The New York herald., 1871-01-17


C0usrcss Yesterday -Ecnernl Amnesty-The
AsyIum for Disabled Soldiers-Thc Air
Limo Railroad Bill-Ths Brooks and
Hastings Controversy-Teicsraph Cable
Legislation.
Senator Trumbull made fruitless effort yes
terday to impress the Senate with the neces-
sity and good policy of passing General
Amnesty bill, excluding only persons who
come within certain classification, instead OF
constantly peddling out pardons in special
cases. He offered to withdraw opposition to
one Of these special bills If the Senate would
agree that this would be the last of them but
he could not get assent to that proposition,
and the matter went over without action. The
question Of converting the asylums for disabled
soldiers into political headquarters for which
ever party happens to be in power was also
discussed indefinitely yesterday on bill
ceding back to the State Of Ohio jurisdiction
over the grounds belonging to the National
Asylum at Dayton. The usual claptrap
about dsfranchising the poor soldier was
INDUCED in; but the very worst use he can be
put to is to be made the tool of the politicians.
Let the war-worn veteran spend the evening
of his days in peace. unvexed and uncon-
taminated by politics.
Monday is the great day in the House Of
Representatives for the introduction Of bills on
leave and their reference to committees. 1t is
a sort of weekly seed day, when all manner Of
things are sown broadcast, of which very
little is ever expected to germinate, and
probably the less the better. The usual quantity
was thrown into the burrows yesterday, none
of it, however, deserving special notice or
attention. The Air Line Railroad bill had
a slight airing. the House having
to seventy eight, to allow it to
be introduced, and then. the question being on
its passage, the morning hour expired and the
bill went over till next Monday. Four Repre-
sentatives from Georgia, one Of them bright,
likely mulatto, were admitted without ques-
ton or discussion, and were so much added to
the aggregate wisdom Of the national councils.
That ever-vexed question Of the carriage sys
tenn of the New York Custom House came up,
in the shape Of a resolution, offered by Mr..
Sunset Cox which was referred to the Com
mittee Of Ways and Means. The controversy
between Mr.. James Brooks, of the Eapress
aud House Of Representatives, and Mr. Hugh
Hastings, of the Commercial Adpersiser,
created a slight breeze in the House through
the presentation of memorial of Mr.. Hast
ings denying the authenticity of that famous
Albany affidavit, and claiming that, as 1t was
fair stand-up editorial, political and per-
sonal fight, the House should not interfere, but
let the combatants fight it cat in the courts
and in their newspapers. Mr.. Latin, who
presented the memorial, moved its reference
to the select committee appointed on the sub
ject, with instructions to make preliminary
report as to the propriety of proceeding with
the Investigation. The House refused to vote
such instructions, and simply referred the me-
mortal to the committee, which commences its
labors to-day.
The subject on which the most noise was
made in the House yesterday was that relating
to ocean telegraph cable legislation. On Mon
day of last week a concurrent resolution was
passed, without special attention being called
to It, referring all bills, resolutions and peti-
tions on the subject to a special joint COM
mittee of both Houses. When, subsequently,
the discovery was made, there was
no parliamentary means of reconsidering
the action taken but yesterday Mr.
Banks moved to suspend the rules and
to adopt concurrent resolution resembling
that of the previous Monday. In the discus
sion that ensued he intimated that the motive
for taking the question away from the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs, which had already
on the subject, was because that committee
had decided against reporting in favor of sub
sides to any of these cable companies. The
House refused to suspend the rules and to
adopt the resembling resolution, but imme-
diately afterwards it did suspend the rules to
enable the Committee on Foreign Affairs to
report general bill relating to tele-
graphic communication between the United
States and foreign countries, and this
bill was Immediately passed, without discus
sion and without division, Mr.. Butler, of Mas
sachusstts, making vain and futile effort to
interpose opposition. This bill, which we
publish in our report Of the Congressional pro-
ceedings, establishes the conditions, stipula-
tions and reservations to which cable lines
connecting the United States with foreign
countries shall be subject, and giving the con-
sent Of Congress to the establishment of such
lines as will accept those conditions. It makes
no subsidies or special grants, but throws the
business open to all competitors. This is the
true rule-the principle of free trade as
against monopolies.
BismarCk's Circular tho Usagcs Of Civil