The New York herald., 1871-12-06
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Important Debate on the Postal Tele-
graph Project in the House. ~ !.
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General Blair Beaten in Ills Attack on the
lIabeas Corpus Suspension.
Revival. Of the Southern Outrage
Committee In the House.
THE RETIREMENT OF CATACAZY.
ri i>~~>~~~------~>~><>>>~~->-~ Ell
Call for the Correspondence on the
@ Subject. tn..a s s.
ENN N4CNt0 Ngj rN.lA GsM ~ A4nrf N
General Sherman's Report on the
Condition of the Army.

General Snerman'S Report ON the
Condition of the Army.
AHis9n WASHINGTON, Dec. s, 1871.
Scenes, Incidents and Excitcment over the
Proceedings Of the Two Houses.
The intensely cold weather of to-day. which has
net been equaled Within the recollection Of the
Oldest inhabitant, had visible effect upon the
galleries. Ladies In this latitude are morodly sem
sitve to cold. The excitement consequent upon the
opening being over, there was little TO attract
spectators or either sex, and the lobby Is not yet
organized so as TO be aggresslvely active. The In
terest consequently, ceniered wholly upon the pro-
Ceedings OF the Two louscs Congress is assuming o
thoroughly business at the very beginning and II
the work In neither House was very earnest to-day
the gossip about the Capitol showed an undercur-
rent OF earncsncss that scarcely to be expected
nj tins early stage. Among the Senators much In
terest is manifested in Mr. Summers bin getting
the national currency on specie-paying basis.
What shape 1t viii take before it is reported back
from the Finance Committee 1t is impossible to pre-
dict. All the financial measures introduced into
Congress have come up for action in q shape that
fails to reveal their parenfage, and Mr. Summers s
bills have been no exception TO the rule. In the
present case the distinguished Senator from Massa-
cnusetts VIII cndeavor to preserve Its Identity and
emb0dies the views Of the mercantile classes Of
the country, even more fully than his own, he will
press It vigorously. The Dnl Is the result OF many
conversations with the leading merchants OF New
England but willie oil are agreed upon the
necessity OF Q return to specie payments
everybody has no.trum OF his own; and
what Mr.. Sumner, in conversation to-
day, Enthusiastically called the .attrlti0n OF
ihought' makes every specific only bundle OF III
hpr In VIII ON 70 n. hi
forward tomorrow, and intends reaching some
timely action very soon, II such result IL possible.
Among the Representatives the morning and even
ing talk does not take direction so purely bus-
ness like, nor It Of 50 legislative character. Tho
alleged difIcrences between the President ard Sec
retary Boutwell, In regard 10 o reduction OF TAXA
iiOn, In The political aspects OF the question: are
the chief topics while the triumph OF Grants policy
and his reelection are conceded. Mr. Boutwell, has
also his partisans, VINO are loud IN his praises.
These claim that the chief glory Of the admnistra-
tion-the rapid payment OF the national debt-lsdu
entirely TO the Secretary Of the Treasury, and
mat defeat certain after reduction OF taxation
there should be any falling or m the balances
which have been characteristic OF the monthly debt
staiemont In spite OF the Secretary IL recommends.
ssons o reduction to the extent Of $50, 0,000, 600
will be insisted upon, and very refreshing
little row may be got mp on short notice. Nearly
every Secretary of the Treasury, from Hamilton
down, has Presidential aspirations during the irst
term Of his Chief and Mr.. Boutwell, Is no exception
10 tile rule. This promises TO be new disintcgra-
ton Of the republican party; but there Is such an
evident disposition among the majority In Congress
10 stand by the President that ir can only result In
the retirement OF Mr.. Boutwell, from the Cabine, II
his friends choose to make q contest. p
In C0nsress Ts.Dny.
lhe proceedings showed the political element In
extreme degree and the were eagerly
watched to see how the recalcitrant republicans
were going. Mr.. Farnsworth fought and lost an
Anti-adminisration battle In the House, ana In the
Senate the contest was over the Ku Klux procla-
nation. Senator Blair called up his resolution OF
yesterday, which was characterized by Mr.. Conk.
ling, behalf OF the administration full OF
sinuaiions and intmations. and tried to make
speech but was choked on without mcrcv.
The intcress in the matter lay IN the way which
Sumner, Trumbull and Fenton should vote on the
motion to take mp the resolution: but as they voted
'nO' without any apparent EFFORT no split in the
republican party was visible. This was, In fact the
only measure OF national Importance or political
Interest before the Senate to-day, and tomorrow
the session will probably be very short one also
a caucus win be held In the evening to agree
upon the reorganization Of the committees
No radical changes are anticipated, and the
Senate has shown itself so much In harmony with
the administration that even an EFFORT TO renstate
Mr. sumner in his old place AZ the head Of the Com.
mittee on Foreign Relations would not produce
anything like lively effect Mr.. Cameron intro
duced q resolution in regard to the Catacazy affair
calling for the correspondence In the case but this
has no significance apart from the indication that
ne intends holding on to the place he now occupies.
Soon after the morning hour the House went into
Committee OF the Whole on the Presidents Mes.
rage Mr. Dawes led on with the usual resou lions
distributing the dinerent parts OF the message to
the appropriate committees, that part relating to
tho establishment hy the government OF q postal
telegraph system being referred to a special COM
mittee. The nrst skirmish OF the session was
fought upon the objection made by Mr.. Randall,
Of Pennsylvania, to this special committee.
The postal telegraph being an administration
measure, Mr.. Randall was backed by General
Farnsworth, Chairman OF Committee on Post Oflces
and Post Roads, who insisted that that part Of the
Message should be referred to his committee. lie
thus placed himself squarey In opposition to the
Executive policy as In hts speech supporting his
motion or reference he announced himself
strongly opposed to the measure. Messrs.
Beck, Of Kentucky; Edrldge, OF Wisconsin.
and other democrats came vigorously 10 the sup
port OF Messrs. Randall and Farnsworth, opposing
the measure manly upon the ground that II would
me Executive, and that the measure came with a
Tad grace from an administration which was taking
such pains to make itself the champion OF civil
service reform.
''There are now" sa,d Mr.. Beck, ''nye thousand
telegraph stations and seven thousand employees
In the United States which would he sweed to
twenty thousand stations and three hundred
ana twenty-five thousand employees II THIS
corrupt administration assumed control OF the elc-
graph system. Mr.. Dawes, against whom the op.
position as the distinguished leader OF the admins
trat'on parry OF the house was directed, received
the'r brisk hre as also the re in the rear from the
gallant western brgadicr with the self possession
oi veteran sure Of his reserves. During the fight
. motion was male, evidently a compromise 10
refer the subject to the Committee on Appropriations
Mr.. Garfield, chairman OF that committee, opposed
the motion ana sustained Mr.. Dawes original
motion for select committee. The matter was
nualiV uIsDOSp,l d seutluv II fua