The Portland daily press., 1870-04-01
LATEST NEWS
pOIsTI4AND DAILY PRESS.
XLIst O0NGRESS---Sscond Session
by TELEGRAPH TO THE

| SENATE.
WASHINGTON, March 31.-The credentials OF
Morgan Q. Hamilton for the term ending March
| 1871, and of j. w. Flanagan for the term end
ing March, 1875, as Senators from Texas, were
| presented and read. They were escorted NV
Messrs Drake and Cole to the Vice Presidents
desk, sworn in and took seats on the Republic
| can side of the Senate
A Joint resolution of respect to the ma,oorv
| of Gen. Thomas was passed.
The Dill allowing retired officers of the army
to be assigned to duty at Soldiers Homes was
| A resolution was offered by Mr.. Saulsburv
| greeting the Secretary of State to inform the
Senate OF the amendment by the several States
| Laid over after slight debate.
"A resolution was adopted that the Commit
| Tee OF Commerce inquire into the expediency
OF the survey by the War Department of the
country between the James and Ohio rivers
with view of ascertaining the practicability
OF water communication from the Atlantic
coast to the Mississippi valley.
The Senate then resumed the consideration
of the case of Gen. Ames, Senator elect from
Mississippi, and after debate of four hours. iu
which Messrs. Vickers, Davis, Thurman, Sauls-
bury and Conking spoke against his admis-
Morrill, of Maine, in favor of it, The Senate
without action adjourned.
HOUSE,
Among the patitions presented was one from
large number of boiler makers in New Hamp-
shire and throughout the Middle States on to
Michigan, fer reduction of the duty on cast
iron tubes and fues.
The b'i! relative to the Bureau of Education
and abolishing the Freedmens Bureau was
taken up.
Mr.. McNeely of Illinois, a member of the
Education Committee, opposed it.
After debate a motion to table the bill was
lost and the motion went over on the expira-
ton of the morning hour.
Mr.. Paine of Wisconsin, from the Election
Committee, reported that the credentials of tho
members elect from Texas were regular and
that thew v ere primo facie entitled to seats
Mr.. Butler of Massachusetts,, opposed the
swearing in OF Mr.. Conner, one Of the men,
bers elect, and read to the House various afi-
davits accusing him of whipping negro soldiers
while he was n captain in the United States
army, and of his having boosted that he bulIied
a negro to swear falsely before the military
commission which tried him for an offence.
Mr.. Stevenson of Ohio, a member of the
Committee on Elections, defended the report
and charged that the objection to Conner was
that be alone of the delegation was Demo-
crat, (bad Texas boy) which might be all true
men of Christian gentlemen sent up here from
Texasblt what lad they to 1, with it, how did
that effect Mr. CoHnor's prire0 fdcie right to
his seat? The member from Massachusetts
who charged that person on er pdrte afidavits
Tended member of the House tor a greater
crime. 1t was in his judgment a farce, and
worse; it was base partizan proceeding and
as such he denounced it,
Mr.. Orth of Indiana, denounced the proceed
ing against MI C0nuor as prepOsterOus. He
was native of Indiana and soldier of high
and hor orabe record; and if severity to troops
was disqualification other members of the
House might be ousted. The af1davits pre-
sented were utterly unworthy of the notice of
the House, and he hoped that the House would
promptly say SO.
Mr.. Dawes of Massachusetts,, said this was
the first time an objection had been made to
the swearin in of member elect because of
unbecomng or improper conduct while he was
not member. That question was one to be
decided between the member and his constit-
uents and not by the House.
MIR. Butler of Massachusetts,, denied this par
tizan proceeding because with a majority of
three-fourths in the House one Democrat more
or less was of no consequence. He believed it
his duty to bring to the attention of the House
four affidavits, which he had read, swearing to
what Mr.. Conner had said at public meeting
where he advocated his election on the ground
that he had whipped his negro soldiers and
then brbed them TO commit perjury.
Mr. Garfield of Ohio, asked whether it would
be safe to establish a rule inquiry into the char
acter of speeches which a candidate for Con-
gress might make in canvass.
Mr.. Butler replied that his proposition was
that the House could inquire into anything
that ought to be inquired into. Uaughter)
Mr.. Stevenson-I would like to ask the gen.
tleman one question.
Mr.. Butler-No. sir; cannot yield to you at
all.
Mr.. Stevenson-I want information.
Mr.. Butler-1 have not time to give you all
you want. (Laughter)
Mr.. Stevenson-I DO not believe that the gen.
tleman is COMPETENT to inform the House.
Mr.. Bntler-Then why ask me? (Laughter.)
MT. Stevenson-Because 1 believed you
would refuse.
During the discussion which followed, Mr..
Shanks of Indiana, said he had once sent Mr.
Common as cadet to the Naval Academy and
that he had been dismissed for utter worthless
ness.
Mr.. Stevenson alluded to the fact that the
control of the subject had been taken from the
Committee on Elections by the gentleman who
Eeueraiiy took charge OF every thing Accord
ing to the argument OF that gentleman. il any
body brought to the House er pdrte afidavits
taken in Virginia, New Orleans or Texas, max
ing charges against member, he would have
to be ousted from his seat aud tried on those
charges. He had heard of the most Outr ageous
charges made against sundry me,abers Of the
House. He did not believe them; he did not
believe that any member had ever taken a
minister OF the Gospel and chained him in a
chain gang of negroes and made them all work
together like slaves. (Laughter) He did not
believe that any member OF the House had car
ried away the treasure of whole city. Laugh-
ter.) 1t was false if anybody said it, and for
one he would spurn with contempt the man
WIZ WVulu dsh TIC I1OuSc " GFy SUCH u QueS-
ton.
Mr.. Butler-Will the gentlemen let me say
Mr.. Stevenson-No, sir; believe in lea tal
ionis.
Mr.. Butler--Thatis,I gave you five minutes;
you will not give me any.
Mr.. Stevenson-The gentleman robbed the
Committee of Elect ons Of its whole time and
gave back five minutes Laughter.)
Finally the discussion closed, and the four
Texas me mbers, W. T. Clark, J. c. Conner, E.
Degener and g. W. whittemore were sworn
in.
Mr.. Conner was allowed ten minutes for a
personal explanation in which he attributed
the opposition of Mr.. Shanks to tho fact that
his (Conners) father had been a prominent OPP
ponent to that gentlemen in the convention
that nominated him for Congress, and to the
fact that he (Mr. Shanks) supposed that he
owned him because he had nominated him to
the Naval Academy. As to Mr.. Butler, he
said that with all that gentleman's talent and
ability he had been forcibly impressed to-day
with the conviction that he Butler)had missed
his calling, and that be would have made
much bet tier character for himself in the pro-
fesSiOn Of low comedian.
The Speaker reminded the gentleman from
Texas that his language was not parliamenta-
Mr.. Butler (disdainfully)-Oh he does not
know any better. Naughter.)
Mr.. Connor-I withdraw it.
Mr.. Shanks remarked that the member from
Texas had not told the House that he was turn
ed out of the Naval Academy for utter worth
lessness and then added that he was worthless.
The Speaker reminded Mr.. Shanks that the
gentleman from Texas was now a member Of
the House and that remarks in reference to
him which were in order an hour ago were not
in order now.
Mr.. Shanks-I beg pardon of the House. hut
not of the gentleman.
The House then went into committee of the
whole on the tariff bill, and was addressed in
support of it by Mr.. Shenck of Pennsylvania.
In conclusion he announced that debate on
the details of the bill would commence to-mor-
| row. The committee then rose and the House
adjourned.
HONORS To GEN. THOMAS.
CALIFORNIA.