Mr. LAWRENCE cfOliio. I move to strike out this section and ask permission to present briefly the reasons which induce me to do so. At the proper time:2.Bureau of Statistics is one of the very few additional depts I would be willing to add to the numerous branches of the Government service. I would do so because the statistics of the nation and the States furnish not only a part of our current history and progress but give us the means of intelligibly and equitably levying and adj psting national and local taxation. 1 would place at. the head of such a dept a gentleman of my own State, not because he is of my State, but because of his eminent. abilities, and his vast acquirements and capacity as a statistician. Irefer to Hon. E. D. Mansfield. But to prepare the way for this, I would 1st abolish the various offices and clerkships now devoted to statistics in the Treasury, Interior, and other Depts, so that there should be but one authorized branch of this service. But. I am not now in favor of the creation of this new office of Commissioner or “ Director of the Burezui of Statistics” for several reasons. There are various officers now in office who furnish statistics which thus far have enabled the legislative and executive depts of the Government to perform all their duties. The Census Bureaufurnishcs its fund ofknowl edge. The Treasury dept has its sta tistician, in addition to the annual reports on navigation and commerce, the banking statis tics of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the revenue statistics of the ComrIntRev. The Agricultural Dept has its statistician. 'lhe several Depts of the Government furnish the statistics appropriate to the service of each. Until there can be but one consolidated and exclusive dept of statistics, an additional bureau is unnecessary, or at least may be dispensed with until a future time. I w‘ould not now increase the patronage and the power of the national Government by creating additional offices and appointments which for the time being can be dispensed with. The nation is justly alarmed at the increase of put ronage and ower which the absolute necessities of the government demand, growing out of the war and the national debt entailed upon us by southern traitors and their northern allies. A vast number of our national officers hold their places, not for a definite term. but at.the I pleasure of the President or offieads of Depts. By a practice which has no just sanction in the Constitution, even the officers who are by law appointed for a given term are removable during the recess of Congress by the President or heads of Depts. The State governments generally prescribe a term of years for each of their otheers, and they Ct‘t only be removed by ajudicial trial and judgment. This whole theory and practice of the national government should be changed. Congress has not yet. matured the legislation necessary to regulate the appointing power, to prescribe a tenure and term of office for officers generally, and g make them independent in the enjoyment and l expresston of opinion. The idea. that many l 1000s of officers, extending to every State i and city and village and neighborhood, shall be dependent. for place and its duration upon the will of anyone man, is at. war With the 1st elements of republicanism, and dangerous to the purity, the existence of free government, and the freedom ot the ballot. This subjection of the officc holder to the will of a superior holds out an inducement" Tocrook the prounanthinges of the knee. That thrift.may follow fawning.” The freedom of thought and its expression is as essential in a republic as the liberty of speech or the freedom of the press. Until i t iis subject shall be regulated by law so as to secure the dignity, rights, and independence of the people and of all Government. officials in the civil seyvice, I will not consent to the (creation of new depts and new officers which may not be immediately indispensable to the necessities of: the Government and people. This is the opinion I would entertain wholly irrespective of any temporary consideration as. to what party is in power or who may control i its patronage. Legislation for temporary party purposes is always erilous, and full of dangerous precedents, while that which commands the approval of wise and patriotic statesman ship will “stand the test of human scrutiny, of talents, and of time.” But last, though not least, I object to the creation of a new dept and new officers. because of the unnecessary expense it will entail upon the already overburdened tax payers of i the nation. Mr. Chairman, I have voted for the soldiers’ bounty bill and for an increase of pensions as a part of that justice which remains to be reni dered to the brave soldiers who sacrificed the comforts of home and periled life for the pres ervation of the Union. I am willing to go yet. further to pay them the debt of gratitude and justice the nation owes them. 1 am ready to advocate and vote for pensions to the needy soldiers of the war of 1812, already too neglected by Congress. For these objectlosng would spare no fair taxation to do justice to brave and patriotic men. But the creation of new offices is a very different subject. This House but a few days since passed a resolution in these words: Whereas the financiol condition of the U.S. demands the exercisoofitrigid economyin all depart ‘mentsof the Government in order to sustain the credit. of the U.S and to relieve the peopleat the earliest possiblo day from the birrdcn of existing taxation: and whereas there is reasonto believe that in many deptsof the Government civil abuses have for a lfllllllllflt‘ existed and still exist. inthe perpetuation of useless offices and sinecures, il extrav agant salaries and allowances and in other unnecessary and wasteful expenditures: Resolved bytllcHouse of lfeprevntah'en.(the Senate concurring.) That a joint select committee be appointed, to consist of 2 members of the Senate and 3 members of the House. to be styled the Joint select comRetrenchment: that said committee be instructedto inquire into the expenditures in all the branchesof the civil serviceof the U.S and report whether any and what officesought to abolished.whether any and what salaries or allowancesought to he reduced and generally how and to what extent the expensesof the civil service of thccouutry may and ought to be curtailed; that, said committeebe nuthorrted tositduring the recess of Congress.to sendfor persons and papers, and to report bybilfor otherwise. Sir, I am in favor of carrying forward the purpose' of this resolution. There is a mani fest. necessity for it now that the termination of flagrant war has rendered it practicable to reduce the number and expenses of officers in most if not all of the Depts. Mr. Chairman. this session of Congress has (1 acmuch to relieve the burdens of the peop e. lf the internalrevenue billalready passed this House shall become a law, the reduction in internal taxation secured by it will be fruitful of benefits and blessings all over the land. I believe our legislation has been marked with more than usual economy. But. in a few in stances it would seem to me unnecessary expenses have been incurred and unnecessary offices created against my voice and vote. I will call attention to some of them. The JtResolution, approved December 21, 1865, appropriating $500,000 for subsistence for Indians. many of them rebels, in the south.ern superintendency. The JtResolution of January 22 relative to the Paris Exposition. The naval appropriation aetofApril 17, 1866, increasing naval officers7 allowances some 2 million dollars or more. This is done in an innocent looking section, as follows: “That so much of the 2nd section.of an act cutitled An act to regulatethe pay of the Navy of the U.S.’ approved March 3 1835. as prohibits any allowance to any officerin the naval service for the rent of quartersor for furniture or for lights dr fuel or transporting baggage and all acts or partsof actsauthorizing the appointment of Navy agents.be, and the same are here y, repealed." It is proper to say a bill is pending to repeal this section. And then we have the following: The act of May 16, giving vice admirals each a secretary with rank and pay of a lieutenant. The act of May 26, authorizing the appointment of an additional Asst SecyNavy. The act of June 12, amending the postal laws and increasing, but not. materially, certain salaries. The bill which passed the House creating a Dept of Education with its Commissioner and other officers. The pending internalrevenue law, which creates a ComrRev. The JtResolution of June 30, to send ten commissioners to the Paris Exposition at. an expense of $156,000 for the great show, besides a commissioner to urge upon all nations the adoption of a uniform standard of weights and measures. These, with the bills to reimburse Missouri‘ and Pennsylvania for expenses of their militia, and to increase the clerical force of the Post. office Dept, and pending bills to reor ganize the Treasury and Interior will add something to our national Depts. In other Depts it is just. to say the expenses have been reduced many millions. am unwilling to create the additional offices contem dated by the bill now under consideration. llct. us rather reduce wherever practicable the number and expense of some, perhaps many, of those we already have. I hope the motion to strike out will prevail.