Mr. BUCKALEW. I have no objection to the correction of the former law in both the particulars which have beenmentioned; and if the amendment proposed by the committee was confined to the correction of those points I should interpose no single word by way of debate. The Senfrom California objects to the particular phraseology employed in the former law. Well, sir, I would be as little disposed as he is to leave the privilege of voting to the mere discretion of the officers of registry. It ought to be a fixed right; their duties ought to be defined; and a provision making the language of the law express in that particular int would not only not be open to objection, {. would be highly appropriate. In regard to the other point, the question of tIime suggested by the chairman, who says, if understand him, that under a possible construction of the former law this registry may not be made in time for the election of the present year, and consequently that the law may be postponed in its practical application for the period of 2 years, of course there is no objection to the correction of that feature, also, of the existing statute, and to saying that this registry shall be made in such time that it can take effect and go into operation at the next ensuing election in the city of George town. But, sir, the reasoning which we have had from the 2 members who have spoken indicates an amendment confined to those 2 points, whereas my objection to the amendment before the Senate was directed to quite a different point, to wit: the creation of 5 unnecessary officers in the city of Washington and 3 unnecessary officers in the city of Georgetown. I think that there has been no reason shown for this multiplication of local offices. In the former law these duties of reg istry were charged upon the mayor and councils of the respective cities, persons already in office, and it charged them with an appropriate duty, one that they are competent to discharge. They are more competent perhaps than any other persons, and they come also from the people; and in this respect our legislation would be analogous to the legislation which takes place in the States. If the chair man of the committee desires the correction of the former law in the 2 points to which he has referred, he will have my hearty concurrence; but so long as his amendment extends to the point upon which I have spoken, the creation of unnecessary offices without any reason in the world ‘.for Iit, must vote against it.