Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-02-25
xLIst cONGREss---2d SESSION


The galleries and corridors were
thronged again to-day. The White
more case was Immediately taken up,
and Mr.. Logan, who had the floor,
! Welded to WhittemOT0, who, III q
voice free from tremOr, commenced
! to read his defense, but was quickly
interrupted by theSpeaker announcing
the receipt of a note from the gentle
man, and said he considered 1t to be his
duty to lay it before the House. Mr;
WhittemOre desired to recall 1t until
he had finished his remarks, but the
Speaker declined to allow it, and the
paper was read, as fOllOws:
WAsHINdToN, February "a.
"a To Hon. J. g. BtGi'ae, Speaker Of the
House Of Representatives.:
WSrR-I inclose the following com
munication, addressed by telegraph to
the Governor of South Carolina, on
the 23d inst, resigning my seat 10
| Congress, and the telegram accepting
the same. Please lay them before the
House, and notify them that am no
longer a member Of that body.
I" Very respectfully yours,
rSignedl B. F. WHITTEMORE."
Then followed copies of the tele-
gram to the Governor resigning the
seat, and the telegram from the Gov
ernOr accepting the same, both dated
February 23d.
Whittemore rose again, but the
Speaker said it was not within the
province of the chair to recognize any
other than a member of the House,
but if it is the Judgment of the House
that the gentleman shall have its
unanimous consent to proceed, 1t viii
be for the House, and not Tor the
chair, so to determine.
Amid the discussion which followed
several points or order were made
and overruled by the Speaker, and
finally, at his suggestion, the appeal
was made pro fOTnlG by Mr.. Farms
worth, and was Immediately tabled
on the the motion of Mr.. Cox.
Mr.. Dawes said it seemed to him too
dangerous a precedent to be estab-
lished, that q member could resign,
whether the House wills it or not, and
that he desired to put his opinion on
record against it. The Constitution
clothed the House with power to pun
ish member, but if a member could
escape punishment by simply resign
ing, whether the House willed it or
not, all power to control the House
was at an end.
Mr.. Farnsworth, with the consent
Of Mr.. Logan. moved that the resOlu-
ton of expulsion be laid on the table,
which was agreed to without divi-
sion, whereupOn Mr.. Logan offered the
following resolution:
ResOIUed, That B. F. Whittemore,
the late member from the First Dis
trict of South Carolina, did make ap-
pointments to the Military Academy
at West Point, and to the Nanal
Academy at Annapolis, in violation Of
law, and that such appointments were
influenced by pecuniary cOnsidera-
tions, and that his. conduct in the
premises has been such as to show
him unworthy Of a seat in the House
of Representatives and therefore is
condemned as conduct unworthy of
representative Of the people.
Mr.. Butler asked the unanimous
consent Of the House that White
more be heard on that resolution, but
Mr.. Mungen objected, and the resOlu-
ton was adopted-yeas, lS5 nays,
nary g nay"
The House then went into a Com
mittee of the Whole OF the Legislative
Appropriation bill, and the session
was continued until four pm, when
the committee reported the entire bill
to the House, and all the amendments
were agreed to in bulk, except that
appropriating S91, 600 for a branch
mint at Carson City, and that apprO-
priating sl4, ,G00 fO- . Bureau Of Educa-
ton, on which separate votes were
asked, and without dispOsing Of those,
the House adjourned.
Salatg.-The House amendment to
the political disability bill was con-
Cured In, and oa the motion of Mr..
Salisbury, the President was asked
for a copy of the commission or au-
thority issued to General Ames as
Provisional Governor of Mississippi.
Mr., Williams offered a resolution
that to add 10 the present irredeema-
bic currency Of the country would
be to render more ditheult and
remote the resumption of specie
payments, to encourage and foster
the spirit of speculation, to aggrayate
the evils produced by the frequent
and sudden fluctuations of values, to
depreciate the credit of the nation and
check the healthful tendency of legiti-
mate business, and to settle down
upOn a safe and permanent basis,
and therefore, in the opinion OF the
Senate. the existing volume of such
currency ought not to be increased,
which was agreed to without dis
cussiOn.
The bill to secure to all persons
equal protection of the laws in respect
to life and property was considered
during the morning hour, but without
action.
The question of the admission of
Revels was postponed at the sugges-
ton of Mr.. Sherman to accommodate
Fenton and Patterson, who desired to
make speeches on the funding bill,
but would be compelled to be absent
after to-day.
Mr.. Fenton desired. to amend the
! present bill, so as to authorize single
bond at Al per cent. in the sum of one
| thousand or twelve hundred millions,
not taxable by Federal, State or local
authority, and payable in no less
( than forty or more than fifty
| wears, and, at the same time,
| retiring the $40 and 1910 bonds, and
| effecting a gradual contraction by a
gradual absorption of greenbacks in
] the new securities, which would result
in the resumption of specie payments,
He believed the interests Of the people
required a positive reduction not only
| in the nominal but in the virtual rate
Of taxation. The system of taxation
also should be simplitied, SO that it
| should apply to a few sources, and Sc
! lect luxuffes rather than the necessaries
of life. After replying TO the preyi-
| Gus remarks of Mr.. Morton, Mr.. Fen
| ton said in conclusion that he deemed
the success Of the funding scheme de-
sirable, although it would be, in his
Judgment, greatly improved by the
amendment he had indicated. 1t is
desirable not only because it would
involve a reduction Of the interest,
but because it you'd put an end to the
clamor which threatens to violate the
public faith, and impair the public
debt.
Mr.. Patterson spoke upon the finan-
cial topics, in which he showed the
necessity of circulation which should
either be gold or redeemable in gold
and that there was national limit to
such circulation; that it was desirable
to establish a system Of free banks, by
funding the greenbacks and gold GER
tificates, and also in re-funding the
same securities which are now held fol
the banks, at the rate Of II per cent