New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-17
xLIIp CONGRESS-IID SESSION s.
cASornrR DAYS DEBATE oNl TIL. HE'S AS" AN ExpLA-
"RTPR nS BEck nANN' AN '
NATION AND DEFENSE ,xoros. Feb. &c. 1877.
,pr rsESoH ARMS DEBATE

erNATE -. WssHiN"i''' wv -' w.
-. ep,xcu ARMS DEBATE
ooc,;on of some miscellaneous
hi'ci ~ senate resumed the consideration oi Tue
tusuess' inc ttcate the sales of arms by the War
resolution" 70 French agents during the FrancoPrus-
alan war ,,,,,.,o. Mr. Sumner G,ep
~ wopld have great difficulty in convincing the
rv that the introduction Of this resolution was not
move on the Presidential chess-bo$rd' intended 10
ac, tho next Presidential Convention or election ny
.nors,,no the German vote from the Republican party
Whatever might be SAID OF the substance Oh inc resou
tion It's form inexcusabe for II was 80 ura"h '''
err co,ld not vote for the preamble without as
serfn that the allegations TO be investigated were u"e
and il was az absurd to ask the senate 10 90 tiS as
ol he 70 ask Jury 10 find verdict first and hear the
evidence afcrwsrd. The preamble assumed thai eneie
was a discrepancy Of over Sl,10WV netWeen NE
counts Of the Treasury and those OF the war Dep"iF
H stTMNFR rep Mass said the preamble did not
the actual existence of the diserepanyv In the
asserted that there was an apparent dScr'P""''
Mir MORTON-That is The very point: , ue%i and
aver that the reports that there is no Was at
that has been all expa'ned NM oe hnt has dsap
reared Even Mr.. schurz admitted yesteru"' '""
i@ Nr sSHTRZ Rep Mo- said that what ne nau had had
YESTERDAY was that the Secretary OF the oSca} year
ndinc i'm ISL hut had failed to explain od
crepancy. although he expressed Tue ooiiei ' "
MORTON was authorized TO say that the , charge
that there discrepancy was frivolous an"
NM EDMUNDs Rep VT said that if any one T woT %Sa6
telgently examine the accounts III the repoi'e III WYNN
zee that there was no discrepancy! - a., rroosurv had
Mi sCHUZ said the Secretary oi tne ~ rsasmrv
admitted to him that all moneys PAID INTO thc ~
from sales OF arms did not appear in the lo
reason that some the accounts had not been se'eo
"hfn MER said that the Secretary had told him that
IL had taken time 10 look into the accounts az ~
Treasury 10 SIT this matter TO the bottom 49,, coma oo,
Mir MORTON-Nes. aud he told you ID 'he same con-
yersation that il vas all night
Mr sUMNER-YVs. . . ,..o
Mr MoRT0N-Then We will consider the discrepancy
'' Mr. FDMCXDs insisted that there no apparent
dscpaney and Me SUNNI the sG was Sr ooSns for
re item under a wrong heading IL the Ireasurefs re-
VI ~CMNER said that III his remarks the other day
coufrased the figures in the report OF the secre,
;y o. Mar the fiscal with those IN the report o
Treasurer for the same fiscal year ana n,d SAD Ilal
n, discrepancy slowed thar there Wa a, SaSt i,do
days discussion necessary to explain the dsclep-
aity fully justified that assertion
Nj. MORTON said that II was now admitted there was
10 discrepancy nj all The next question was whether
there had existed any sufficient ground for Suspicion
Il hstifV lis introduction into the senate; ana he III
~ ted that there was not. All great Governments were
always selling arms for which they had no use ana va.
va what our Government did IN this case; and the
cartridges manufactured because the arms cOua
ss mistake to say that a special order required Ia
manufacture that ammunition. That manufacture was
going all the time under general Law Authorizing
the disposal of damaged ordnance stores.
Nj StHURZ asked him whether ammunition. not yet
manufactured could Ice classed as damaged ordnance
Nj MORTON said tins case came expressly within The
" INV ~ aid that powder used for making cart
mus. od I've ciassed under the head of dmaged
OF otherwise unsuitable, stores lol the Oheo "'"'S
M MoRroN said that was standing upon words The
s,ar Er schurz) insisted that under the statute We
ia 10Y sen the powder until II damaged 50 as 10
~ eIess and then. Of could not sell IT AT all
I,, cso@HURZ said that according 20 Mr. Moron's con
.tTmcticn OF Tie law, the Ordn3nce Department could 20
80 the tire of cartridges a business.
for n might safely be assumed that there was aIwaj
,sder hand which was liable to get damaged unless
Mr.. MORTON said that the officers Of the Ordnance
Jearfment had power 80 do that. He said that Mr..
schmz's enarrOw construction of this law showed the
desperate straits into which he had been driven.
Nj. SCHUkZ said he would undertake 10 take care of
bimself reminded Mr.. Morton that III this The
M of DAMAGED powder or zig lead but because
they asked Tor by the agents oil the French Gov
MI MORTON said that these men would not buy the
unless they could get anlnumton wi,n 'ncn, ana
they would not buy tit ammunition "I'u" III, dihlH'
Rrnncon's statements, ia the letter quoted ia the pre-
fscrcd were probably made Tor the purpose Of maeni-
tying himself IN the eye OF his French eDpl9{eiS
MI StIIU RI aid Mr.. Morton forgot that Ill kenihg-
Ton had yOuched ioT ~ very hgh authority as
"i Mr. M0ET0Y aid that made no difference. Nj. Rem
iucton was business man, who probably knew how 10
enhauce hls own ana Increase ms ~ b5
ter aragned in the senate when Prussia the only part
Toc Pru.,ian Government had known all about these
transactions at me Tune ana eGuq H'Is yoIs cp .n
and made complaint because the arms were sold 10
MIR CONKIING rep. y. " said that Baker 4 Co..
referred to by Mr. SchUrZ, German hrn, "ho he
was informed by high authority, mad bought arms OF
our Government which had afterward passed into the
hands OF the Prussian G0NeTnmen ~
cnt permitted the 10 he sold by Government,
aud shipped openly from New-York 10 Brest and iavc
without objection II was very extraordinary that an
intervention behalf Oi that Government should now
Mr. SCiil'RZ asked whether he meant to nsinuate
fbat either Nj sumner himself dr Schurz) was act
ing on behalf OF the Prussan Government
Nj. MORTON dad not mean that hut he did mean 10
eV that when the Prusau Government made no cJec-
tion there no occasion for American senators 10 Try
10 convi nce them that they had cause To complain
MI. sUMNER-I know nobody who Is trying to con-
vince the Prssan Government We are Trying 10 con
vince the senate that something has been done vino
OUGHT 10 be- inquired ino-su>pcous circumstances,
tending 10 show possible corruption and violation OF
ur neutral 1t il not question Tor the PIuS
sian Government and / am no representative OF that
government Nor is my friend Mr. schurz -, .
Mr. MORTON-But II you can convince the senate that
cur Government has violated international law, you will
convince the Prs Government at the same time and
J. sitting arbitrator. upon very important que
tIon between Us ana the ONelhIneht OF Great iit",h
things are already known IN Prussia ana throughout
Europe that Prussia VIII learn anything new from
Mr. NOTION assume that the Prussan Govern
,nent has known all The real aCs from the beginning
aud made complaint ana the Senator cannot now
incense that Government against ours To show how
ind the PrussiIn Government had been IN regard
10 those sales of arms MI Morton said he had
formed that when Baron Gerot Informed his Govern
that the sales were going on to parties in the inter
M or the French pressed the belief that he could
secure Prussia Dy paying 10 per cent more than
The French agents, Count Bismarck declined to author
ne him negotiate FOR them saying the Germans could
get them cheaper 10y taking them from the French
The banks of the Loire. lLtughterl
Mr. sCHURZ asked Nj. Morton 10 state his authority
Mr. MORTON replied that. after all the vague susp
n which of this resolution had INDUCED, they
yecd he 50 particular In demanding authorities
Mr. S(UURZ-Wll the Senator be Kind enough TO lnd
any important 20 Int IN my speech that II not based
upon documentary evidence ,.,.. . ., -,