Mr. EDMUNDS. I voted yesterda on the spur of the moment, and as appenre to me correctly, against the proposition of the committee. Inasmuch as, on reflection, I have changed my opinion, and intend to vote in support of the recommendation of the committee l war. today. it is proper that I should state to the Senate, in a word, my reason for the change. It is admitted that as a'permanent principle it is unwise and wrong to confer this discretionary power or power of discretionary appropriation on the SecyTreasury or any other officer of the Government; but it is conferred, substantially, in the case of the SecyInterior in "the same bill, and without objection; and it is stated by the committee, an appears to be true, that this is only a temporary expedient to avoid the necessity of raising permanently the salaries of all the clerks in the Treasury departineut. As an expedient, it may be justifiable, when, as a principle, it would not be; and therefore as a mere exedient, and not as committing myself to the principle which would beinvolved in it if it were permanent, I shall vote for it. On this question of taste, as to the personal reasons which influence Senators to vote for or against this particular appropriation, it has not seemed to me precisely ignified for the Senate to take much cognizance of those outside affuirs. When the SecyTreasury or any other officer of the Government locks up his strong box and oes home at night, and in a fit. of nightmare a pens to go out on his steps and deliver a specch to his neighbors or any3 body else, I do not know that it is anything to us. It is a matter of his own. It is aprivile e which American citizens, in good taste an in bad taste, depending a good deal upon their education and their instincts, always want to exercise, and if we devote ourselves in this body to taking up the cudgels every time that any portion of our fellow citizens see fit, in the streets or in caucuses or in houses or in clubs, to assail our conduct, we shall have more business on our hands than we can properly and profitably attend to. I do not personally admire the taste or the propriety odlsuch performances any more than anybody else; but I think the public administration of the duties of the SecyTreasury has been such as to entitle us to believe somewhat in the mere financial rectitude of his conduct, whatever we may think of his taste or his politics.‘ It is upon these grounds that I shall support the amendment, setting aside the evening af fairs entirely as matters that are nothing to us, and that we dignity into an importance that does not belong to them, and made the people of the country suppose that Congress and the Senate are in great danger of being overturned at the polls because some club, or some gentleman at a club or a meeting, makes a speech about us! I think we give it altogether too much importance. Coming back, then, to the simple question as one of business expediency, I shall go for it as an expedient, but not as a precedent.