New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-12
XLIID CON0KESS-IID SESSION

THE NEW'HOKk CUSrOM-HOUSR ABUsES-A
NEW PLATFORM FOR THE NETWORK DEMO.
GRATIS
fBY TELEGRAPH 10 THs TRIBUNE,
WASHINGTON. Monday, Doc. II, 1871.
In accordance with his determination pre.
viousIy announced. Mr.. Sumner asked, imnedistely
after the meeting Of the Senate this morning. 10 b a.
cused from serving the now Committee Of PRIVILEGES
and Election, and, a. no one objected. . resolution %
that ehect was unanimously passed. Mr.. 6umnSs ~
since the caucus on Thursday, felt hurt 4 ~
action Of his Republican friends in again placing I'm a
the head Of this Committee, after he had exp,ictay
stated, last Spring. his unwinguess TO servo there
Among the hume rous petitions introduced In the Sen
ate asking to enact all kinds Of legislation bvh
OF private and public nature, not less than IL
ing Congress to repeal tho duty on salt They oeus
principally from Massachusetts,, New.IIampshre. ana
Virginia.
After Mr.. sumner had explained the provisions OF n,
bill 10 reduce internal taxation and abolish tho Bursa.
Of Internal Revenue. he going on to explain wbyAs
had introduced IL, when Mr.. Sherman, Chairman
Of tho Finance Committee. interrupted him ID
call his attention to the fact that tho Sensts
could not originate legislation to raise revenue Ts
question gave rise to little debate which growing
quito warm when Judge Thurman called attention toths
fact that there could possibly be no objection to allowing
Mr. Summers bill to be referred 70 committee and that
thcn II found that 1t proposed legislation that
OIIBiudtc III tu4t RIJun0
for reporting adversely on It. As this was all Mr. Som
desired the bill referred without further debsa
The introduction of bills followed, tho mod
important Of which are explained In the regular report
AS the morning hour expired Senators COnkliny and
Trumbull both on their feet tho former with Q
motion to take up his resolution to direct tho Military
Committee to investigate tho late Hodge defacaou,
and the other get the Senate to consider his reaouto
to revive the Joint Select Committee Of Rctrenchmens
Conkling got the Vice Presidents eye first being directly
before tho chair, and having stood In the aisle ri
q minute or two watching tho Clerk, and preparngG
secure recognition soon as the hour was un
Mr. Trumbull, with good reason, entreatcd Mr. Conk
ling to YIELD SINCE II the Retrenchment Committee vert
revived the investigation of tho Hodge well ohe
late defslcations would naturally fall to that Comm
But that was just what Conkng and the other admins
tration Senators, like Chandler and Edmunds, didn't
want and It was evidently to head OFF, investigations
made by anti-Grsnt Senators that ConklinEf
resolution seemed to be 30 vigorously pushed. Bc
Sides Mr.. Wilson, speaking for tho Military
Committee, disclaimed any desire to investigate
the Hodge affair; and Mr. Logan showed that tho fault
II fault there be- was in the Treasury Department. and
not In the War Department and that, II either OF the
standing committees to be charged with the work
It should be the Finance Committee Just as the Senas
seemed to be settling down for few days debate on thu
question: which of these two resolutions should be con
sdered first Senator Thurman again cut the knot by re-
mln01n8 Dudts biuoo NonAihAo "~~'~ 49,
YIELD he might offer his resolution as an amendment 70
Conking after striking ont all Of tho latter after h
word Resolved" This done. Mr.. Trumbull besass
very able speech tho necessity Of revivtng the 10
trenchment Committee He first alluded TO Chandler
who had boasted that his Commerce Committee wa
ready a. always had been, to investigate all irrcsn
larttes In connection with commerce. He asked the
gentleman from Michigan II the Commerce Committee
had discovered tho smuggling across the Isthmus ane
80 into California by means Of which great sums o.
money would have been lost by the Governments lev
years ago; II the Commerce Committee had discoveries
tho frauds and bribery and corruption In the
CustomH House, reported by Mr. Patterson Chairman OF
the Rerenchment Committee on tho last DAY OF tho lass
Congress- to show the need Of such committee lase
March. He also showed that even when Mr.. Boutwell,
wrote rather sharply to Murphy about the
General Order swindle. to which his attention
had been called by q letter signed by one bundres
Of leading merchants. Murphy told tho merchants
that they had been crowding him too muon' and "
would do nothing in the matter He said there won
certain people who had to be ;taken care or and wa
we'll that they had to be taken care Of and nobody In inc
party would y anything about his taking care OF them
and no would do It; that Leet Co. made more thsn
o0 year in the general order business tnas men
poor had to DO put into the on
salary of 800 year. and that among them was MI
Latin; that mon on tho rolls who performed no
duties and that VIM. E. Dodge. IT,, believes thas
the management Of the New-YOrk Custom-House 10
greatly behind the age. the great curse OF ths
management being that the employees arc appointed
entirely Tor political interests without the slightest ref
erence to their fitness for the work. In conclusion Mr.
Trumbul said that he did not object to party organize
ton but he did object to this system Of appointments
which cost the country much money. and 10 democrat
izing our whole civil service.
During tho whole Of this speech Conkling sat 10
his seat with the sullen cir Of o man who has
been whipped. but will not give ~
His plans to get the late defalcahsns
referred to the Standing Committees, and then
soy that there nothing for Retrenchment Commit
do has utterly failed, and the speech with which
Edmunds closed the days debate a weak affair for
him.
There viii yet be lively scenes over this question: ana
there Is much speculation tonight as to what Conkna
and those he leads will do; to vote down Trumbulra
amendment will, to repeat expression used by sens
tor after tho adjournment stir up big hornets nest
The Senate held short Executive session. to-day.
during which great number Of officers to whom no OBJ
lection was made were confirmed, and the treaty er
tending the life of tho Mexican Claims Commission one
year, was ratified.
In the House, today under the call Of States. grea
number OF bills were introduced and referred. Mossd
them were Of general interest The most noteworthy
wero Mr.. Coxs bill, granting complete amnesty; MI
Morgans bill. proposing an amendment to the Consutf
ton of the United States - to mako naturazcd e
Gems eligible 70 tne omces Of Fresiaen' anu '"ei
dent Of the United States; Mr. shanks's BILL to cstabn
Bureau of Labor; Mr.. Snaps Lake Michigan and HI
sssipp River Ship Canal bill; and Mr. Banks's BILL %
carry into effect the treaty Of May 1871 In relation
the fisheries give eject to tho American and Brinsa
Claims Commission, and to carry into effect laws pro
hibit,ns the ownership OF slaves by American citizens
abroad.
After the morning hour, Mr. Lynch got q Resolution
through directing his Committee Expenditures In .ns
Treasury Department to make q searching invesues
ton into the mode Of doing business In that DcPsr
ment including an inquiry 40 to whether claims p0d
are supported BY proper vouchers, whether moneys