Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-02-17
EVENING STAR.
CONGRESSIONAL
~.,c,usiou Yesterdays Proceedinss

sFNATE-AfteT our report closed
NJ Morton, continuing his remarks on Mr..
SUmner's resolution 10 inquire into
THE SALE OF ARMS TO FRANCE,
sid that the Senator tNr. Sumner) knew very
vel that the majority OF the Senate could not
vote ter his preamble. 1t was Just like asking a
Jury 20 bring in verdict OF guilty and then hear
the evidence afterwards. The Senator first
sumfs that there is a discrepancy of Sl,TO0 900
between the reports OF the Secretary OF the
Treasury and the Secretary of War, and then
asks H. 20 vote that there il a discrepancy. He
knew that we cOuld not do this, for that would
b. to vote that a lie is the truth.
Mr.. Sumner said he assumed no such thing
His resOlstiOn said whereas it appears" sc.
Mr.. Morton. That is the very thing. L deny
that il appears that there is any apparent jus
cTePancy on this point He Mr. VI WouIl
quote from the remarks OF Mr.. Sehurz OF thurs
day 90 show that Senator admitted that there
was no apparent discrepancy.
An extern, j cOllOquy here occurred between
MesSrs. SChuTz and Edmunds, sir- Edmuhds
quoting from the reports andiIsisting that there
No APPARENT DISCREPANCY,
ard that Messrs. Sumner and Schurz had iaAieh
into tie mistake OF surprising that there was oy
booking tor the items under a wrong heading In
the ITra>urcr's report.
NJ Morton resumed. and said the question
now wa~ this alleged discrepancy being ex-
planned away whether there was any ground
for the n -IiCion attempted to be thrown around
the sales OF arms We had an enormous guam
tty OF ordnance stores, useless 10 Us and rapidly
detcriOra:ing in value. Many of the arms were
Of old pattern, and we were replacing them with
new models. IL was these old arms which were
sold, and which France got. We had also in
hand many thousand barrels of powder, all OF
which were becoming damaged, and under the
law the ordnance drpartment was authorized 10
sell these stores. When the old guns were Of
fered for sale it was found that they could not
be sold unless the cartridges were made for them.
MIR. Schurz quoted the law on the subject,
prescribing that "useess" and damaged ord
nance stores NAV be sold. and asked whether
the Senator held that these cartridges came
under the head of damaged ordnance.
Mr.. Morton replied that thousands of pounds
OF POWDER were caked now, as he was informed.
Mir. Schurz said the powder used in the man
ufacture of cartridges must be perfeet-no dam
aged 30 WIDER could be used. Were the ordnance
officer to 90 on making up all the good powder
into cartridges for fear il would spoil?
Mr.. Morton said the senator was standing on
the letter OF the law and ignoring its spirit.
Mr.. Wilson remarked that the ordnance OIL
GERS only did their duty in using up the powder
TO prevent its being lost
Nr. Srbur7 said t.c cartridges were made for
a definite purpose, not 10 : rid OF the deteri-
GRATED powder, and in reading over the report
of the chief of ordnance there appears dozen
items in which powder is sold as powder, and
pig lead as pig lead
Mr. Morton said that was just it. The car
tridges were made for a definite purpose. II
they had not been made the guns could not have
MI NJ then maintained that the
ARMS WERE NOT SOLD KNOWINGLY
60 the French government The letter of Rem
ington. he said was nothing m Jre than an effort
to magnify himself. and 10 make more money of
IL. Prussia. he said, had been aware Of all the
facts in this matter; the arms were shipped
openly from New York TO BTest. Prussia had
made no rem JnstTance; she cared nothing about
IL. and he asked what was he object of bring ng
it in here" Why should Senators vi the United
States assume to act as
COUNSEL FOR PRUSSIA
and endeavOr 10 make a showing why she should
have grievance against the United States, and
at a time when Prussia was sitting as a judge on
questions in which we were deeply Interested?
Mr.. COnkng alluded To the fact which he said
was undertake.. that Baker x Co., German
house. had made large purchases OF arms Tor
Prussia
Mr. Morton repeated that the whole object of
this was To
pIsAFFECT THE GERMAN VOTE,
hut he didnOt believe that would be successful.
The Germans of this country were too intelli-
gent TO be imposed upon in this way
a discussion between MIR. Morton and Mr..
SchuTZ enSued a. TO the foundation for any suS-
piciOnS OF fraud in the matter Of the sales, Mr..
Morton challenging the production Of any proof,
or the furnishing OF any reasonable grounds for
suspicion.
Mr. Morton then said the record of this Adj
ministratOn was so grand AMI glorious that none
OF these efforts could impair 1t. He proclaimed
that he was
FOR GEN. GRANTS RECONCILIATION
on account of his distinguished services and
great merits; he believed General Grant would
get more votes than any other man. OF course
other good republicans NAV and did differ with
him, after the nomination is made at Phila-
support that nominee heartily. The calcula-
tons that there will be any third party of any
strength are all futile.
THE BATTLE NEXT FALL
will be fought between the nominee of the re-
publican party and the nominee of the demo
cratic party. This project Of a third party il
sure 10 fail. The democrats are only awaiting
events, and they will have a convention in July
or August. and bring out their man. The dem
Ocrats are now favOring the possum policy; they
are laying low. They are managing their cards
very shTewdly here. They have
SCARCELY OPENED THEIR MOUTHS
during this session, except 10 the ordinary rOu-
tine business They are sitting here enjoying
and expecting 10 profit by the fights which we
are carrying on among ourselves But il will
do them no good; the republican party is bound
to succeed He secuted the idea of the demo-
Gratis going over to the liberal republicans; they
we're not going to carry their millions of vots 5
over 10 ten thousand; they were not going 10 at
tach themselves to the tail OF any party.
they do.
Mr. Morton-No, il will make no difference.
but they are not going to 10 il. He then alluded
10 the platform Of the democratic party in Con-
Deeticut, in which the principle OF local self
government is laid down, and the Ku-klux la v
denounced as unconstitutional. This was the
programme of the democracy. The Ku-klux
law is be dsregarded there is to be no security
Tor the loyal people OF the south. The Senator
from Pennsylvania Mr.. Scott would in a few
DAYS bring in a report OF the Ru-kl OutrageS,
showing mp such tale Of horrors would seem
10 have been
TORN FROM THE CHRONICLES OF HE'LL.
Mr. CoDkling gave notice of an amendment t.
The resolution, that the committee be further
directed to inquire whether any american Sem
tor or other American citizen has been in collin
zion with the government Of Fran &c, or with
any emlssary OF spy thereof in reference TO the
said matter.
The Senate then adjourned TO Monday.
HOJ SE.-After our report closed
The House resolved itself into Committee of
the W hole, and proceeded to consider the con-
sHlar and diplomatic appropriation bill The
tierk had not more than commenced to read
Ihe OIL when Mr.. Hereford moved that the con.
nittee Else; which motion was agreed to and the
House then adjourned.
~ Dr. stone, OF Savannah, walked into the
river at Savannah, and, like other stones, was
ABOUT 10 SINK, when he was dramatically rescued