The New York herald., 1871-02-17

Congress Yesterday - The West Point
Academy Difficulties = Severe Measures
Against tho Onicers and the First Glass
Of Cadets.
The House took action yesterday on the
report Of the Military Committee in reference
to the recent difficulties at the West Point
Academy. The preliminary discussion was
terse, pointed and vigorous. The officers of
the institution came in for more severe hand
ling than the guilty schoolboys. A California
member flung metaphorcal mud upon them
unsparingly, charging Colonel Upton with
malignity, hate and falsehood, and as being
unfit to occupy position as pedagogue in
district school; oil of which might have been
very brave, eloquent and statesmanlike on the
part of the California member particularly as
the officer attacked had no means eff defend
ing himself, and could not even bring his as
saiant to an account subsequently for words
spoken in debate. But fair-minded per-
sons generally will be apt to think that
such gross attacks upon public officers, whose
honor and reputation are their only wealth,
reflect no credit upon those who make them or
upon the body which encourages or tolerates
them. There was only one effort made in the
House to shield or defend the officers of West
Point, and that was In the case of General
Pitcher. One Of the Indiana members, Mr.
Niblack, stood up for the General as being
native of his State and district, and brave
| and gallant officer, of sound and discriminat-
ing Judgment and large experience. The Gen
eral was allowed to speak for himself in let
ter written to Mr., Niblack, in which he refers
to the report of the committee ''as partisan
measure, inspired by prejudice and ignorance,
and made without the proper degree of inves-
tigation." He alludes fcelingly to the nalign
influence exerted on the social atmosphere of
the Academy by the presence of that young
American citizen of African descent, and inti-
mates that when members of Congress are
brought into such close social relations
with their colored colleagues as cadets
must necessarily be they will not find
the contact so agreeable At the close
of the discussion the amendment offered by
Mr.. Butler, of Massachusetts, to make the
penalty of the First Glass cadets deprivation
of the customary furlough on their graduation,
was rejected-ninety seven to one hundred
and eleven-and the resolutions Of the cofd-
mittee were adopted, and also the resolution
offered by Mr.. johnson, of California. The
effect of this action is to restore the three
original delinquents Of the Fourth Glass, to
have court of inquiry on the cadets of the
First Class, of whom the instigators and ring
leaders are to be expelled, and to have the
officers of the Academy also tried by court
of inquiry; and all this fuss and trouble pro-
ceeds from schoolboy's New Years Day
frolic, and from the little fb told by his COM
rades to conceal his delinquencies. We think
that, in commemoration of the circumstances,
and as warning to all future cadets of the
Fourth Glass, there should be framed in their
study room those two appropriate lines
Oh, what tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive.
After disposing of the West Point question
the House took up and passed big bill
intended to regulate the management
Of steamboats,, and to compel them to
adopt all measures calculated to secure
greater safety to the lives of passengers
Notice was given by the chairman of the
Pacific Railroad Committee that he would on
next Tuesday report back the Pacific Railroad
bill for immediate action. The Committee on
Reconstruction directed its chairman to report
bill, in accordance with the Presidents re-
commendation the other day, to repeal all
acts imposing test oaths. The effort to get at
the bill repeating the income tax will probably
be renewed successfully to-day.
In the Senate the session of yesterday was
chiefly devoted to the Legislative Appropria-
ton bill. The only point of public interest
decided in that bill was the question of judi
cial salaries, which have been fixed at the
following very moderate fgures:-Chief JUS
tice of the Supreme Court Of the United
States, $S. 500; Associate Justices, $4,000;
Circuit Judges, $4,000; District Judges,
$4,000; Chief Justice Of the Court of Claims
and of the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia, sc, 900, and Associate Justices of
those courts, $500. A resolution in regard
to the bonds Of the Union Pacific Railroad
was referred to the Judiciary Committee, and
the Presidents veto of bill for the relief Of
certain contractors for the construction of war
vessels and machinery was sustained by fifty
seven to two.
The Proposed Grand Parade Ground.
A bill has been presented in the Legislature
to authorize the establishing Of grand mill
tary parade ground, Champ de Mars, in the