The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-22
gress Yestertay-St. Domingo
General Amnesty.

Congress restcrday-st. Domingo and
General Amnesty.
The proceedings in the Senate yesterday
were Of highly interesting character, en-
bracing personal and public questions. Sena-
tor Sumner was the central figure of the day.
He made his appearance first In the episode Of
a personal explanation in reply to newspaper
paragraph which represented that the rela-
lions between the President and Senator had
been daily growing worse I; that the President
absolutely declined overtures of reconcilia-
tion, and that he even went so far as to declare
that bis official character alone prevented him
holding the Senator personally responsible for
the injurious remarks made by him towards
the President In executive sessions of the
Senate, in the street cars and In other places,
public and private Senator Summers
| explanation went no farther than
denial Of having illuminated the
criticism of the Presidents acts. Then the
st. Domingo question came up on the reso-
luton offered some time since by Senator
Morton, providing for commission to visit
that island aud report on the facility Of its
proposed annexation. The attempt to set
it aside until after the holidays, on the
ground that the House could not take action
on it until then, failed, and Senator Sumner
proceeded to deliver q two hours speech
against the proposition. He said that the
treaty had been got up by political jockeys
Baez, Fabens and Cazneau-who had Sc
duced into their firm young officer Of the
United States-General Babcock-who repre-
sented himself as aide-de-camp to the Presi-
dent, an officer unknown to the government
of the United States. He said that the pro-
tocsl signed by Babcock pledged the Presi-
dent to use his influence privately among
members of Congress to make the
annexation measure popular, and he appealed
to the Senate to bear witness how faithfully
the President had carried out that pledge, not
only using but exceeding his influence. He
declared that Baez had been maintained in
power by the presence Of American ships-of-
war in Haytien waters in other words, that
he had been sustained by the United States
in order that he might betray and sell his
country. In conclusion, he protested against
the annexation scheme in the name of insnlted
humanity, of tho weak and downtrodden,
of peace imperlled, aud of the African race,
whose first effort at independence had been
rudcly assailed. He was replied to in the
evening session by Senator Morton, who took
up and answered all the points of his speech in
detail defended the administration, and showed
that the passage of the joint resolution
would in no manner bind Congress
that all it contemplated was to obtain informa-
ton, and that no proper objection to it could
be maintained. The session was continued up
to late hour.
The Amnesty bill is not to 60 out to the
people of the South as token of peace and
goodwill at the Christmas season. It was
postponed In the House yesterday until the
18th Of January and then the probabilities
are that il will be recommitted to the
Reconstruction Committee and there buried
for the present Congress. Its postponement
may be regarded as partial triumph on the
part of those who are in favor of excepting
entire classes Of persons at the South from
the benefits of the BILL and of those who are
against any amnesty bill at the present time,
as against those, including all the democrats,
who are for universal amnesty, or for
more general extension of the principle
than is contained in the bill reported by
Mr.. Butler In the discussion preliminary to
the vote on postponement some personalities
were INDUCED in between Mr.. Butler and Mr..
Farnsworth, which were Indicative of any
thing other than of mutual esteem and
respect, and which showed that the
irreconcilable differences of opinion
held by those gentlemen on the
subject Of amnesty owe much to their attitude
of personal hostility. There was nothing else
Of any interest done in the House, except the
presentation and reference Of memorial of
Mrs. Victoria G. Woodruff, who claimed her
right to vote under the fourteenth and fifteenth
constitutional amendments, and wants to have
ali the women of the United States declared
entitled to the same privilege. The days
session closed with the delivery Of eulOgies
on Mr. Smyth, late member from Iowa, who
died during the recess. The House will not
meet again for legislative purposes till the 4th
of January, the meeting to-day being only to
enable some members who have speeches pre-
pared to deliver them to empty benches and
have them printed in the Congressional Globe,
that great mausoleum for the stillborn ora
torical efforts of aspiring members.
Political Decentralization and Party vio-
Ience in Spain.
Tho Snanish Cabinet ia about to dissolve the