New-York tribune., 1871-01-18
WASHINGTON.

STRUGGLES OF TIE LAND JoBBERs IN THE
HOUsE-A NEW PHASE OF THE BROOKS
HASTINGS CoNTRovERSY-PROCEEDIN IN
CONGRESS - PROPOSED NOTIFICATIONS OF
THE IRON-CLAD OATH-SOLDIERS' COLONIES
ORGANIZING FOR THE TERRITORIES.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSRI
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, Jan. II. 1871.
The House has not gone TO business upon the Speakers
table during the present session. Never before have six
weeks Of short passed without the House going
TO the table for reference to and action upon the bills
passed by the Senate. There are now Al Senate bhis
upon the table, many OF which important and woud
be passed II they could be separated from the % Land
Grant bills, with which they overaid and inter
spersed majority OF the House refuses TO touch the
pile OH the table, for fear land obbers will succeed In
getting through their schemes by making combination
OF all members whose districts interested In any Oh
the proposed grants with the solid carpetbag vote
large proportion being Of the hundredandOdd members
whose Congress ends the 4th of March, Mean
while the friends OF the land grants VIII not consent to
have any bill taken from the table for action out OF tS
ORDER hope their opponents to begin at the
top pile upon the Speakers table and work on all
the bills the general rush OF the last nights OF the Ses
sion.
The Committee appointed to investigate the charges
made against the Hon. James Brooks by Hugh D. mast
ngs, in The NepYork Commercial Advertiser, met thlS
morning, having summoned before them Mr.. Hastings
Mr. Hastings first asked q decision the claim which
he made in the memorial read In Congress, yesterday
that the words complained of by Mr. Brooks were not OF
such character to give Congress Jurisdiction Inc
Committee decided that the investigation must go on
Mr. Hastings then presented paper setting forth that
he had brought in the Courts NewYor suit against
Mr. Brooks for libel and protesting against any action
that will result in premature disclosure OF his proofs,
aud a consequent prejudice OF his case. He also as
serted that this Is the object which Mr. Brooks mas IN
asking for this investigation In reply, 1t is claimed
by friends Of Mr. Brooks that Mr. Hastings did not
institute his suit until Saturday last and that the inyes
tgatlon was therefore, ordered before the suit began
Mr. Hastings also claimed that the resolution ordering
an investigation contained charges and that he did
not therefore know why he had been called. He de-
cined to be Mr. Hastings also refused to allow
investigation TO the genuineness OF the retracton
" bc which Mr. Brooks caused to he read last week.
When told that he must the question whether
he ready substantate the charges complained OF
by Sir. Brooks, he replied that he not. Mr. Brooks
received from Albany, today. telegram announcing
that the Mr.. Stone. in whose favor the retracton Is
alleged 10 have been made is still living, bat that the
document is missing from Court files Another meet
ing OF the Committee was held at o'clock this after
noon Judge Bingham will report TO the House in the
morning. A lively scene ia anticipated.
In the Senate to-day, the House Amendments 10 the
Amendatory Funding hill concurred in Mr. Conk-
ling presented the memorial OF Horace Greeley ana
500 Others showing the preparations made, under the
tral Exposition in York the lcoth anniversary Of
the Nations birth. The memorial referred TO the
Committee Manufactures, and IL Is not unlikely tat we
may have a counter bill to the now before the Com
mtee Foreign Relations. proposing to hold the Ex-
position Philadelphia Mr.. Ramsey ia anxions to pass
the three bills the calendar giving handsome
subsidies to proposed ocean mail lines to Mexico,
Australia, and Europe, and essaycd to make them
the special order for Thursday. Mr.. Conking, how
ever, objected TO this until the COMMITTEES OF
Commerce WAS heard from IN reference 20 the Dl INTRO
duced hy him yesterday, because he ntmated, tho
Senate will scarcely "have stomach enough to swallow
two subsidies European lines a session.; and. If
Mr. Ralnse US bill passes his WILL probably be defeated
Mr. Yates offered constitutional amendment to remove
the bar resting upon naturaled citizens from com
netting with those nativeborn the highest Office in the
gift the nation, the Presidency. There Is no probable
ity OF favorable action upon it, Mr.. Tumbul Introduced
an important resolution reference to life insurance
companies. As is well known many Of tho life insurance
companies Of the North have branch Offices throughout
the Union In some OF the states special tax Is ah
upon all foreignn' companies, and the object Of
the resolution Is TO prevent this DISCRIMINATION
Mr. Trumbu stated that be introduced the reso-
luton without approving of It, An interest
ing discussion occurred, berween Messrs. Harlan
and Kellogg the propricty Of throwing open the pub
lie lands Of Alabama, louisiana Florida, Arkansas, and
Mississippi TO homestead settlement. Mr.. Kellogg stated
that these lands been excepted from the operation Of
the Homestead and Pr,GmptOn laws III order that the
actual residents the freedmen and INDECENT whites OF
thc South, might have ample Opportunity to acquire
freehold but they had so far neglected to avaii them
selves of it, and the lands were lying idle therefore, he
advocated that the restrictions which applied 10 them
should he removed. Mr. Harlan contended that sum
time had not elapsed since the abolition of Slavery
for the freedmen develop properly the energy and
manhood that was in them, and the chance TO get
few Of their should yet he given them II the
restriction removed, the lands would be taken up IN
large quantities by the wealthy residents and by non
residents This policy he said had been anything but
benefit to Iowa and other States, where could travel
for miles in some sections, without seeing a house he
cause the land had been taken up and held by
residents. The bill 10 the object desired by Mr.
Kellogg which has been pending since last session.
was laid for the purpose Of allowing Mr. Harlan TO
prepare amendments to meet his views The afternoon
was principally occupied with the bill to ecde
certsin Jurisdiction 10 the State of Ohio. The
arguments turned altogether ON constitutional points,
and OF the Senators who spoke the majority Of those
who were lawyers seemed to incline TO the view taken
by Mr. Thurman, that the jurisdiction OF the United
States over the Dayton Asylum absolute and thai
was not In the power of Congress to eede 1t away The
bin was passed by vote OF % to H. The President sent
in large batch OF official papers relative to the KuKux
outrages In North Carolina Mr.. Mortons BILL To refund
to the States the interest their debts and the dis
count mot exceeding ten per cent? their war bonds,
was advocated by s author aud opposed by other SEN
ators as going too without taking action the BILL
an Executive session held after which the Senate
adjourned.
Business stil ags in tire House, though to-day was
little more fruitful OF results than yesterday, when
nothing at all was done. A resolution introduced Dy
GEN Butler and referred TO the Committee on Appro
prations directing the President to appoint three Com
mIssoners who shall investigate and report to Congress
frou time TO time. how much aid has been gwen 10
Pacn and other railroads. either in the shape OF ianso
money what has been done with 1t, aud whether any III
A wilt