The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-05-26
Correspondence of the N. Y. Herald.
AN EXCITING SCENE IN CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, May 10.

IrtSlucul lIN lCC L ICSluCuU, Ill IcDI y,
1869, no scene of excitement has been wit
messed in the House equal to that of to-day
on the debate upon the Diplomatic and Con
sular Appropriation bill. Judge Kelsey, OF
New York, who has charge of the bill, open
ed with Il general statement and explanation
of its provisions, in which he pointed out
several supposed eXtravagancics of the State
Departments which the committee had cut
down. There was no excitement, however
nothing beyond an ordinary interest-in Mr.
kclsey's speech. General Banks, who was
allowed fifteen minutes, improved his time to
put in a strong argument in favor of st Do
mingo, and the general policy of the acquisi-
lion of territory in every direction. He
warmed the House into a glowing heat on
the questions of St. Domingo, Cuba. the West
India Islands generally and Canada. When
Banks had nearly finished, Logan, of Illinois,
made a point OF order which proved to be
raid upon the St. Domingo treaty. The
chairman of the Committee of the Whole was
mgersoll, of Illinois, a natural wag As
soon rs he perceived the drift of Logan's re-
marks he ruled him out of order. s'Well,' -
aid Logan, 81 guess had better take my
seat" With the utmost gravity the Chair re-
piled, The point Of order of the gentleman
from Illinois is well TAKEN" and Logan
dropped into his seat amid II general roar of
laughter
When the general details of the bill came
10 be considered, James Brooks, of New York,
moved to insert 81 800 salary of a Minister
Resident to Rome, This was the signal for
the most animated debate of the session, or.
indeed, Of the present Congress. Mr.. Brooks
followed up his amendment by Il few peril
uent remarks relative to the necessity of our
having - mission at Rome, and denunciatory
x,NH' fl,n3,,
lie said nothing however, of religion or re-
lioious faith
Mr.. Dawes, of Massachusetts, followed
Brooks in opposition to the amendment. He
made some severe structures on the Catholic
Church. and alluded to Brooks as the head
centre Of the Know Nothing party in 1852.
AT this point Mr.. Brooks arose to reply, but
Dawes would not admit Of interruption.
The democratic side of the House became in
tensely excited while Dawes was speaking
Every few seconds some democrat would rise
to reply To Dawes, and as Dawes would not
give way the Chairman's gave was kept
constantly hammering on the desk to pre-
serve order. Order however, was utterly
out Of the question. The war meetings of
Tammany and Mozart were thrown COM
plctely into the shade. A fireman's club
would have been dignitic4 body compared
10 the House. As Dawes proceeded he be-
came more and more offensive. What eXcit-
ed the democrats was that the gentleman
from Massachusetts, persistently refused to
Yield for either question or explanations. He
continued to dcnounce the Catholic Church
and the democratic party in the most bitter
terms.
Mr.. Bingham obtained the floor after Mr..
Dawes, though q dozen democrats We're
claiming it III once. Bingham is m old
fashioned covcnanter Presbyterian. No par
lizan of the Duke OF Argyle Of the sixteenth
century could have been more bitterly secta-
sian. He rehearsed the story of the authori-
Ties al Rome compelling the Protestants to
worship outside of the walls of the sacred
,ily during the advent of Minister King. and
.nmadvertcd upon what he called the ntol-
orance of the Roman Catholic Church. He
alluded to the Ecumcnical Council and its
action in sustaining the doctrine of the infalli
hlily OF the Pope This he denounced as an
outrage upon the liberty of conscience of
mankind and an attempt to reduce the human
mind to n condition of slavery.
Voorhees,, of Indiana, followed Bingham.
This was the first show the democrats had
had in the debate since it became interesting
and exciting. Voorhees, is one of the most
interesting and impressive speakers on the
democratic side. He first of all paid his
respects 10 Dawes and alluded to the secta-
rian, bigoted character Of the New England
states lie twittcd Dawes upon the State of
Massachusetts burning witches and compell-
ING Quakcrs and other religious dcnomina-
lions to leave the State The Puritanism Of
New England had ousripped the intolerance
IF Rome in its worst day. The gentleman
from Ohio chr. Bingham) had made this a
spiritual question. llc had ignored the sub
nd had
gone otf into raid npon the Roman Catholic
Church and the democratic party.
John Covode, who figured in the debate
on this question n year ago treated the
House to a general raid on the Catholic
church. He accused that denomination of
all manner of crimes and quoted Scripture al
iNttlAu sam. Cox defended the Irish nat
uralizcd citizens and made Il good deal of
iun al Coyodc'S expense, keening the House
in a continual roar OF laughter. IIoar, of
Massachusetts, came 10 the defence of that
state In the course OF his remarks he ac-
rused the democratic party Of burning or
phan asylums in New York. At this point
Voorhees,, OF Indiana, rose cNcitedly in his
seat. and called "Order! order" adding,
what the gentleman states is false, and he
knows ii to be false" Here there was an
understandable scene of disorder. Every
member IN me House was on his 1ctI, oacn
one shouting al the top of his voice. The
chairman kept his gavcl going like a ponder
Gus lrphammer, and amid his rapping and
She shouting of the members the confusion
was complete At last, after much hammer
ing Of the gaycl and more shouting of the
members, Stevens. Of New Hampshire, made
his voice heard and demanded that the OBJ
irctonable words of Voorhees, be taken
down The chairman endeavored to make
himself heard but it was useless. The
scene of confusion increased. The gavcl':
raps upon the Speakers desk became louder
and louder and rcSounded through the hal
and ont in the corridors. Speaker Blaine
now took station ncar the Chairman anC
began TO prompt him. Ingersoll, however
was unfit for such IN emergency He is &
good, Jolly fellow, fond Of a joke and Of fun,
and rather participated in the exciemcn. or
the floor. When he called the committee tc
order members only laughed AT him aud he
laughed in return. Finally, by the vigorou:
use OF the gavcl. he succeeded in drowning
all other voices but his own. The ofiicia
reporter was directed to write out the OBJ
iectionabe words of Voorhees, and to han,
them to the Clerk. While he was doing thi
several democrats were trying to speak, bu
they were drowned out with cries of orde
from the republican side of the House. Sam
Cox insisted that the remarks of IIOar Shout,