The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-06-11
LATEST FROM WASHINGTON
special kilograms to the Dispatch.
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Special kilograms to the Dispatch.
| WASHINGTON, June 10, 1870.
| Tho conference committee of tho tw,
houses to-day reached an agreement. tn,
result being the Senate bill with the m,
section of the House restored and an imnor
tant change in the method of reduction
The bill to take effect January list next. 7
abolishes the Office of military and navo
storekeeper, and provides that brevet ranl
snail not entitle an officer to wear any othe
uniform or be addressed by any other It'll,
than that of his actual grade.
L, The Income Tax.
Senate Finance Committee bod
long discussion on the question of entirel,
repeating the income tax and to limos.
upon some other article, whiskcy for in
stance, che additional amount of tax to h.
derived from the income tax.
Enc imprisonment OF Mr.. Hatch.
The select committee of the Senate +,
investigate the question of the alleged lille
gal arrest and Imprisonment of Mr.. Hatcl
In San Domingo were in session last nigh
until II O'Clock. They did not finish thu
examination of General Babcock, but will
resume it tomorrow.
The examination Of Mr.. Perry was con
Guided. His evidence is very damaging tc
all the parties concerned, and he desired
the committee to call for the correspondence
with the Treasury Department pending tho
negotiation of the San Domingo treaty tc
substantiate his statements. The inyestiea.
ton has taken very wide range and will
deyelope some remarkable things in connec
ton with this matter. Witnesses have been
summoned from New York and othe,
places, and are expected here tomorrow
MIR. Hatch is also expected by the next
steamer from San Domingo.
The Arrest of the Correspondent OF
the New York Post.
Something more than the ordinary degree
of excitement was occasioned by the arrest
Of the correspondent Of the New York Post
and his arraignment to-day at the bar of the
House for alleged libellous publications OF
MIR. Fitch, the member from Nevada. A
few days ago Mr.. Smith, the correspondent
of the paper mentioned, sent hence dis.
patch in which Mr.. Fitch and several other
members were mentioned rs having been
approached by persons representing the
Cuban interests here. The most oh.
jectionable portion of the publication
| is found in the implication that a
bride was offered for the votes of the
members, and inferentially that these per.
| mittcd such offers to be made without re-
buke. MIR. Fitch, one of the members
whose names were given, denied the truth.
fulness of the publication, and called upon
| General Butler, chairman of the Cuban In.
yestigation Committee, to say whether
there was any proof tending to connect him
(Fitch)with the alleged attempts at bribery
Mr.. Buffers reply, it will be recollected
was explicit that there was no such proof
Mr.. Smith, the correspondent, then sent
another dispatch, in which it was stated
substantially that General Butler hat
informed the correspondent that there
was indirect testimony against MI
Fitch. To-day Mr.. Fitch rose in his place
to a personal explanation, had the last-men.
toned dispatch read, and again called upon
| General Butler to state whether it was a
| correct account of what he had said to the
correspondent. General Butler replied thai
| it was not, and was proceeding to make
known that there was no testimony that
implicated any member Of the House il
| any improper conduct i'll reference to Gu
| ban matters, but was prevented by an OBJ
lection, sustained by the Speaker, that it il
forbidden by the rules to divulge In advance
of regular report what transpires in the com
mittee-room. A rambling debate ensued
| in which the proper mode Of disposing O
| the subject was discussed, ending in the
adoption of a resolution that Mr.. Smith
the correspondent, be brought before the
| House to show cause why he should not be
expelled from the reporters gallery for Ii
bellous statements rejecting upon the int
gritty of members. After the lapse of about
half an hour the Sergeant-at-Arms appeared
having in custody Mr.. Smith, who was
placed in seat near to and Immediately in
front of the Speakers desk. The Speaker
| stated the case, and Mr.. Smith filed writ.
! ten reply in substance that his first dispatch
was based upon an affidavit Of one N. B
Taylor made before grand jury in the SUI
preme Court in this District, and that the
second dispatch was based upon CONVEX
sation he had yesterday with General But.
Ter. Upon being questioned US to the
manner in Which he obtained the afn.
davit and of whom he got the official docu.
ments, Mr.. Smith declined to answer upon
the ground that he could not do so without
breach Of confidence. Here another discus.
sion took place lin which it was argued by Mr.
Brooks that communications to newspaper
correspondents were in the nature of conf
Dental communications of client to lawyer,
confessions to priests, etc. The converse OF
this was held by Mr.. Logan. After an at
tempt to amend resolution of MIR. Cox
that the proceeding be dismissed it was
finally ordered that the whole be referred to
select committee of five, and Mr. Smith
was discharged from custody.
During this proceeding the liyeliest inte-
rest was manifested by members as well as
spectators in the galleries, and the confu-
sion upon the floor continued throughout.
In private conversations the members gene
rally condemn MIR. Smith for placing the
names of Messrs. Fitch, Mccormick, ct al,
in print upon such vague statements and
when there is no proof that bride was
offered to any particular one of them, and
especially when it is notorious that Taylor,
the alleged attiant, is under charge of per-
Jury, to preventa trial upon which it is said
he ran off to Canada, where he now re.
mains, to avoid the officer having in his