Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-15
FOrty-First Congress Second Session.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. IA.
SENATE.

up.
Mr.. Edmunds moved to strike out all the
names of corporations, so as TO leave the post
master general free as heretofore, in such cases,
to contract with the best parties, at the best
rates. His object was to test the sense of the
senate upon the propriety of limiting the postal
department in contracting TO particular set Of
men, no matter how good. In the matter OF
subsidies there should be no departure from the
plan heretofore pursued in the issuance OF pro-
posals, SC. The retention of these names would
make it potent to all the world, except TO the re-
spective gentlemen named, that the bill was
nothing but job.
Mr.. Kellogg said that some corporators were
among the most wealthy, enterprising, and dis
interested citizens OF New Orleans, which city
was most interested in the proposed line; be
sides, the bill was predicated in part upon the
concession by the Mexican congress, in favor of
one of the corporators named in the bill. Mr..
Edmunds' motion was agreed to- "a to 20.
After the adoption OF numerous amendments,
materially modifying it, the bill was reported to
the senate, and passed-29 TO 81.
The bill as passed, directs the postmaster-gen-
eral to advertise for and authorizes him to con-
tract with responsible persons, who shall be
American citizens, on the most advantageous
terms, for the conveyance of a semi monthly
mail from New Orleans, via Galveston, to certain
Mexican ports; the contractor within eighteen
months to construct three first class iron steam
ships, fnotess than 1900 tons burther EACH sub
ject to acceptance or rejection by the postmaster
general and approval by a constructor detailed
by the secretary of the navy; in time of war or
danger the government to take the vessels by
purchase or payment of a sum equivalent to the
interest on the ascertained value; the mail con-
tract not to exceed ten years, nor the annual
compensation 100000, reasonable compensa-
ton to be paid for the first eighteen months for
any pioneer vessel placed upon the route.
The bill appropriates $4,000 for the compen-
satiOn of Nicholas B. Trist, as negotiator of the
treaty of Gaudaloupe, and was supported by Mr..
| Sumner, Mr.. Cameron, and Mr.. Fowler, opposed
| by Mr. Thurman, and passed-24 to 10.
The remainder of the session was occupied in
a discussion of the house bill relating to tele-
| graphic communication between the United
| States and foreign countries, to which Mr.. Nye
| offered and advocated an amendment limiting
the charge for message of ten words to Europe
to So.
| MIR. Sumner opposed the amendment, as uu-
called for, in view of the carefully prepared pro-
| visions of the bill
| MIR. Nye said the cable companies were in the
| habit of circulating false reports of breaking
| cables, as pretexts to enable them to double
| their rates. For one, he was not disposed to be
left entirely at the mercy of English capitalists.
| Under the restrictions he proposed, sufficiently
| large dividends could be made by any company
Without action on the bill, the senate adj
| journed.
HOUSE.
The report Of the military committee on the
| West Point academy difficulties was taken up
and for the second resolution, recommending
| that the secretary of war convene court of in
quiry for the purpose of ascertaining and expell
ing the instigators and leaders in the affair of
| January Sd, and properly Furnishing other par
| Elephants of the members of the class, MIR. But
Ter, of Massachusetts, offered the following SUBJ
| stituIe:
Resolved, that the house Of representatives
| recommend that the secretary of war refuse, at
a graduation of the first class, the customary
| turlough or leave of absence, but that every
| member of that class be, at once on their gradu.
| alton, ordered to their duties as officers of the
army, and no leave of absence, except sick leave,
| be granted to any one of them for one year."
Mr.. johnson offered the following, as an addi-
| tional resolution:
| Resolved further, that the house of repre-
sentatives recommend that the secretary of war
convene a court of inquiry, to examine into the
| conduct of officers on duty at West Point acad-
| envy, with view to ascertain whether they con-
nived at, and tried to keep from the public and
| the war department. the wrongs done by the
| first class, thereby encouraging characterization
and rotous conduct at the academy, and if found
| guilty, they be relieved from duty at the nst-
| tuition"
| Mr.. Benjamin of Maine asked leave to offer
| an additional resolution, as follows:
q Resolved, further, that, in the opinion of the
| house OF representatives, the military academy
| at West Point has Outved its usefulness, and
| ought to have been abolished"
| Mr.. Kelsey of New York objected.
Mr.. Asper, member of the committee on mill
| tary affairs, who drew up the report, proceeded
| to address the house in support of the resolu-
tions recting the facts in the case, and insisting
| upon the gravity of offence by the first class,
and the necessity of visiting it with appropriate
punishment. He regarded the excuse given by
the boys, that they were driven to this act be-
cause the authorities at Washington constantly
| intprfprnd wit tho nf tba
RENTED penalties, as a reflection upon President
Grant, and Therefore adding to the offense COM
| mitted.
Mr.. AXtell approved the first resolution, re-
| ported by the committee, because it leaned to
the side Of mercy, but he was opposed to the
second He asked the members whether they
had forgot the indiscretiOns and foIies of their
| college days, and were prepared to mete out to
these Young men the severest penalty known to
| college law, that of expulsion.
| MIR. Siocum, member of the subcommittee on
| military affairs, which made the investigation,
| declared that he had not been in favor OF the
| house entering upon the investigation, thinking
| that the discipline in the school might be safely
left to its officers; but, as the house had thought
| proper TO order it, he had taken part in it, and
| had concurred in the resolution. He defended
the officers of the academy, but recognized that
they had had unusual difficulties thrown in their
way within the last few years.
Mr.. Butler, of Massachusetts, said he was in
| fuenced by no hostile feeling toward the mill
| tary academy, although the effect of its teach
| ings had followed him for years and inflicted on
| him more injury than mortal man could ever
| lnftict on him. He had felt its effects from the
| 10th Of April, 1861, to the 9Th of November,
1865 1t had deprived him of the command of
the army of the James, had sent him home in
| disgrace, and had prevented him from entering
the capital of the enemy. Bnt still he was OPP
| posed to congressional int rference with the
| discipline OF the school. Compliant hadi been
made oil the bad effect of executive interference
\ with it, and now they proposed to add to the
difficulty by legislative interference with it. He
argued against the second resolution, represent
| ing what a serious thing it was to blight
as was proposed, the hives of those
| young men forever 1t was their head that had
| been wrong in the offence which they had COM
mitted; their heart had been all right. They
had acted from what they thought good mo-
tives and for the honor of their corps. As to
| the conduct of the officers, he remarked, that
| however much they had been blamable, even so
much the more should the boys be excused, be-
cause they had not had the teaching which had
been promised their fathers that they should
have.
As for Furnishing the ringleaders, he agreed
with Mr.. AXtell that there were none, but that
all were alike culpable, and they would all have
to pleade guilty, Besides, he did not like to eX-
pose the boys to the temptation to accuse each
| other. He would rather vote for the expulsion
of the whole class than vote for the second reso-
luton. He believed that the resolution which
he had offered, deprving the boys of the Gus
tomary furlough, would be punishment proper
tional to the offence, and would sufficiently
mark the condemnation of their offence by the
| house.
Mr.. Logan disclaimed any disposition to see
punishment inflicted on those boys, but he was
very much surprised at the argument which he
had just heard from the learned lawyer from
Massachusetts. That genteman's arguments
were sometimes strange, and he, Logan, should
not attempt to account for their strangeness. He
was surprised at that gentleman's attributing
the motive for offense committed The motives
of crime were TO be found in the circumstances
of tine crime i self. One of the boys, most prom.
inently involved in the offense was, from his
own town, an appointee of his, and son of one
OF his friends, but he, Logan, felt that be had a
duty to perform in this case, and he would not
falter in its performance. He would never
bend the pregnant hinges of the knee,
| That thrift may follow Awning"
But he would do his duty
Though the heavens fall"
And his duty was to decide the question with
out reference to the relatives or friends or
parents of these cadets, aud notregard it as such