The national Republican., 1867-07-20

messages Of the President heretofore sent By
him. He was satisfied the President, by force
or by fraud, was determined to defeat, BY any
means within his roach, the acts Of Congress fol
the reconstruction Of the rebel States, and they
should not adjourn for so long time
The adjournment resolution 10 adjourn at 3 D.
IN. tomorrow, the goth, to tho hrst Monday In
Decmebor noxt, was put to a vote, and, al
amended was adopted.
At 6:05 p. m. the Senate went into executive
session, and soon thereafter adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mr.. Boyer, Of Pennsylvania, rising to 4 per.
sonal explanation, said he had yesterday objected
to the reference Of q communication from mem.
bers Of the Arkansas Legislature. From the re.
ported proceedings, 1t would appear that the
objection was a captious ono. He disclaimed
having objected In o captious spirit, but desired
that tho communication should be read In
objecting he had no intention Of showing dis.
respect to the Speaker, who presented the peti.
tioni but ho thought that coming as Il did from
the representatives OF State It was entitled to
q respectful consideration. Private kilograms
and other Communications were road, and he
thought this Communication should have been
read, and II was for this reason that he oh.
ljected
The Speaker said, u the paper had been read,
1t would have opened the whole question Of 70.
construction, aud II was therefore referred under
| the rule.
1
sonal explanation, and had road q paragraph
published In paper Of this city this morning.
In which II was stated that o member Of the
British Parliament had said that tho Republican
majority In the American House Of Representa-.
| tives had frequently expelled members for the
purpose Of securing two.thirds majority.
| He said he never noticed mere newspaper at.
tacks upon tho Republican party Of this country
but whom an accusation came from so high a
source as member Of the British Parliament, he
thought II worthy Of notice and contradiction.
He denied that any member had ever been ex.
PEELED for the cause stated. Such charge would
/ appear ridiculous when II was known that the
Constitution required o vote Of two.tbirls to ex-
pei member Since tho existence Of tho Re.
publican party, but two mon had been expelled,
| and It was proven that they were engaged In the
rebellion, and they were not then In their seats
/ In tho House.
Mr.. Ross, Of Illinois, asked IL Mr.. Brooks
had not been expelled from the House and Mr..
Stockton from tho Senate.
Mr.. Dawes did not think the cases referred to
could be called cases Of expulsion, nor were
they deprived Of their seats in order to increase
the Republican majority,
Mr.. Judd, Of Illinois, offered q resolution 70.
questing the President Of the United States to
have unearthei from the cellar Of tho Executive
mansion and sent to the Capitol the block Of
marble cut from the tomb OF Seryiu, Tullius
sent to President Lincoln by the liberal citizens
Of Rome, and that the same be exhibited In the
Capitol. II the block cannot bo found before
officer In charge Of the public buildings have the
same placed In tho old hall Of the House Of Re.
presentatives. Adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Butler, Of Massachusetts,,
the committee on the Presidents assassination
was authorised to mako Investigation by sub.
committees, and to sit during the recess.
Mr.. Lincoln, Of New York, asked leave to in
trOduce n resnlution. deolarinU that ~
rumored and believed that frauds and pecula-
tions were being committed In the Paymaster
| Generals Department, and authorizing the ap.
pointment Of committee Of FIVE members to
Investigate the working of the Paymaster Gen
| erals office, and all transaction therein with a
view Of detecting the enormous frauds charged
Mr.. 1ngersoll objected, and on motion of Mr.
| Lincoln, the rules were suspended.
Mr.. Lincoln was about to demand tho previous
question, when Mr.. Schenok appealed to him to
| mske a statement upon what he based his resolu.
tion, and not compel the House to vote in the
dark. There might be subjects that required
Investigation, and II that were the case, II the
previous question were insisted upon the resolu.
| tion might be lost. II there waaeny roal cause
stated he would vote to order. the investiga-
| tion.
Mr.. Lincoln said hs and other gentlemen had
been investigating the subject since last winter,
and he believed there was real cause for inquiry.
He did not wish at this time to recapitulate
| charges that he had heard, but II was within the
knowledge Of members Of this House and others
| that an investigation was necessary.
Mr.. F"rnsworth, Of ILL.,, was opposed to raising
these committees of investigation upon unfound.
ed charges He was opposed to consuring q
| faithful officer upon mere rumor
Mr. Washburne, Of ILL.,, said ho had under
| stood that there were matters that required in
yestigation in the Pay Department. He was not
disposed to cast reflections upon any department
Of the Government by ordering committees Of in
| vcstgation, but he had been informed by his
colleague Mr.. Cobb that this was a serious
matter and ho hoped his colleague would make
| an explanation.
Mr.. Cobb said he would not now have entered
into this discussion IL he had not been named by
| his colleague. Some time In February last he
Cobb was asked to bo present at an iuve.tiga.
| tion then In progress In tho Second Auditors
office, Treasury Department, in relation to the
transfer Of tho claims Of colored soldiers from
| tho Pay Department to the Second Auditors
office. This investigation disclosed a state Of
things that led him (Mr. Cobb to wonder why
the gentlemen connected with the Pay Depart
| ment would allow any time to el.pse without
asking themselves for m investigation. He
thought that under all the circumstances 1t was
doubtful manifestation Of friendship for the
| friends OF the Paymaster General to stine any
fair investigation Tho matter that ho had
heard Investigated, as above referred to, was In
connoclion Win Claim agent named L0Wenthal,
who has since died. It was clearly proven that
whole regiments Of colored troops, whose die.
charges purportod to have boen made In New
Orleans, were all made on Pennsylvania avenue, |
in this city. He thought the subject was one
that required Investigation.
Mr.. Ingersoll appealed to Mr. Lincoln to strike
| out the words stating that "it was believed" " |
that frauds wore committed, which the latter
did and all objections were then withdrawn,
| and the resolution was agreed to.
Mr.. Van Wyck, of New York, introduced a |
resolution directing the Secretary Of tho Treas.
ury to inform this House why an order was issued
in June last exempting ono George W. Thomas
from payment Of an internal revenue tax upon
an enterprise said to bo for charitable purpose
Mr.. Van Wyck, in explanation, said that this
exemption OF tax was q simple license of gam.
bling and lottery schemes, and he wanted to
know the reason why the order was issued This
man Thomas, he said, had opened scheme In |
New York, which turned out to be a swindle, |
and a scheme for putting money in his own
pocket. He then emigrsted to Washington,
which seems to be an asylum for lottery dealers,
and he opens an office here for another charitable
purpose. His circular here was backed by many
distinguished officers, and 1t assumed q semi. |
official character, and he was, therefore, anxious
that this House should condemn the scheme.
The resolution was adopted.
Motions having been made to print certain
IAas .uNa Al u