Mr. GARFIELD. The gentleman will remember that these persons who are here as clerks, messengers, and porters about the War Dept are in the civil service; what. ever is done for those who are in the Army and Navy proper should be done by the Military and Naval Committees. We are entirely will.ing that justice shall be done to them, but we do not want to encumber this resolution in ref. erence to the civil service with that class of cases. Mr. Speaker, I desire to say to the House that this is not my resolution. It is offered by the ComWays&Means, and I de. sire to say for the committee that they found it exceedingly difficult to do anything like justice to persons whom it concerns. It is the uniform testimony of all who know the history of the civil service here in Washington that a very large number of most worthy persons in the civil service at Washington are receiving salaries by no means equivalent to the value of their services. The extravagant cost of living here, and the depreciation of the currency, have so reduced the purchasing power of the money they receive as scarcely to live within their salaries. We recognize their claim as strong and just, but we also find it the almost unanimous testimony of the heads of Depts that a large number of clerks young men without families, just out of school or older, who were never efficient, but who get 12, 14, or 1600 dollars a year receive all they ought to receive and more than they could get. similar services in any other place in the U.S. To frame a measure that will pay increased salary to those who deserve it of not pay it to those who do not deserve it is, of course, a matter of the utmost difficulty. The policy adopted during the last session of Congress was to put money in the hands of the heads of Depts and authorize them to distribute it to such clerks as they deemed most deserving. The sum of $250,000 was placed in the hands of the SecyTreasury at one time and $160,000 at another, to be distributed in ihis.Dept. But that distribution has much dissatisfaction, whether justly Iso o not know. It is claimed by many that it was distributed to favorites, to those who held peculiar political view that clerks favoring. President's policy were paid while many who favored the views of Congress were passed by. Whether these allegations are true or not I do not know; but I do know this, that that mode of increasing salaries has given great dis’ satisfaction. The committee thought best to limit the in: crease to all those who receive less than $3, 500 a year, believing that there will be a reorganization of the Depts under some of the bills now pending which will more perfectly provide for officers of the various bureaus whose salaries are $3, 5more. The question then arose whether we should make this increase permanent or temporary. Everybody hopes, or ought to, that at some golden day, however far. it may be, we shall reach the solid basis of specie, which fact will in itself be better than an increase of 20%. We thought it not best, there: fore, to make a permanent increase which would after a few years be more than either economy or necessity would require. It was therefore thought best to make the increase for the current fiscal year, and it the necessity arises next year to do the same thing again, rather than to fix a permanent incoise of saiaries to this large class or persons. Now. I have not a doubt that this resolution will give a large sum of money to a large class of P sons who do not deserve it. But I am equally satisfied that this is the only practicable way by which we can pay those who do very inuo deserve it. Therefore I think we must make the increase apply to all classes of clerks:. We have already paid about 1/3rd of million dollars out of the Treasury to various clerks in the Depts. We provide in this bill that those who have received an increase during the current year shall not have the whole of the increase provided in this bill; but that the increase which they have already received shall be deducted from that granted by this resolution.