The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-03-25
sharp Conflis, Of words.

The encounter between Mr.. Bingham of
Ohio and Gen. Butler of Massachusetts, in
committee of the whole, ON Thursday, must
have been exceedingly spicy. A special dis
patch to the Boston Advertiser is quite full, and
we give an extract After the first brief en-
counter, the account says: -as ..T.
The matter came up again at later hour in
the afternoon. Mr.. Butler got the floor to pre-
sent another substitute, being, as he said, the
Presidents plan. This proved to be the order
issued by Mr.. johnson when he was Military
Governor % Tennessee, assessing the rebels Of
Nashville, for the support of needy women
and children. There was considerable laugh
ter as soon as the House saw what the doeu-
ment was. When the reading had been fin
ished by the clerk, Mr.. Butler pleasantly said
he was sure no one on the Democratic side
would object to the plan proposed by that
great and good man. Andrew johnson" and
alluding to the fact that in drawing for seats
two weeks ago, Judge Bingham found himself
sitting opposite the Republicans, added that he
hoped his friend from Ohio who had gone over
to the other side in spirit as well as in body,
would not oppose the proposition. The House
applauded this fling, which might have been
malicious though it was said with apparent
| good nature. Mr.. Bingham was evidently net
| tied, and rising to finally close debate, he re-
| torted with much sharpness of tone that it did
not become the gentleman from Massachusetts,,
who voted in the Charleston convention fifty
times for the arch-chef of the rebellion, to
make light of the distress and suffering OF
women and children whom the rebellion had
impoverished. This was taken as q good shot
by the Democrats, and there was a hearty out
burst of laughter from that side. Mr.. Butler
rose in his seat, and SO did half a dozen other
gentlemen.
Mr.. Bingham refused to yield the floor and
made some taunting remark, not clearly heard
because of the confusion to the effect that this
opposition might come with better grace from
some one else than the hero Of Fort Fisher not
taken. The emphasis on these words was
most marked and stinging, and Mr.. Bingham
got good ronnd of applause, mainly from the
democratic side of the Chamber.
Mr.. Butler wanted to reply and asked five
minutes, Mr.. Elbridge hoped he would be al
lowed chance, as his side of the House was
anxious to have the Fort Fisher affair fully
| ventilated. Mr.. Chanler also wanted leave
granted, adding,"we rather like the fun"
Mr. Blaine was in the chair and said as Mr..
Bingham had closed the debate, Mr.. Butler
could not speak unless Mr.. Bingham gave his
permission, which he refused to do. The
House was more anxious to have the fight
go on than to pass the bill and therefore
| changing its position in reference to the meas
| ure, gave the floor to Mr.. Butler on the mo-
ton of Mr.. Eldridge, who hoped the gentleman
from Massachusetts would not be bottled up
| in this manner, whereat of course there was
more laughter. General Butler "owned up"
to voting for jefferson Davis
in the Charleston ~ convention, though
| he said he was rather surprised
| to see the democratic side of the House ap-
| plauding sneer at him on that account, as he
| believed they were his friends then, his friends
| through the war, and his friends still. This
| hit was applauded, but not on the democratic
| side, and it was noticeable that Mr.. Bingham
| also joined in the laughter. "The difference be-
| tween myself and the gentleman, continued,
Butler, SIS that supported Jefferson Davis
when he was senator and professed union
| list, and he supports him now when he is q trail
tor and prisoner OF the government he under
| took to Destroy This also brought a shout of
laughter, in which Mr.. Bingham did not. how
| ever, join. General Buffers reply to the Fort
Fisher remark was as graceful and dignified
as anything ever said in the House. There and
elsewhere, he responded, he did the best he
could, he did all he was able, and only regret
ted that he was not able to do more for his
| country. Ii other men had done more he was
glad of it, and he was not behind any one in
rejoicing at the greater services of another
There was murmur of applause and cries OF
good" "good, !" from all parts of the republi-
can side of the chamber. Mr.. Butler had not
forgotten MIR. Bingham, for Immediately
in the most mockng manner he added that
whatever his failures, he was entirely willing
to compare records with the gentlem man
from Ohio, whose only trophy of war was the
recollection of an innocent woman whom his
unrelenting prosecution had driven to the
scatiold. There was an exclamation of aston
| ishment as General Butler thus expressed his
belief in Mrs. Surratt's innocence, and every
body looked at him as if in doubt whether
he had been correctly understood. He kept
nobody in doubt long, but at once and in the
most coarse and offensive manner charged Mr.
Bingham with hanging on wholly insufficient
evidence.
The House, still willing to see the fight pro-
longed, gave Mr.. Bingham leave to speak
again. He began by claiming that he had al
ways treated his associates in the House court
eously, and never descended to Personalities
except when attacked. He cared no more. he
said, for MIR. Buffers opinion of him than for
ms views on the question of "who ksLed Cock
hoDin, but when the gentleman from Massa-
chusetts arraigns me for my course in the con-
spiracy trials, he arraigns court composed OF
gentlemen who are at least his peers, and
whose military records are as good as his. He
recommended to Mr.. Butler the advice Of the
English court,-first to hear and consider the