New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-12-19
In Congress. FRIDAY, Dec. ls, 1912

In the HOUSE, on motion of Mr.. BOWIE. the
use of the House was granted for Saturday even
ing to Mr. Woodbury. for the delivery Of his Lee
ture OF the Uncertainties Of History.
resolution, on motion of Mr.. BRossoS, was
adopted requiring a report from the Secretary OF
the Treasury of the amount of fees taxed by the
Clerks of the u S. Courts in admiralty and Bank
rupt cases
Mr. ToLAsD asked leave to offer the following
resolution:
Resoled That the Secretary of the Treasury be directed
10 Inform this House whether any charges have al any Tune
been preferred the Department against Jonathan Roo-
erts late Collector Of the port OF Philadelphia relative 10
the discharge the duties OF said Office and il any have
been, thar be be directed TO furnish copies OF The same
Also that he transmit tits House copies OF any order
Instruction. request addressed to the said Jonathan ROD
erts To remove or appoint any subordinate officers OF the
the por, Of Philadelphia Also copy Of The
the said port and cop IS OF all letters papers in pos
OF the Department. relating to the subjects embraced
by this resolution.
Mr. WISE thought the call should be made upon
the President
The motion was lost, although sc voted in favor
of and 81 against it-a vote of two-thirds being
required. Those who voted againstit were Cnsh-
ing Wise and the Loco-F ocos generally.
| The lntelligencer contains some very sensible
and pointed remarks on the absurdty of the rule
by which minority of one-third can thus shut out
any part of the public business. large majority
was in favor of this inquiry-and never was inves-
tigation more needed. We trust the matter will
be pressed upon the House, and that the true
grounds upon which Mr.. Roberts, contessealy
of the purest men and most faithful public officers
4 =. tod
station by the Executive will be exposed.
resolution was adopted asking of the Post
master General information as to the Southern
Mail from Washington.
The House, having, on motion of Mr.. FILLMORE,
resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, pro-
ceedcd with the discussion of the Appropriation
Bill. Fourteen pages were disposed OF without
debate. Considerable debate arose on motion OF
| Mr.. C.. J. IsGERsoLL to reduce the amount for
expenses of U. S. Courts and suits from S23SO0
| Sl38 ,0OO-but the motion Withdrawn on an
explanation from Mr.. Fillmore
| A motion was made to strike out the item ap-
propriating $4,000 for survey of the coast. In
| the debate that ensued Mr.. WISE zealously eulo
gised the ability of Mr.. Hasser, the superintend-
ent of the work. in reply to MIR. Mallory, who
charged him with physical and mental incomPe-
| tency. Mr. W. said that the work had commenced
at Long Island and proceeded South as far as Des-
ware New Jersey was the only State which now
had an entire scientific triaugulatioa of its en-
tire coast, and the next base line was to be near
Cape Charles Mr.. HOLMES said he had been
present at the examination of Mr. Hassler by the
Committee, and his impression was that in every
case where tho questions put involved collision
of intellect the examiners had been put down,
roars of laughter, insomuch that MIR. Holmes
soon considered it to be his wisest part TO with
draw, and leave the affair to the undisturbed man.
agement of his colleagues on the Committee. e.
He though, the Committee appeared like COM
| pany who had Just looked on the alphabet and
were anxious to show Mr.. Hassler that they were
not wholly ignorant Of mathematical subjects he
indicated the survey as having been projected by
Jefferson, as having been conducted with high
ability and as promising the most beneficial re-
suits to the interests Of our commerce.
Mr.. CUSHING detailed the proceedings of the
Committee appointed oinquire into the progress OF
survey. 1t consisted of Messrs. Holmes, Wise, the
| Aycrgg, Mallory and himself-and the investiga-
ton was soon found to require great labor and re-
search He created quite laugh by saying that
he had been so burdened by other cares that he
could not properly attend to its duties, and said
that the illness of the Chairman and the loss of
some papers had prevented the Committee from
making report. Mr.. C.. said he had once been
connected with Cambridge College teacher OF
Mathematics and felt in some degrse competent to
Judge Of subjects connected with that department
of science. Still he would not at present express
any opinion to the scientihc qualifications OF
Mr.. Hassler, but confined himself 70 the admins.
trative part of the question. He said there was
some well founded doubt which method OF
survey, the .chronometric triangnlatien, was
preferable. He thought, also, that The survey had
been hindered by the age and pirlnities of Mr..
Hassler. He had greatpowers connected with hi.
ofce-appoinlins all his assistants and fixing their
saares-and he arrogantly resented any inquiry
as to the method in which he exercised that power
Mr.. Gushing wished the results published and the
survey by all means to be continued.
Before taking the question the Committee rose,
and the House soon adjourned.
SoUrH.CARoLISA UHlvERsirY.-Manyo Of the
city papers have announced that Prof. c. S. HEN
RY, of the New-York University, had been ap-
pointed 10 the Presidency of this Institution The
following paragraph, from the Charleston Courier,
corrccts their error
Macmillan Laborde, NJ. D. late Secretary of
State has been elected Professor Of Moral Philos-