CONGRESS. (THE RULES.) 



and places, exhibited to the voters of the land, and 

 the promise of their bestowal in recognition of parti- 

 san activity, debauch the suffrage and rob political 

 action of its thoughtful and deliberative character. 

 The evil would increase with the multiplication of 

 offices consequent upon our extension, and the mania 

 for office-holding, growing from its indulgence, would 

 pervade our population so generally that patriotic pur- 

 pose, the support of principle, the desire for the pub- 

 lic good, and solicitude for the nation's welfare, would 

 he nearly banished from the activity of our party con- 

 tests, and cause them to degenerate into ignoble, self- 

 ish, and disgraceful struggles for the possession of 

 office and public place. 



Civil-service reform enforced by law came none too 

 soon to check the progress of demoralization. 



One of its effects, not enough regarded, is the free- 

 dom it brings to the political action of those conserva- 

 tive and sober men who, in fear of the confusion and 

 risk attending an arbitrary and sudden change in all 

 the public offices with a change of party rule, cast 

 their ballots against such a chance. 



Parties seem to be necessary, and will long continue 

 to exist ; nor can it be now denied that there are legiti- 

 mate advantages, not disconnected with office-holding, 

 which follow party supremacy. While partisanship 

 continues bitter and pronounced, and supplies so :nuch 

 of motive to sentiment and action, it is not fair to hold 

 public officials in charge of important trusts respon- 

 sible for the best results in the performance of their 

 duties, and yet insist that they shall rely, in confiden- 

 tial and important places, upon the work of those not 

 only opposed to them in political affiliation, but so 

 steeped in partisan prejudice and rancor that they 

 have no loyalty to their chiefs and no desire for their 

 success. Civil-service reform does not exact this, nor 

 does it require that those in subordinate positions who 

 fail in yielding their best service, or who are incom- 

 petent, should be retained simply because they are in 

 Elace. ' The whining of a clerk discharged for indo- 

 ;nce or incompetency, who, though he gained his place 

 by the worst possible operation of the spoils system, 

 suddenly discovers that he is entitled to protection 

 under the sanction of civil-service reform, represents 

 an idea no less absurd than the clamor of the appli- 

 cant who claims the vacant position as his compensa- 

 tion for the most questionable party work. 



The civil-service law does not prevent the discharge 

 of the indolent or incompetent clerk, but it does pre- 

 vent supplying his place with the unfit party worker. 

 Thus, in both these phases, is seen benefit to the pub- 

 lic service. And the people who desire good govern- 

 ment having secured this statute will not relinquish 

 its benefits without protest. Nor are they unmindful 

 of the fact that its full advantages can only be gained 

 through the complete good faith of those having its 

 execution in charge. And this they will insist upon. 



I recommend that the salaries of the Civil-Service 

 Commissioners be increased to a sum more nearly 

 commensurate to their important duties. 



It is a source of considerable and not unnatural dis- 

 content that no adequate provision has yet been made 

 for accommodating the principal library of the Gov- 

 ernment. Of the vast collection of books and pam- 

 phlets gathered at the Capitol, numbering some 700,- 

 000, exclusive of manuscripts, maps, and the products 

 of the graphic arts, also of great volume and value, 

 only about 300,000 volumes, or less than half the col- 

 lection, are provided with shelf-room. The others, 

 which are increasing at the rate of from 25,000 to 30,- 

 000 volumes a year, are not only inaccessible to the 

 public, but are subject to serious damage and deterio- 

 ration from other causes in their present situation. 



A_ consideration of the fact that the Library of the 

 Capitol has twice been destroyed or damaged by fire, 

 its daily increasing value, and its importance as a place 

 of deposit of books under the law relating to copy- 

 right, make manifest the necessity of prompt action 

 to insure its proper accommodation and protection. 



My attention has been called to a controversy which 



has arisen from the condition of the law relating to 

 railroad facilities in the city of Washington, which 

 has involved the commissioners of the District in 

 much annoyance and trouble. I hope this difficulty 

 will be promptly settled by appropriate legislation. 



The commissioners represent that enough of the 

 revenues of the District are now on deposit in the 

 Treasury of the United States to repay the sum ad- 

 vanced oy the Government for sewer improvements 

 under the act of June 30, 1884. They desire now an 

 advance of the share which ultimately should be borne 

 by the District of the^cost of extensive improvements 

 to the streets of the city. The total expense of these 

 contemplated improvements is estimated at $1,000,000, 

 and they are of the opinion that a considerable sum 

 could be saved if they had all the money in hand, so 

 that contracts for the whole work could be made at 

 the same time. They express confidence that if the 

 advance asked for should be made, the Government 

 would be reimbursed the same within a reasonable 

 time. I have no doubt that these improvements could 

 be made much cheaper if undertaken together and 

 prosecuted according to a general plan. 



The license law now in force within the District is 

 deficient and uncertain in some of its provisions, and 

 ought to be amended. The commissioners urge, with 

 good reason, the necessity of providing a building for 

 the use of the District government which shall better 

 secure the safety and preservation of its valuable books 

 and records. 



The present condition of the law relating to the suc- 

 cession to the Presidency in the event of the death, 

 disability, or removal of both the President and Vice- 

 President is such as to require immediate amendment. 

 This subject has repeatedly been considered by Con- 

 gress, but no result has been reached. The recent 

 lamentable death of the Vice-President, and vacan- 

 cies at the same time in all other offices the incum- 

 bents of which might immediately exercise the func- 

 tions of the Presidential office, have caused public 

 anxiety and a just demand that a recurrence of such a 

 condition of affairs should not be permitted. 



In conclusion, I commend to the wise care and 

 thoughtful attention of Congress the needs, the wel- 

 fare, and the aspirations of an intelligent and gener- 

 ous nation. To subordinate these to the narrow ad- 

 vantages of partisanship, or the accomplishment of 

 selfish aims, is to violate the people's trust and be- 

 tray the people's interests. But an individual sense 

 of responsibility on the part of each of us, and a stern 

 determination to perform our duty well, must give us 

 place among those who have added in their day and 

 generation to the glory and prosperity of our beloved 

 land. GROVEB CLEVELAND. 



WASHINGTON, December 8, 1885. 



The Rnles. In the House of Representatives, 

 Mr. Morrison, of Illinois, from the committee 

 on rules, reported in favor of adopting the rules 

 of the Forty-eighth Congress with certain 

 amendments, some of which were so impor- 

 tant in their scope as to cause warm discus- 

 sion. One of them was designed to deprive 

 the Committee on Appropriations of a great 

 share of its powers, by referring the appropri- 

 ations for carrying on certain departments to 

 the committees appointed to deal with those 

 departments. The report of the majority of 

 the committee on rules said on this subject : 



Rule XI is proposed to be amended by transfer- 

 ring certain of the general appropriation bills from 

 the custody and control of the Committee on Appropri- 

 ations to the following named committees, viz.: The 

 consular and diplomatic bill to the Committee on For- 

 eign Affairs ; the army and Military Academy bills 

 to the Committee on Military Affairs ; the naval bill 

 to the Committee on Naval Affairs ; the post-olfico 



