committee had had a hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which subsequently reported favorably the Morgan bill, modified in several respects. The bill, however, had not reached a vote before the adjournment of Congress. The committee had not as yet considered the practical relation of the recent executive order to the matter of legislation, nor determined whether or not the Morgan bill, if re-introduced, should be changed to embrace any feature of the new plan. On motion the report was accepted.

The Secretary reported the efforts made by the League during the pendency of the Morgan and Lodge bills to secure favorable action from Chambers of Commerce, Boards of Trade and other similar organizations. The most important of these, representing every large city of the country, had responded, and copies of the resolutions and memorials adopted had been forwarded to Messrs. Morgan and Lodge and presented in the Senate. The Secretary added that he had been informed by Senator Lodge at the close of the last session that the bill then pending, or a similar measure, would be reintroduced shortly after the assembling of the fifty-fourth Congress.

Mr. Dana stated that Senator Lodge had informed him that the bill would be re-introduced during the present month. Mr. Siddons asked Mr. Straus whether he would favor the enactment of a law based on the recent executive order. Mr. Straus replied that he probably would, but with something more; the plan if made permanent should be changed in various respects, and competitive examinations should be substituted for the "pass" examinations now proposed.

The president called for a report from the Committee on Legislation, appointed in pursuance of action taken at the September meeting of the Executive Committee. The secretary stated that the committee had not organized, a permanent chairman not having as yet been secured. He had submitted to the individual members of the committee, however, the following proposed measures of legislation:

(1) A bill to exclude political influence in the appointment of postmasters and to assure to postmasters tenure during good behavior. (2) A bill to provide for the re-organization of the Consular Service.

(3) A bill to prohibit the solicitation of political assessments or contributions, in any manner, from officers or employees of the United States.

(4) A bill to provide for the selection of all laborers employed by the Government, through a system similar to that in operation in the Navy Yard.

(5) A bill to provide for classification under Civil Service rules, of the employees of the District of Columbia.

(6) A bill to give the Civil Service Commission power to investigate all cases of dismissal and, in the course of any inquiry they may make, to administer oaths and examine witnesses.

When the Committee is organized these suggestions would be at once considered, and the work of preparing bills taken up. The bill to re-organize the Consular Service would continue to be the especial charge of the Committee on Consular Reform; that relating to the District of Columbia would be prepared and promoted by the local Association. With both these bodies the committee would confer. The president announced subsequently that he had appointed to the Committee on Legislation Messrs. Sherman S. Rogers, of Buffalo; Dorman B. Eaton, of New York; R. H. Dana, of Cambridge; John C. Rose, of Baltimore, and F. L. Siddons, of Washington, and that Mr. Rogers had consented to serve as chair

man.

Mr. Charles W. Stetson, of Washington, read a report of the efforts made by the local association to secure the adoption of civil service rules in the District government.*

Mr. Estes read a letter from a correspondent stating that Hon. J. T. Kilbreth, Collector of the Port of New York, had suggested that action be taken by the League toward securing the transfer of all deputy collectors from the excepted to the competitive list, such a step being, in the opinion of the collector, highly important to continued improvement in the efficiency of the Customs Service.

On motion of Mr. Estes, the matter was referred to the Executive Committee, with the request that a committee of three be appointed to urge the importance of this suggestion upon the Executive.

On motion of Mr. Wood, it was voted that a like committee be appointed by the Executive Committee to urge upon

* Page 129.

the president the importance of taking all assistant postmasters from the excepted list.

Mr. Rogers, for the Committee on Resolutions, read the resolutions prepared, and submitted them to the League for yman moved that the resolutions be considered

action. Mr. W seriatim before being adopted in final form, and the motion

was carried.

After some preliminary discussion of the report, the presi dent announced that further consideration would be postponed to the afternoon session in order that the delegates might accept the invitation extended by Hon. W. G. Rice, to meet the Civil Service Commissioners at his residence, at one o'clock. On motion the League then adjourned.

COSMOS CLUB, Dec. 13, 1895.

The President took the chair.

Mr. Justi read a paper on "The State of Civil Service Reform Sentiment in the South."*

Dr. E. M. Gallaudet, president of the Gallaudet College for the Deaf and Dumb, made an interesting address on the peculiar value and necessity of Civil Service rules for the under state control. He offered a resolution, with the sugselection of employees in institutions for the deaf and dumb gestion that copies be sent by the secretary to the Executive of each state, urging the importance of maintaining the prininstitutions for the deaf and dumb, and protesting against the interference of spoils politics in the affairs of such institutions. Mr. Thorp suggested that the recommendation be extended to

ciple of

cover

permanent tenure of office during good behavior in

asylums for the blind and other humane institutions.

On motion of Mr. Richardson, the resolution was referred to the Committee on Resolutions to be reported by that committee with amendments conforming to the suggestion made. Mr. Bonaparte read a paper on "The Reign and OverOffice-holding Oligarchy." +

throw of an

Mr. Welsh read a paper on "Civil Service Reform in its Bearings upon the Interests of Workingmen."

* Page 81.

+ Page 100. + Page 116.

The president then announced the order of miscellaneous business.

The application of the Civil Service Reform Club of Yale University for admission to the League was submitted by the club's representative, Mr. Lanier McKee. The president stated that without the formality of a vote he might assure the new organization of cordial reception to membership.

The report of the Committee on Resolutions was then taken up, and after having been considered, section by section, was adopted unanimously in the following form:

The past year has witnessed a continued and remarkable progress in the Civil Service Reform. It is attested not only by the large extensions made by the President to the classified service, but by the approbation with which those extensions have been received by the people. The testimony of the heads of Departments and Departmental divisions as to the operation of the Reform system in the conduct of the public service, is concurrent and more than ever favorable, and the press, with few exceptions, has given to the movement a support which indicates that in its judgment the experimental period has passed. There are unmistakable indications also that at last the character of the Civil Service Reform is being recognized in the great cities of the country, and that any attempt to remedy the evils which afflict, and to remove the scandals which disgrace municipal life must be futile so long as its public service is in the hands of spoilsmen. The magnificent popular victory in Chicago for Civil Service Reform is the herald of like victories in all the other great cities of the country. The adoption by the State of New York of a constitutional amendment giving to the competitive system the sanction and security of the organic law has been followed by a marked improvement in the administration of the Civil Service law in that State. Only an honest recognition by appointing officers of their plain duty under the Constitution in the appointment and retention of suitable officials seems now to be necessary, in order to give that great State, with its numerous cities, a thorough and harmoniously working system of appointment to office upon the ground of merit and fitness alone.

The League congratulates the country upon the promulgation of the recent plan of the President and the Postmaster-General to consolidate with the principal post-offices the smaller ones surrounding them, so as to make the latter mere branch offices, and on the recent order to place all persons employed therein, including the postmasters of these branch offices, within the classified service. We trust that this plan may be carried out with energy and courage, so that it may receive a prompt and general application.

The League commends the order of President Cleveland of September 20, 1895, concerning the mode of appointing Consular officers, as an ef

fort to promote the efficiency of the service, and as a recognition of the principle that fitness and qualification should control such appointments and promotion. The League recommends that this order be extended to all purely Consular officers whose compensation exceeds $2,500, and that it also include subordinate officers in the Diplomatic service. The League further recommends, in order that the reform be enduring, and that this executive order may not meet the same fate as the similar executive orders of 1866, 1872 and 1873, that a suitable law be enacted by Congress embodying these reforms; and also that such law provide so far as possible for competitive examinations to be conducted by members of the Civil Service Commission.

The League commends the order of the Postmaster-General requiring that no letter-carrier shall be removed except for cause and upon written charges, and it urges the application of a similar rule to other branches of the classified service.

The League renews it demand for the repeal of the law limiting to four years the terms of certain administrative officers as unjust, impolitic, a prolific source of demoralization and mischief to the public service and to our whole political life, and especially calculated to impair the beneficent effects of recent reforms. Merit appointments must logically be

accompanied by merit tenure."

The League recommends that the present law against soliciting contributions for political purposes from federal employees be so amended as to prohibit such solicitations in any manner or place, and that the Civil Service Commission be given the power to compel the attendance of witnesses, and to put them upon oath or affirmation.

The reforms in the federal and State service already made are in the highest degree important and gratifying, but they are only a part of the work to be done, Municipal maladministration is the deepest disgrace, and one of the gravest dangers of the present time. The great spoilsmen of to-day are plundering our cities. Their power to do so lies in their control of the offices; their overthrow would be the substitution for political influence of the merit system as the test of appointment to office. All Municipal Reform must be based upon Civil Service Reform. We therefore urge upon all seeking good government for our cities the paramount importance of securing the adoption therein of the merit system of appointment.

And we respectfully urge upon Congress the extension of this system by law to the District of Columbia.

Mr. Rogers, for the Committee on Resolutions, reported the resolution offered by Dr. Gallaudet, in the following form:

Resolved, That it is of the utmost importance to establish and maintain the principle of permanent tenure of office during good behavior in