The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-20

Judiciary Committee.
Mr.. CHANDLER offered Il resolution Il
refer so much OF the Presidents message
as relates TO the telegraphic system o
the United States to the Committee OF
Commerce, and argued in favor OF thl
resolution. He thought It was clear tha
the telegraph was TO he regarded mainly
as an instrument Of commerce, because
probably three.iOurths OF all the messages
sent by telegraph were on commercial
business. lie contrasted the Cheapness oI
telCgraphing in Europe with It's eXpen
sivCness here, and said one Of the great ad
vantages Of the European system would
be the breaking up OF the oppressive mo
nopOly known rs the Associated Press
But while he thought the Government
should control the telegraph lines, he
would not be willing to buy at moro thar
actual cost Of construction,
Mr. HAMIIN thought the subject al.
ready properly referred TO the Committee
on Post offices and POst.roads.
The resolution was laid over.
Mr.. CONKLING moved 10 take up his
resolution, offered yesterday, directing the
Committee on RCtrenchment to inquire
into the charges made by Mr., SCHURz in
reference to the general order Of business
in the New York custom house. lie
wished TO say lew words about the in
vestigalion by tho committee oil which he
had been chairman. Tho New York
Times Of Monday had stated that the com;
mittee had held q hole and corner inves.
LEGATION, had manipulated witnesses like
n Tombs lawyer, and had made garbled
and dishonest report. That statement Is
Indignantly false from beginning TO end,
and Il is made, l believe, TO throw smut
on the committee In order to lessen the
force Of their report, and for no other
purpose. The committee had moth.
ing To blame themselves with, unless
It be this one thing After the taking Of
tho testimony was completed Collector
Murphy came here and asked permission
to 20 over the testimony. II was given
him. He brought o gentleman with him
from New York and the testimony was
put into bis hands. He went over 1t all
and made such changes rs hc desired In
tho character ol his own testimony, that |
have since thought was privilege that tho
committee ought not TO have given him.
But so great was our desire 10 DO fair with
nll parties that VIC thought II best 70 per
nit revision, although tho Collector had
seen the testimony before
Mr.. PATTERSON denied that the COM
mittee had charged the government any
more than ordinary expenses for tho Cali.
fOrnia trip, and COntrastGd the expcndi.
lures of his committee with that of the
Committee on Southern Outragcs. The lat.
ter spent sac 900 since the first OF lanua.
ry 1871, while his committee, during tho
whole five years Of Its existence, had spent
only 100000.
Mr.. SCoTr, Chairman Of the Committee
on Southern Outrages, said that It's prin.
Cipal outlay had been on account OF wit.
neSses. They had examined over 600.
Mr.. SCuURz offered tho following as an
addition to the pending resolution: "And
also to inquire whether any charges for
storage or carting have been or are made
by officers of customs or persons acting
under the regulations Of the custom house,
which charges arc not authorized by law;
and whether presents have been accept
ed by officers Ol the custom house from
other officers subordinate to them or act
ing under their control, and whether OIL.
GERS making such presents have been
selected by preference To attend to the
disCharging Of steamships and also
whether officers OF the custom house con.
nivc at frauds in passing the baggage OF
passengers arriving in the port Ol New
York; and also whether articles Of rnor.
cliandize while under the control Of Off.
GERS Of the custom house have been alb.
straCtGd, md whether any such articles
have been returned on application, and
whether any officers Of tho custom house
have been punished for abstraCting artl.
Clcs under their ContrOl and also TO what
extent the practice Of compromising with
merchants defrauding or attempting to
defraud the revenue has prevailed, and
whether any and what peCuniAry benefit
has been derived therelrOm by tho officers
making such compromises" ..' ''' =.
Mr.. CoNKMNd accepted tho amend.
ment.
Mr.. TIPTON offered the following
amendment: "Also, whether any officers
or employees of said custom house have
used their influence To control either Of
the last State conventions OF the Repub.
lican party of the State Of New York,
and whether assessments Of money have
been made to be used TO control the pri.
mariCs To secure delegates TO the State
conventions orIOr any other political pur.
poses" - J l-a. y 4
Mr.. CoNKLtNG accepted this also
Mr.. SHERMAN said he would vote Tor
both amendments, and he had wished to
call the attention Of tho country to the
fact that there was difficulty 10 getting
any proper resolution Of inquiry through
the Senate.
The resolution as amended was then
adoptcd-yeas 81 nays none. ~.
A message was received from the Pres.
ident, transmitting the report Of tho Civil
Service committee. ...r-.,.....-..s
A motion was made ID print 10000 ex.
ira copies. Referred to Committee on
Printing. .
Mr.. SUMNER moved TO take up his reso.
luton offered last March, calling on the
Secretary Of the Navy for Information
about the number of ships employed on
the coast of San Domingo since the begin.
ming of the negotiations, and also as to the
cost of sending and keeping them there,
and he announced that Whenever this
information should be obtained, he would
refer II TO the Committee on lnvestiga.
ton and Rctrenchment. Laughter,
Mr.. CoNRLtNu objected, and the reso.
luton went over a,f.. ..<
MI. SUMNER aIterward offered II as a
new resolution, but Mr. OoNKhiNd again
objected, md 1t went over yg .
Mr. sCUrT called up his resolution di.
rectihg the Sergeant.atAtms to arrest
Saunders, the refractory witness in North
Carolina, and II was passed.
The resolution directing the arrest O
| Gist and Comp, OF South Carolina, gave
rise to n discussion, and Without reaching
vote, the Senate went into executive
| 4 IN .Nia.,..a1