Mr. CONNESS. I rise only to say a few words on this subject. I regret to see the Opposition made to this provision in this appropriation bill, because I am convinced from the experience I have had upon the ComFinance that it is a necessary appropriation for maintaining the branch of the public service to which it is proposed to be applied. There was great need) during the war, and during the enhanced value of commodities and the rices of living in Washington, for an increase in the salaries of men employed in the Depts, particularly an increase in the salaries of the ablest men employed in the Depts. But it could not be done. The necessities of the Government were greater than the necessity of the increase of those salaries, and so the committees of congress always held. It was found (as was state here the other day in conncction with the bill for the reorganization of the clerical force of the Interior Dept) that the best, the most able, the most practiced and experienced men in the Treasury Dept were dropping out of their places, going into private business, getting increased salaries, and thus materially affecting, and injuriously affecting, the public service. Theretore, to avoid raising the question of a general ni crease of the salaries of clerks the mode that is now before us in this appropriation bill was pursued. That was done under former Secretaries of the Treasury; nor was it objected to seriously. It would not be fair to say that it Was not objected to at all, but it was not seriously objected to, and its indorsement by the ComFinance of the Senate caused its adoption here. The objection to it is of a twofold character: 1stbecause of its not being a very good system. I admit that; but I say in answer to that suggestion that it grew out of the necessities of the case, which were peculiar and extraordinary in their character. The next objection grows out of the present political attitude of the SecyTreasury. As was stated by the honorable Senfrom Maine of himself, I may say of myself that I shall not be accused of sympathizing with the peculiar position of the honorable SecyTreasury; I shall not be accused of n proving the speech which the Senfrom Iowa listened to and which fell from his lips recently in the capital. I think the whole projectof developing the opinions of Cabinet ministers by such a process as that was, is an inct’fable disgrace to those that engaged in it. I think that every member of the Cabinet who was not a willing party to it and who did not invite it as a means of devel oping his opinion and I do not say that any did would have done himself infinite honor by refusing to appear before that band of wan dering minstrels, night hawks, political scrubs, miserable dependents, politica fungi that got up that socalled serenade and perpetrated it. I think that these practices have gone just about far enough near this Government. I think that when the heads of Depts cannot hold their opinions, and whatever opinions their judgments and their consciences give them, without being amenable to the dependents in the Depts, and in addition to them the other class that are seeking political places and appointments, and without being subject to their call, to deliver those opinions whenever they shall see fit, it is a.pretty hard state of the case. I hope that we have had the end of political serenading, and speeches in response to such serenades, in this country. I wish that the public opinion of the country was of so elevated and stern a character that it would stamp the man, be he the head of a Dept or otherwise, who sought to promul gate opinions in response to such miserable plans and proceedings. So much for my opinion of that whole business. I need say nothing of the character of the speeches. But, sir, as SecyTreasury, as an economical, honest, conscien tious officer of a Dept, I believe (and I assert only what I believe n on close observation and some little persona experience) that the present SecyTreasury is as good an officer as ever occupied the place he now fills. I believe that, and believing iIt say it. I think that a little duty is incumbent upon him about this time, and that duty consists in dismissing from the public service those creat ures who assail another branch of the Government. This business of mutuality of assault has reached very nearly far enough and ought to strip, and the SecyTreasury shonl not encourage it by eeping in the public employ, under his direction, any man, no matter who he is, who makes himself promi nent in it; and it is his duty to dismiss him from the public service forthwith, and I hope he will do it, and see the line of his duty in doing it. But, sir, I cannot agree with my associates in the Senate that we should at once declare a want of confidence in the head of the Treasury Dept by refusing an appropriation in this shape, because the appropriation is committed to his discretion. ike appropriations have been committed to the discretion of his predecessors in view of the extraordinary circumstances that I have named, and the discretion has been fairly and honestly exercised. I believe it will be so by him, and I think that no issue should be made of a political character as against the SecyTreasury upon a proposition of this kind.