The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-12-27

service in the army should proven
him from obtaining employment an,
! that the present has something to d
/ with the carriage business in Ne,
York. I wish Is say a few words il
reply to the Senator from New York
Mr.. Conking-He said yesterda,
!, that the investigation of the New
! York Custom House was closed u
; by the committee on retrenchmen
last year. The committee did un.
boubtedly believe that the ease wa
closed, for it had reason to believ
that when such scandals as it exposea
were laid bare the administration
would jump at the chance to ell,
the disgrace. But it turns out tina
they were vastly mistaken. For tn
same s%candalous system of rcbber,
exists down to this day in spite of TIL
exposures made by the committee
The Senator asked also "Why hav,
we proposed in legislation 10 remov,
their abuses" Because 10 Legislation
was necessary. The abuses wer'
created by executive action in the ad
ministration of the Custom Hous,
and they could be done away with BY
executive action,
The Senator objected to what I sale
of the power which ~suseains this sys-
tenn. 1 did say ''having laid the evi
dence before the Senate. that wher
the most respectable merchants of New
York had protested against this system
of robbery, when the secretary,of the
treasury had time and agaiu pro-
nounced against it, when the commit.
tee on retrenchments had pronounced
against it, and when still it is sustain
ed in view of this evidence, that there
must be some mysterious power sus
tanning that system, stronger than q
decent regard for public opinion, and
stronger than the seci etary of the
treasury himself. n
Mr.. Patterson here %interposed to
make an explanation, and in reply to
the remarks by Mr.. Trumbull said -
81 do say hat there are Inspectors in
the Custom House in New York who
stated before the Commissioners Under
oath that in violation of the their off.
cial oath, and in violation of the laws
of the land. they had taken brides,
| and that they took brides every time
they discharged a vessel. And l say
further hal the agents of steam com.
panies told me that they could not get
their vessels discharged without brib.
ing officials"
MI. Sumner should like to know
whether these men a:e continued in
Office.
Mr.. Patterson-I have no knowl-
edge of them ever having been re-
moved. I know nothing about it.
MIR. Schurz-The Senator from In
diana, CIR. Morton), says that my
remarks yesterday cast n reflection on
the Republican PARTY. How so? Do
not we all profess to be in favor o.
reform, and yet when a merbev Il
this body attempts to lay bare gross
abuse, the cry is raised that he is try
ing to injure the Republican party
My motives have been reflected upon
and I, and Il ose with whom 1 act,
have been asked, 'What objects W.
pursue :" 7 am ready to tell the Sen
ate. My object is to uncover, and to
denounce, and try to have corrected,
any and every abuse wherever L can
lay my hand upon i. without regard
to how it will effect the Interests or
advantages of q party and without
regard to whether this or that person
may like it or not. l am in favor of
reform andsI am in dead earnest. !
do not mean to denoauce abuses on
the other side, and to shield abuses
among my own friends. l want to
probe to the very bottom of the sore.
/ Unless we do that we do nothing
Mr.. Upton followed in support OF
Mr.. TLumbulrs proposition. He cited
Mr.. Morton's statement yesterday,
that the object of those that befriend-
ed that proposition was to show that
great corruption exists under the
present administration, ard said that
that was exactly what he wished the
people to understand as to the other
branch. Mr.. Morton's charge that
the movement vas an attack OH the
Republican party was not true. He
CTipton) made no attack on the Re
publican party. On the contrary. he
desired TO redeem that party from the
curse that had come upon it through
the mistakes of the administration
and and the corruption Of its officials.
He believed that there was corrup-
ton, deep, damning and fostering all
through his administration. The mo-
tives of those who sought to revive
the Committee on Retrenchment were
called in question. Could not q man
believe that even in the Senate there
might be found a better leader for the
Republican party than the intellect
ual colossus (save the mark now
sitting in the White House
Without being accused of unfaith'
fulness to the party, would it be said
there was only one man in the coun'
try under whom the Republicans could
train to be loyal? The Senator from
Indiana Mr.. Morton) had boosted
that it "a a distinguishing mark Of
the Republican party, that itswas
prompt to punish wrong doors among
it's members Tile Upton had once
believed so and had acted upon that
belief, bat tlIat he had been prescrib
ed and punished for it ever since
GRANT ToADIEs TOO sTRoNa.
Mr.. TrumbuIl's amendment was
rejected by a vote of "a ayes to 81
nays.
The following Republicans voted
for it:
Messrs. Alcorn, Fenton, Logan,
Patterson, Robertson, Schurz Sumner,
Upton, Trumbull, West, and Wilson.
The original resolution was then
oIanfa1 -