The New York herald., 1871-03-17
WASHINGTON.
Another Memorable Day i'm
the House.
Ben Butler and Speaker Blaine
Lock Horns.
More Trouble Brewing in the Re
publican Camp.
-~>>~N~~~N~~~~o~.~~
NEW TEST OF PARTY FEALTY.
Settlement of American Claims
Against Spain.

lcan Breach Widening-Dcn Butler md
Speaker Blaine Lock Horns.
This has been the most remarkable ana memo.
rabe day, In many respects, that has been witnessed
In the House OF Representatives since the two houses
the 10th of February 1862 to count the elec-
tora votes for President ana Vice President. The
stormy scene which transplred on that occasion,
In which General Butler the leader, is still
fresh In the public memory together with the
speech or speeches OF Schuyler ColfaX, who
was then Speaker of the House, In defence Of his
rulings and the rulings OF old Ben Wade during the
legislative melee The scene to-day diYereT from
that OF February, 1862 in the fact that Speaker Col
fax did not leave the chair to answer Butler alone,
but large number OF other members OF the House
who followed his lead. To-day Speaker Blaine, as
Butler said, "leit the char for the floor solely to
attack q fellow member" or course Blaine
does not look at 1t in this light He consid-
cred himself agrieved ana insulted by the
terms OF Buffers letter. which published the
HERALD OF to-day, and he says he came from the
chair to defend himself. II Is not the first time that
Butter has been In such ght but 1t Is the first oc-
casion upon which Blaine has had such job on his
hands since his famous contest with Roscoe Conk-
ling, In the Thlrtynnth Congress- IN the matter OF
Provost Marshal General Fry, where 1t was generally
admitted at the time that Conkling to use an ex-
pressive phrase, .laid him out"
Before the House met to-day General Butler had
an intimaion that "a Is not well In Denmark"
and that Blame intended TO mount him. by and by
he heard that Kelley, Dawes, Garfield and other
lesser lights Of the republican party all had "rods IN
plcken for MIN. In fact the indications were that
the gallant Bcns broad back would be well
beaten before dinner. Butler was not at
all dismayed. awe will see," he said with
tnat close compression OF his pugnacious mouth
which indicates fight The Chaplain in the
course OF his opening prayer said, 20 Lord, help
as to the right, and give us courage to do H."
Butler, who was an attentive and reverent lis
tener, responded to this with an "Amen" so hearty
that those around him were startled from their de-
votions. lie was probably thinking OF his darling
Ku Kux bill, and of what he calls the Legislative
trckn whereby he was prevented from getting 1t
| before the House. The sAmen' was not much
| for himsaf for such slippery republicans as
| Dawes, Garfield and Blaine, who, Butler
| has an idea, would as tram with the
democrats as the republicans. At all events the
bold Butler entered upon the days work In plous
frame OF mind. He had written letter, to be sure;
he had laid it upon Nle desks OF members, he had
| given copies Of it to what Speaker Blame was
pleased in his wrath, to term Buffers 'claauers or
the public press but in all this he had, as he sup
pssed sinned not. The bold Ben Butler was mis-
taken, as he realized after the reading Of the
! journal The rods In pickle were drawn out one by
| one and applied to his broad back.
] Iron Duke' OF Pennsyl-
vania, Judge Kelley who IN his deep, Forrest0nian
| tones, always the admiration and delight OF the
| House, protested against that part Of Buffers letter
which charges that ''the committee was raised by
| combination of the high tariff republicans with
| the democracy This was too mucn for Kelley,
| who was with Butler on the Ku Klux bill Kelley
| did not remember a charge Of this kind to have
been made upon respectable authority the days
/ jnfp nuln KpllpV'S
rod evidently did not hurt the broad back Of Butler
| for the latter gentleman Immediately eXcupated the
Iron Duke from all blame. The truth is he did not
refer Kelley at all In what he said about the "high
| tariff republicans He was striking at his own
secton-New England-but the high tariff men
| from Maine and Massachusetts "couldnt see it, or
at least, they did not, for they made no reply. BY
this time 1T became evident to the members on
the floor as well TO the spectators In the gallery
| who knew anything about the matter, that one Of
those scenes for which the House is famous was
| imminent.
| In answering Kelley Butler was interrupted by
Dawes who wanted to know What the Essex states.
man meant by the word "rrlck.'' This interruption
seemed to fire Butler. In an instant his ''soul was
| In arms and eager for the fray" which he knew
was coming. Dawes did not get chance 20 break
| his rod over Buffers back. Peters, Of Maine who
offered the Blaine resolution, with "smlle that
| was childllke and bland,' endeavored to shoulder
| the responsibility and defend his action. But 1t
| was evident Butler after higher game, he
| wasted few words and less time upon the genial and
| good natured Peters. In the meantime Speaker
| Blaine had called Mr.. Wheeler OF New York. to the
chair and made his appearance upon the floor in
| the neighborhood or where Dawes and Garfield sit
Members said to each other, 'Now We'll have bust
ness for Blaine looked like Macdu in front OF the
| castle after Blrnam Wood has come TO Dunsinane,
| with the exception that his speech was not In bis
/ sword, but In his mouth. ~ S5ts - -
| AS soon as Butler sat down Blaine was, Of course
! recognz d by the Speaker pro tenn. The democrats
who had been silent spectators Of the fight thus far
now came over In groups to the republican side of
| the House. In short time not democrat was in
| his seat and nobody seemed to be on that side OF
| the hall. When blaine began to speak there
was an unusual stiffness IN the House. Letter
writing and newspaper reading were abandoned for
| the time. Every neck was stretched in eager ex.
| pectaton and every eye fixed upon the Speaker of
| the House. Ben Butler sat in his seat ana looked
on like Others, only with careless nonchalant air.
| as If to say
"Come on MacduGi
And damned be he who first cries, hold enoughW
| Baines soul was charged with what he evidently
regarded as gross insult, first, to himself per-
sonally, and second to his office Speaker OF the
| House. He is man OF strong feeling and OF a
good deal or temper. The trouble with him
is that he cannot always, especially IN a
heated debate conceal the one restrain tine other.
He has fine figure, and always wears his coat
buttoned up ike Fernando Wood and Senator Car
penter. He wanted to know, first or all, whether
Butler knew that he drew the resolution question.
Butler is as good witness as he is lawyer. He
knows how to answer question as wei as how to
ask one. He knows that II is no part OF the business
OF a witness 10 crimnate hiuIseif, and so he
told Blaine he knew nothing about it. This
answer, although soft, did not serve 10 turn
away the wrath OF the Speaker. on the
contrary, 1t seemed to madden him Without FUR
ther ceremonyh launched into terrible onslaught
upon Butler. Ben appeared to take 1t quite coolly.
The anatnemas OF Blaine fell upon him HARM
lessy as the balls from the Merrmac upon the iron