in Veuot the sword, Reerred to the Committee on Foreign Adlairy, and to have, probably, a favorable report Mr. Evy, (dem.) of 'N. Y., presented a petition of 921 retail sugar dealers of New York city asking to be relieved from the unjust enforcement of the revenue laws, Mr. L. Meyens, (rep.) of Pa., introduced a bill to exempt fron steam iceboats built for the city of Philadelphia from inapection under the Steamboat act. Keferred. ‘THE POSTAL APPROPRIATION. Mr. PALMER, (rep.) of Iowa, from the Committee on A propriations, reported the Post Office Appropriation bill, which was made a special order for Wednesday next. The Dill appropriates: $24,225,750. The iter for stamped en- velopes provides that ho envelopes furnishe by the gover ment shall contain any lithograph or engraving or print except a printed request to return the letter to the writer, The items for ateameuip service are $500,000 for the China, mail, $160,000 for the Brazilian mail abd $75,000 for the Sandwich Island service, PENSION APPROPRIATIO Mr. Cranky, (rep.) of N. Y.,from the same committee, reported the Pension bill, appropriating 80,480,000, Which was made the spectal order for Thursday next. Mr. ROOSEVELT, idem.) of offered resolution di- recting the Committee on. Printing to ascertain and report the amount of mouey paid to the proprietors of the @tob { the lastten yearstor the printing and advertising of the two houses. Adopted. BRAXTON, OF VIRGINIA, The Virginia contested election case of McKenzie against Braxton, Was called up, and the report that Braxton is en- titled to hia seat was adopted, The House then, at two o'clock, adjourned, CEURCHING OF MR. HEPWORTH. Interesting Service at Plymouth Church—The Rev. George H. Hepwerth aw a Congrege tiopal Brother—Endorsement of His Mini: try by Drs. Buddington, Scudder and Mr. Beecher. A very lateresting service was held in Plymouth church, Brooklyn, last evening. The occasion was the holding of a conference of the represen- tatives of the Congregational churches of New York, Brooklyn and its vicinity, and that which gave it a special interest was the recep- ton into the church, and the offering of the spiritof fraternity towards the Rev. George H. Hepworth, The initiation of Mr. Hepworth, atter the usual preliminaries, was proceedea with, the Rev. Dr. Buddington presiding. There was a large audience, and Mr, Hepworth stated — his views and experience to the congregauon, which Were sunstantially the same as those published Mm the HERALD on Monday week, Jr, BUDDINGTON, IM @ Short address, bore testi- mony tothe power of Mr. Hepworth’s preaching, as witnessed by himself when he sat by Mr. Hep- Worth’s side at Steinway Hall on Sunday night last. dudging irom the immensity and character of the audience he ventured to believe that, ander the blessing of God, Mr. Hepworth had a@ brililanuy usefu) future before him, Mr. Henry M. STORRS then proposed the following resolution, which, it will be seen, gives Mr. He} tv ecclesiastical lMberty and all the Jreedom that a Chrisuan minister could desire. The fe oe was seconded by the Key. Menry Ward peee! That an pastors and members of Congrera- hes in New York, Frooklyn and vicinity, met in we bave heard wilt deep interest and ‘satisiace n from the Kev, Georre H, Hepwortu a statement of the he spirh of God, and of tor Way in which he bas been led b; the resuits, both spiritual and doctrinal, to which he hae ths far’ been prougnt, We thd nim standing With ourselves In avowed acceptance of that historic faith ot the chorch universal, embodied Sn the latter half of what ie known among us ag the burial will coofession. We aiso believe tim to have at heart such an administration of the power of Christ's Gospel ll save men from thelr wins and redeem them to the Christian live, For these reasona we gladly recognize him as a min- ister of the Lord “Jesus Christ to whom we give the hand of cordial fellowship. Meantime we dor Mand him in recetving this fellowship to have compromised or embarrassed bis own future action, or that of the Chureli, to be gath by his ministry in respect tu ecclemiastical forms or © the Spirit of the Lord is there ce and power of that Spirit bawbly and earnestly Invoke upon our brother im that work to Which we mus LOW believe him now called of 1 under- fa liberty.” w G Mr. Rercner, in a short general address as to the Work of God in the churches, said that Mr. Hep. worth had drawn around him, by the force and beauty ol his claracter, a nuraver of men, Who did not believe very mach in religion, Inchurches, or much, perhaps, in anything, but they — be- lieved in Mr. Hepworth. 418 Influence they were willing to acknowledge, and by that strong emotive nature, sanctitied, as tr was, b strong reiigious faith, he believed Mr. Hepworth Wouid not only bwid up a church, bot would Jay the Joundation Jor a generation o/ charches. Dr, SCUDDER deéhyered @ short address, in which similar views were expressed, ‘The meeting was brought to a elose about ten olgiock by prayer ana the singing of the Doxology. A WESTON ESTER MYSTERY, si artling Developments at Mt. John's College, Fordham—Feeling tor o Sindent’s Hienrt ia the Dark— Assassination jeved to Be tbe Object. Ab unusual degree of excitement at present ex. ists at St. John’s College, Fordnam, Westchester county, owing to the alleged circumstance that re- peated attempts have been made by unknown indi viduals to assassinate a young student from Su Louis, named Benoit, It seems that about two weeks ago Benoit was awakened from his slumbers by a cold hand insertea under the bed clothing, and groping cautionsly over his chest as though to find out the precise Jocation of his heart, Through the dim moonhght the student distinerly beheid the figure of a man standing by Nis bedstde, and, at wlice grappling with the intrader, he shouted lustily ossessed Of rior muscular ability, hurled Benolt back upon ved and sacceeded in making his escape, I[t is e1 that next morning # long, sharp pointed suletto was found near toe bed occupied student, Ketween one and two o'clock yesterday moraing the student was again aroused by the movements of a Strange man at nis bedside. On his raising an Mlarm, however, the mysterious visitor rushed out ofthe room. In his Might irom the building he was encountered by the night watchman, who seized {he stranger ond at once shouted for assistance. The desperado, having threatened to shoot the watchinan Unless he relinquished his hold, fired his pistol, and then by @_ powerful efort broke away from na custodian, The watch- man was nov injured, Jt is said that an attempt Was made to take Benott’s lite while he was stay- ing at tne Filth Avenue Hotel last autumn. No motlve can be assigned for the Intended sacrifice of the stuceut, It i# nota lite singalar that the Thirty-second #uh-precinct police stationed ab tre snout, Not more than a mile from st, Jonn’s College, were entirely ignorant he attempted assasaila- 0 our own government. | | NEW YURK HERALD, FRIDAY, JANUARY Y, 1872.-TRIPLE” SHEET. pa nrc ne Te CUSTOM HOUSE COMMITTEE. What Surveyor Cornell Knows About Bribery, Corruption, Assessments and Poli tical Strategy. The Difference Between Personal Influence and Official Power—Assessments A!) Voluntary— Memories of Abuses Under Grin- nell—The Steamship Agents Again on the Stand. ing Revelations of Mr. Jellctson, &@ Heavy Importer. He Has Bribed a Number of Custom House Officials— Ex- pected To-Day. ‘The Custom Honse Committee met again yester- day at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. The attendance since the committee nave moved up town has been decidedly thinner than when they were at the Astor House, and the Custom House officials seem now to have it pretty mach their own way. The following letter was read by the Secretary:— Thave read the evidence of Mr. Greeley before your com- mittee, in which he mentions my name, and in which I am Mnisrepresented. When | tirst heard of Mr. Smith's name in connection with the SpeakerabipI stated promptly that, from bi in Montgomery jeman Ss ition was well Known in my district and county. It jerefore, untrue that I was influenced by Conkling, Sustom House,” or by any influence other than my judg- ment of what was wisest and best to be done. No Custom Honse officials accompanied me to Albany, nor was 1 ap- proached by any afver I arrived there, — &) BECKWITH, The Secretary next read the following FROM 0. B, MAITESON, Unt0A, Jan. 15, 1872, To DEPUTY SERGEANT-AT-ARMB OF COMMITTER, de. :— DEAL Si®—On my return home from an absence of nearly two weeks 1 find your favor of the 11th inat,, this morning, containing « subpacna for my attendance before the Senato- rial Committee “forthwith,” at the Astor House. I find a large accumulation of important business matters in my absence, and my wife quite ill, and I wish to ark if my examination may not be bad here before @ United States mmissioner or Judge of the Supreme Coart, or by afl- , or insome way W avoid going to New York at thi time,’ T do not wish in the least to ‘avoid the order of ‘the committee, 90 far as the examination is concerned. My at- tion has been called to a letter from a man named Garri- whom, to my recollection, I do not know, and #0 far as bia statement concerns me he is entirely in error, 1 suppose Tam subponsed in consequence of that letter, 0. B, MATTESON, General ARTHUR came forward to disclaim that he had had any consultation regarding tne ad- vancement of the clerk Terry, as stated by Uharles S, Grant, @ former witness. He further said that he never knew anything about this person Terry, other than that be waa one of the cierks in the Custom House, Pincus Polialsky, a cigar dealer, testified to hay- ing lost much of his invoices of cigars, from time to time, in the General Order store; it is only within the last three or four months that we have been sending goods to general order stores; he had to pay from two dollars to three dollars a case for storage and cartage; he also lost cigars from time to time in the Appraiser’s store; he missed as many as two hundred and fifty cigara ont of a case of 10,000 in one instance; many times he missed various other amounts; when I make an entry and pay duties upon invoices on the day of their arrival I cannot always get them out in less than ten or fit- teen days; Ihave tried often to get an interview with the Collector regarding my diMculties, but have never been able to see him; while in the public stores our cigars were never lessened to any greater extent than might be accounted for by sampling, but since they went to the general order stores we have been in the habit of losing from three hunarea tonve hundred in each invoice. . Mr. A. B, Cornell, having been sworn, gave the folowing testimony, aster @ few prelimmary ques- ODS: — Q. Do you know anything of threats or patronage having been used to influence ihe Conventions of 1870 and 1871? A. No, sir; 1 Nave no reason to sup- pose—uo knowledge—that patronage was used, either in the way Of threats 01 removai or promises Ol appointment, to control these Conveutions, Q io you know anything about the diMiculty that has been talked about? A. It has been usual 1o issue tickets to members and a ternates; | issued tuese tickets for the Convention at Syracuse; 1 was told by Mr. Spencer two or three uays belore the mecting that a plan was on foot by we opposi- ton to take possession by force of the Convention, and he suggested that [suould provide for 1s pro- tection, but 1 declined; on the morning of meeting Mr. Spencer asked me to send a torce to preserve order in the hall; some persons «ut actually try to ferce their way into the ball, and succeeded after some trouble in getting in; they were persons of by no means flattering appearance; they then tried to fet possession of the platiorm. r. CORNELL then entered into an exhaustive de- scription of the origin and progress of the iaction Hgnts inside the lines of the republicans of this cliye He threw the onus of diame upon the ‘tammany __proclivities of Als opponents. He weat on to say In regard to inspectors that none of them are allowed to ac- cept any extra lees, except for night duty, under an arrangement approved by the secret: of the Treasury; in such cases ten dollars was the fee allowed. Reguiar night permits to steamers have been abolished, but special night permits are stil in force. Air, Cornell stated that he had discouraged the attendance of Custom House officials at the Convention of 1871, but that, in spite of this, forty or fifty of them had gone, Q. Did you punish any of them in any way for going against your wishes? A. No, sir; there was ho disobedience of orders invoived; I mereiy repre- sented to (hem that @ great press of business made their absence very incouvenient, but as a leave of absence was due to them I had to let them go if they insisted upon it; 1 do not think any one Went who was not entitied Lo a leave of ab- sence; Loniy know the Sg omc party; 1 do not Know any divisions iu it; 1 do not think the num. ber of Custom House officials at the 1871 Conven- ton was less than at some previous conventions; for instunce, at the Convention of 1964 there were more oNniciais; In 1869 the sale Was the case; there Is a difference, in my opinion, between personal and omectal influence; T think in 1871 Custom House oMcials used thelr personal tufluence, but not their omctal power; Ldo hot think threats or promises of removal or ofices were employed; 1 do not think that more than forty or fifty omciais are in the havit of making political visits to their homes; the great majority of our oiice-hoiders are permanent residents of New York, Brooklyn and Jersey City; I have never but one political removal, and that was a democrat; in regard to inspectors taking vribes L have done my best to discourage it and have Warned ai) Consignees Of vessels not to give lees to oMicers; the trouple 18 that merchants are too anxious to bribe the oflcers in order to inauce the oficers to be more industrious im their Work im dis- charging a cargo; I have known cases where money has been sent to the residence of officers. Q. Isn't there a slang term for that—‘honse mouey,” for instancey <A. Not that I know ot; sometimes officers take books nome and work at might, and they are paid extra for this; that we aliowet Q. Would not that excuse any kind of bribery © ine A. T do not know; the competition between sieamship Hnes 18 so keen (hat they are verv a ious to clear their vessels with all whe expediuon possible; | think the practice of bribery has bee decreased since | gave evidence belore the last J vestigating Committee to the efect that the in spectors had ali coulessed under oata to having taken brives trom the steamstiip companies; in ages Of Inquiry imto tuese matiers we do not require aosolute provt of guilt for punishment, but merely reagonavle proor. q. How many Inspectors have you punished for these malpractices? A. I cannot say witaout re ferring w the record. Q. What is the condition of the welghers’ depart. Ment whi respect to the number of persons em- ployed? A, There are Dineteen weighers employed by the government, who are authorized in their discretion fo Bire as many jaborers as they need; J thik they have been more careful recently in rr gard to hiring laborers than they were formerly; they have been more restrained in their action in this matter; the number of weighers 1s the same now as belore; I cannot Say Whetuer the number of laborers on the pay roils has been reduced or other Wise; the returns to be furnished to the committee Will show that; @ Welgher named Burns was sus pended in 1869, and I considered him guilty, though tere Was adispute between him aud fis assis: tant as to the onsioility Inthe matter; he was restored by Mr. Grinnell sod ts still in office, Q. What about inspectors accepting bribes to pass passengers’ baggage?’ A. I think there are not hearly #0 Many Cuses as has been stated; the mauer has been very greatly exagaerateny that is my opin- jon; the general scandal of the payment of gratul- ties is by DO means so extensive as has been charged; I do nov mean to say that it does not exist; the newspapers have said that every man who comes to the port pays @ drive to an inspector; that Js not so; such cases are very rare; | do not think bribes are given in five c: 5 we bave used every exertion to prohibit that practice, and L believe that It has been very much reduced; there is Jess of It now than there was @ couple Of years ago, or & year ago; in several cases Wwiiere I had discov- ered the guilt of a man in this matier I ‘ailed to get him removed by Collector Grinnell; the case of Uasi- lear Was one, Q What power was it that retained Oastiear? A, 1 have WO Means of kayWwing; 2 belivyy he Was ae 1 | | brother-in-law of General Spinner; quite 8 number ol wen have heen removed for the same offence, Q Do you Know any Cases aside trom ordiaary cases Ol smugghng of douable goods naving come into ‘he port with the Knowledge of the officers? A, ihat sometimes happens through the collusion or Wal Of vigilance on the part oi the ocers, @. € meu cases of collusion simplyy A, That may have najpened, but T Cénndi call 4 case in polut 10 wind; a tempts to smuzyie are constantly occurriug; we are making seizures every day, and that 1G rr ome Knowledge I have of the prevalence of smuggling; we have one, two ur Loree inspect Ors, according to the size of the vessel. Q. During your term at the Custou V appolutments Ghd Tencvals been vuided mostly for Politica! causes or from ¢onaiderailous of tie public mMlrest? A. 1 think that in most cases removals and appommiments have been mostly mave for Seung cause otier than mere political causes, bul boition of them have been made by reason of | polhical influence; 1 think in appointments some Tegard has been nad to the fitness of tne man for office, but, of course, a political Tecommendauion has also been made; remov- alg are not 80 much guided py potitical Teasons: I think poliucal dictation bas been less poweriul during the last year than before; 1 draw @ aistinction between poliuical dictation aud political Teasons; in Mr, Grinneil’s time the Presidents of Ward assuciations and Congressmen used to dictate ‘he appointment or the displacement of certain | men; under wr, Murphy such dictation bas Lot been permitted to the same extent, Q How about political assessments? A. So far as my Knowledge of them has goue iney Lave been voluntary contributions. Senator CasssxLy—l)0 you Know anything of What? (Handing an extract trom the fribune.) Witness read :— TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, All persons employed at the Custom House will be required to pay at the ollice of the Surveyor two per ceut upon their salaries .0r the past year. By order of THOMAS MURPHY, Collector of the Port of New York, New York, October, 1#71, Isay in reply that the circular is @ forged one; Mr. Morphy never issued tt, Q. Are assessments maue? A, No; the money | collected for political purposes is treely given; I hever knew of any oue being removed 1or uot pay- jug. Q. What was the amount collected in your depart- ment? <A. $12,000, Q, From how many men? A. About four hun- Senator CaSSERLY—Oh, about - ary are those men paid?” A. $4 no cree vidas On eee a ek Le Uh per cent w ork—gives it ireely and g happy? A. Yea. Ry y bode Join G, Dale, agent of the National Steamship Line, examined—I refunded to Mr, A. ‘I. Stewart $2,401 in 1871, general order charges on account ef | our line; this is but a fragment of what 1s retunded him by other lines; the money was returned on account of the goods teing thrown into general order stores before the customary forty- eight hours allowed for unloading bad elapsed; in cases where the goods would be sent to the stores alter that time had expired the expenses would ve borne by him, S. 0. H. Webb testified as follows:—Am agent of the Hamburg line of steamships; have neard the testimony of agents of otter ines anu agree witb 1b im every particutar, W. W, Downes testifed:—am engaged in the house of Ciafin & Co.; have known frequent losses 01 yoods to take place in the general order stores: in some instances goods may be taken from the docks, but in most cases the rooberies are committed in the public stores; Know that casea nave been Opened whue in the stores, having taken special precautions to unt the matter up; we import y ail tines; do not believe that robveries take place prior to packages leaving the vessei; do not always report losses to the stores, but tn most instances do; the charges of the general order stores are in some respects no higher now than ney have ever been, but cannot speak with authority on the subject; the cost of taking goods from the otner | side of the river, Where the stores formeriy were, anu this side, where they are now, would not make oe difference to us. ‘The witness here read & communication from the firm he represented strongly objecting to the man- ner in which the general order business 1s at _pres- ent conducted, and suggesting that it should be istributed among the various steamship companies, that a fixed price should be put on every article stored, aud a record kept of the time vesseia arrive. Witaess continued—We are unaole to get goods in proper Ume irom the general order stores on ac- count of the red tapeism of the Custom House; in handling the goods in the stores muca dawage is done; there not being a suficient force of mea to handie cases they are in many instances broken: the evils of which we complain could be corrected by the Collector of the Port; as dry goo.s deaiers we act H fairly by the government, and we have a rigat to be treated squarely in return; we beileve that the present syavem of general order business has been | established through tue influence and pressure brougut to bear upon the government by the Custom House of New York. It now being half past five, the committee ad- Journed until half-past seven P.M. Evening Session, ‘The investigation was resumed at half-past seven | o’clock last evening, Several communications were received, but the consideration of them was post- poued unt this morning. ARTHUR G, TILLOTSON TESTIFIED: 1 am an importer of telegraph ana ratlroad matter; know something of the order business; believe that the charges are too heavy; im one instance, for the storage and cariage of 3)0 bundies of wire, which remained in general order ouly two or three days, when I presented my permit the bill was $139; I considered the charge exorbliant and protested to Leet & Co., but was told I could not nelp myself; applied to Mr, Cornell and was told the charge would be mol. fled; received a modified bill a few days after Making @ difference of thirty-sia dollars in the whole amouut; they wire until the bill Was paid, and 1 have not yet re- | ceived them; the comparison of these charges witn House have | gencral | retained five coils of | | moned for this morniwe, anc also the inspector wRe unioaded the wire. Mr. Tu.Lorson—When [ “rst hear! of this Investt gation I determined Co give any iniermauen J pos sessed Willingly, paiuiui as it is ‘o Make & public exposure of My OWa name abd oLiers, Senator Bayarno—'ihe evideice given by the wit- ; Ress 18 given frankly gd wilhont any compal- ) gion, foqertl i others will be as irank. He 45 proven &@ clear case of fraud avd extornon, We cannot try the duspectors, and t.ey whi not give their evidence willlugly under the influence of the Custom House trowns, Wich liave attended this id- ) Vestigation all throu, Senator Howg—I « is true as applying ) from fo hot believe that the testimony pete to ane mfFonants ot Few TOs i, owledge of the en whom ave been muy the ftoit Of associating witu. if one case of de- H Ungueney 18 proved We must nave the name of the delinquent; and | am surprised Liat Lhere should be soy siemps to hinder us from producing the in +f Senator BaYaRD—We are not here to try the | Custom House omectals, We are here to inquire into | @system, The rriminais must be induced by those who appointed them. If this is not aone the matter must be held up lor public conde maation, Senator HOWE—The proper way to condemn the System 1s to proauce the men Wav have conumitied delinquencies, | Senator CasseRLY—If the mspectors are som- moned bere to-morrow morning 1% will have the efect of keeplug other mercaauts like Mr. Tillotson back, and thas closing the dours of evidence, No- thing should be done to stifle the investigation, Q, (fo the witness\—What is the name of your broker? A, Leider. A motion was then made that the Collector should be summoned to sppear this morning with the name Of the imspector Who unloaded the City of Wastungton contaluing tae Wire. Carried, Senator Howe (10 Witiess)—Has the inspector Who received your bribe'veeu 1D your store? A, Yes; he came for lits $25; 1 re used to pay the last man who called; he did not fuilll iis contract; the name o: my bookdeeper who aude my payments of this kind is W. H. Blder;itis the general opinion 1m. tne cliy of New York that the general order basi- | ness bears very severely upon tie merchanta, Senator Bayakp—What is your opinion of the Willingoess of the merchants ol New York to testify to the Cusiom House abuses? A, They would be | averse to il; my own leeling is One of regret that £ | had to mention the names o/ individuals who may | gt into trouble On account of what I have said; | li I had seen the course the inquiry should take 1 would have been very reluctant Co testily; the samo feeling would be shared by my brother mer- chants; my impression is that there 1s compina- | Won between the Cusiom House omeials to orig goods into general order, and, as a means of preser- | vation, I took measures to prevent their dong 80. | Q. How many merchants have you known to bribe | before you did? A. Have known several; cannot give any names; it 18 several years since I com- menc importing: | Knew it was a practice of the merchanis to give bribes, but 1 cannot recoliect names, The witness was examined at great length, and at the conclusion of tis testimony Ube mquiry was adjourned until tuis mornlag. { | THE NEWARK MURDERER. Botts Becomes Blasphemous—The Legal Hate Upon Which His Friends Hang Their Hopes. A week from to-day is set down for the exeeution of George Botts, in the Jail at Newark. Out of the thousand chances of his hanging there is but one that he will escape the gallows. There is now no doubt but that a olll has been framed and will be introduced into the Legislature early next week amendatory to the law governing the trial of criminal cases for capital offences, The bill 1s described as a general one, and not particu- i larly applicable to the case of Botts, but to any one who is or may be in his unfortunate position. The law at present requires that all applications for s new trial in capital cases suall be made within the term at which the defendant was convicted. The purpose of the bill in question’ is to enable the Court to hear such application at a subsequent term, THIS AMENDATORY ACT. The act Is entitled a supplement tothe act rela» tive to crimmal proceedings, ana provides that “in all cases heretofore tried or hereafter to be tried, when, upon conviction, the penalty 1s death, that it shall be lawful for the Court beiore whom the trial was had, or snail be had, to hear one or more appll- cations for a new trial, as well aiter as witnin the Verm at wnicn the trial was had, To apply to Botts’ case it Will have to be passed early next Week and approved by tne Governor; and then the Court would bave to hear and decide upon the application for a new trial before Friday, unless Governor Par- ker should respite nim, Kveu should the bill pass it would ve eutirely optional wih Lae Court whether a new hearlag would be granted ‘That 11 would nos 18 considered @ foregoue couciusion, considering | that @ mouon for a new triai Was argued subse- | quent to conviction, but Judge Vepue decided that | no Cause was shown why a new trial shoud be granteu, and so sentence was passed. Botts! rel Uves and iriends claim to have new and importaot evidence. If sv, then a new trial may be granted. ) Wt is not forgotten, however, that the “new | and important’ evidence’ last Utne consisied of aMdavits which tie alleged makers pronounced , Spurious, ‘The villaliuled to is said to have bee: approved of by Governor Kandolph, we ocher mem~- bers of ihe Court of Pardons, aud Chancellor Zabrise Kie. This is te very sleader thread upon whieh | Bots and his intends bund their hopes, In the meaatime th PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXECUTION next Friday are being made. ‘Ih neing will take place in the tain lai of tie jatl, and will be ' condu with the the utmost privacy, Few Hl sons will be adimitied outside of the proper officers and properly accredited — press Tepresentatives. Botts dunes the aMidavit mude by Mrs, Wilson disclat\. ing that spe was m | Trea Lo aim, In her evidence Mrs. Wilson declared at the trial that she had Known ors about seven Years, ‘Tue copy of the muuster's record of Botts? the bills of other bonded warehouses is much greater; the charges in other stores of equal secu- Tity to the Custom House stores of this city are much more moderate; Mr, Cornell is agentieman in whom Inad every confidence; he has always treated me ‘With fairness; when 1 remonstrated with Leet & Co, | I was treated with rudeness; made applica through my broker, Who Is son of tne Deputy Col- lector, vo Leet, and he refused to receive my claim, though charging iive times as much as anotier first class Warehouse; | then apptieu to the Collector tor | redress, and received it; tn one instance | tried to keep my wire out of general order, and sent | nm bookkeeper to the pier to do so The inspector told him he would keep ie Wire out Of generai order as long. as Was Wished on consideration of # certain suin being paid, which Was dove, but, notwithstanding, the wire was sent to Leet’s stores; was sunjecied to very heavy charges during the Prussian war op yarious articles tat were imported; have reveived waole invoices of goods before the charges have beea paid; mer- Chants oi good standing cau receive goods without their having them retained as security jor paymeut; it has been my experience in tue city New York tuat in order Lo escape the excessive rges of the general order warehouses an underhand arrange- Ineut is Irequentiy made wito the inspectors; have talked with other merciants about excessive charges Lhave been subjected to, and found their experience to be mine; the inspectors who receive | bribes detain the goods on the per; dou't Know the name Of the inspector WhO took $26 jrom me; huve Jrequently made similar arrangements. Q. Don't you know that corrupung public oMcers 1s very demorauzing to the servicer A. Ii cannot be any more demoralized than it 1s at present; ail the Custom House omctais are corrupt; have made bargains with half a dozen tnspectora; did not know until lately that such arrangements were lile- | gitimate; if placed in the same position again would | consult my interest first: and my conscience after- | apie, Marriage to Julia Jenkins bears date of September, 1864. ‘There 18a broad le between them, and the | public seem careiess as Lo Where tt 18 really charge- In @ conversation with Mrs, Wisou’s father— | @ respectable, comiortaoly stiuaved workingman of | Newark—ne stated on Wednesday to the HERALD re- orier that three or four years ago Botts came to his use in tie Country and acted Very silly about Mrs, Wilson, and told him that he was gomg to secure & divorce tor Mrs, Wiisou trom ner pusvand, &ud that | he (Botts) would then marry and take good care of her. ihe old man doves nuvi beileve they were Inarried. BOTS BLASPHEMES AT A REPORTER. On Wednesday a Newark iocal reporter, represent. ing a paper wiuch had described Botts ax an tl looking ie€low, calied at the jau and sought to inter- view tue murderer, The iwiter waxed exceedingiy wroth and tore out at the interviewer ata Herce rate. He declared, It 18 Said, that were he ontsile his cell bars he would “knock the damned head of? the reporter, ‘The later lost uo tine im Jeaving the County Jasl behind iim, MORE ABOUT DR. VERNON, 169 East E1ouTy-Firsr STREET, NEW Mla Wepymspay, Jan, 1 M. To THE Epirork OF THE HeRAL: In deiecting ana caging the rascal Vernon yoo have done a good service to all females who adver- use In the HERALD. You and the o.i.cers will doa Sul better one if you succeed in getting him “re- Urea’! ior ayear or two. One such villain as he does mure harm to the HEKALD tian a dozen com- pellog. DeWspapers. Woat virtuous woman, alter receiving oue of Vernou's eusting letters, will lay nerseif iiable to a repetition Of them? Lkuow of al least three ladies wou nave beeu thus suited by Hin and Lam bold to say thai ai those who ap- peared yesterday in Court ae his victims and could produce bis letiers and give ovacr most damuing wards; in avy case I believe I would not be doing muea wrong. Senator sAYARD protested against the action of Mr, Stuart, whom he charged with an attempt to bolster ip the crimes of tae Custom House omicials by recriminating upon the merchants of New York. IU was one thing lo investigate the conduct ot of- is and another to analyze the conduct of the hants of te city. Witness contunued—Never reported any of the cases of bribes in which | uave been concerned to the Custom House; believe It would be weil tor the merchants to report such crimes; but the provoc: tion, the geveral order business, should be r essily | moved, and then there would be no ne for bribes; it snowd not cost any more to | have goods stored in general order than in an ordimary bonded warehouse; it 18 the aystern to force goods mto general order as rapidly as pos side; in one instance alot of wire has been p into general order, though a permit was sent to che | ship to procure tt; It Was pronounced an imposition by my broker; called on Mr. Corneil, but he was ont; the Inspector came to me afterwards and assumed the charges bimseif; peng a personal friend of Mr. Cornell, assisted me as he would not have done otners; have not studied how the general order business could be remedied, but think it Could be Vastiy improved If proper means were employed to bring about a reform; have nover had any goods pillaged wuile lying on the evidence against him, Tsuggest, when ne is wed, that those lates be foterviewed and induced to give their evidence agulust bin. his object ta simply 4 sensual One, he his ioug pursued it, and TL aim sorry Lo say there are scores Of similar Chaps } Operating tbrough your coitinus, living im ts city and over ii Brooklyn. Acail i he HERALD lor letters aad Other evidence of this Would develop uw stave Of facts you little dream of, Don't let ap the villain nor permit others to gét the corruptin: scoundrel Of, thls Wronging the public and che: ing Justice, a8 they often have dove Yours woly, A. J. CAPYURE OF BOLD RIVER THIBVES, rly yesterday forenoon two river thieves landed. irom @ small boat at the foot of North bighth street, Wiiitamsburg, where a large quantity of pig iron, belonging to Wiliam Tuite, was uwaiting trans portation, One of the thieves presented @ pistol to the head of the watchman employed there, waile the other put on boura the boat about six hundred pounds of the iron. ‘ihe thieves taen ja uped on board tneir boat and rowed rapidly across the river, On their departure the terrified watcuman notified Oiticers Kelly and Cleary, of the Futh preciuct, of the audacious outrage, and these Ouicers crossed 1m @ Houston st Jecryboar in pursuit of the thieves pier under agreement with ihe inspectors; canaot give you the names of the iaspectors whom | have bribed; don't know one from another: im one in- Stance way asked by Mr. Cornell to (urnish the name Of an inspector; could not vo so; Mr. Cornell told me he would cut his bead oi im a minute U he found him, Sevator PRATT—Have you found other Custom House officials corrupt vesides the inspectors / A. Well, we had some intercourse with the welghers—- (laughter)--in some cases they have served us tor @ small gratuity; have paid tue weigher fora service he fatied to periorm, Q. The object of these gratuities was to make inspectors and welghers do whut otherwise they were prohibited by law from doing? A. T did not look Upon it in that Jight; they had a certaim dis- cretionary power over putting goods in general order; ticy could deta taem on the pier at pleasure, Senator Howr—Yon say you have bribed more than a dozen inspectors, ana yet you don’t know one of their names’ A, No, sit. Q. Do you know any other merenant who has Made such arrangements? A, Yes; i you want names Mr, Boomfeld, my neighoor, Who has told me he has done similar to myself, Senator Hows moved that Mr. Bioomfeld be sum- and succeeded in catcuing tiem in @ junk shop hear stanton street, while they were weiguing the iron. On being taken to the station house in Fourth street they gave the names of James Merrick and Joseph Cornell, aged respectively twenty-three years, They will have a heartng vetore Justice Voorhies this mornin. CAPTURE OF TWO WOMEN WITH $1,000 WORTH OF JEWELRY. Elizabeth Carpenter, ailas Brandt, and Minnie Allison were arrested by Detective Riggs, last eveo- ing, charged with stealing five watches, gold chains, shirt studs and otner articles of jewelry, valued in all at $1,000, from Charles Brandt, residing at the coruer of Filth avenue and Eleventh street, Gowanus, Misa Carpenter claimert that she has supported aad lived with Brande for years past, and that the property belonged to her. Brandt says it does not, and, further, that Lizzie is not ms wife, He is nowemployed as @ conductor on the Coney Isiand Railroal, aud saya he gov the property fron @ brother, wio ts in the jewelry bus! hess in Savanuak, The accused were Leia tw auswer,