Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-04-06

Il
the evening OF the sixteenth instant In
the House, in memory OF Professor
Morse, under the auspices of the Ma
tional Morse Monument Association,
be participated in by the House, the
House to assemble that evening and
the Speaker to preside.
Mr.. Holman, from the committee
on commerce, reported bill author
izing the construction of a railroad
bridge across the Mississippi river at
Ft. Madison, Iowa. Passed.
The House then went into commit
tee of the whole on the army appro-
priation bill.
Mr.. Whitthorne made speech ac-
eusing the administration OF eXtrava-
gance.
Mr.. Dfckey wanted to know how
much Tennessee had contributed to
the revenues of the government.
Mr.. Whitthorne replied that Ten
nessee had contributed more than
Pennsylvania did. Pennsylvania was
drawing from the people instead OF
contributing to the revenues.
/ Mr.. Coburn would as soon expect
an incendiary VINO had burned his
house to lecture him on his expendi-
lures in rebuilding 1t, as to hear lee.
ture from Tennessee on the exrava-
gance OF the government. He asserted
that the expenses of the army were
not beyond the range OF reasonable
economy.
Mr.. Dawes replied to some of the
structures, made in a speech by mr.
SiOeum some weeks ago, in regard to
politics in navy yards and armories.
| Mr.. Slocum asserted on his honor
that he knew OF a case where, in the
midst of war, and when the fate Of
the country was at stake, one of the
head mechanics IN an armOry shop,
q man of great skill, had been re-
moved and a politician put in his
| place, No one dare rise and deny
that navy yards were filed with
politicians. He had positive proof
that q delegation Of Republicans had
come on to Washington. to get skilled
men removed from CnarlestoWn ma
vy-yard, and politicians appointed in
their place.
Mr.. Banks said he had never as
serted that men Of political opinions
were not employed in navy.yards; on
the contrary, he knew they were.
What he had said was that he had
never had the power to enforce ap
pOintments Of men Of the party to
which he belonged. Leading DEM
ocrats in his neighborhoOd had
offered to get some friends OF his
appointed to the CharlestoWn
navy-yard, stating that they had
the means Of doing so. While he had
not challenged Mr.. Slocum to prove
that man had been removed from
an armory because he was q skilled
workman, and that a politician was
put in his place laughter, did he
Slocuml consider man who had DO. |
litical opinions as q criminal, to be |
excluded from appointments?
Mr.. Diokey avOWed his readiness at
all times TO turn Democrats out of |
Office and put Republicans in their !
places.
Mr.. Banks-That is not done in
navy-yards.
Mr.. Butler-It ought to be.
Mr.. Dickey-I would do il In navy
yards and armories, and everywhere.
A voice on the Democratic side
l do not doubt that.
MT. Sloc4m-Would you do il in /
violation of the lsW9
Mr., Dickey-It is no violation OF |
the law; when the men are equally
good the politics of men turn the
scale always. He alluded to the re-
mark of Mr.. SlOeum that when he
and President Grant were Heuten-
ants there was no politics among the
officers of the army. He cOBgratu.
lated Mr.. Slocum and the President
on having gotten out Of that slough
Of Ignorance of politics.
Mr.. Beck made several speeches
charging that enormous sums have !
been used as a corruption fund, and
alleged that the War Department and
Navy Department had covered up the
figures and evaded giving an intelli-
gible account Of what had become of
the money.
MIR. Dawes defended the depart
ments, and reminded the House that
the accounts of the War Department
which Mr.. Beck wanted furnished
amounted to pile one mile long and
ten feet deep. Laughter.
Mr.. Butler remarked that there were
ten or twelve committees of investiga-
tion in session vOice-"Four-
teen" and no one had yet been able
to show that single dollar had been
spent against the provisions eflaw.
Mr.. Slocum-Did not A. 7. Stewart
testify before the Senate committee
on the New York custom house
that General Leet, President Granite
staff officer, charged double rates i0f
storing goods in New York.
General Butler Did that come out /
of the treasury? am talking about
the treasury.
Mr.. SIocum-No one alleges that
they steal directly; but they steal in
directly.
Mr.. MOrgan-What became OF the
four hundred thousand dollars stolen
by Hodge, and gambled away on Wall
street.
General Butler-Oh yes; when I
ask for anything spent in violation Of
the law, they tell me about defaulter
"a deiaulter who came down to
us from q former administration,
and who carried on his career of /
crime until the Republican admins
tration caught him. Exultant
laughter on the Republican side.l |
That is all, and the Republican ad.
ministration punished him.
Mr.. Beck repeated his charges
against the war and navy debts, al
leQinQ that thirteen million dollars /
had been spent by the war debt in the
last five years without being appro-
priated and without an order from /
Congress, or without any action of
the courts for purposes of consump-
ton and to keep men loyal. He did /
not know what 1t had taken to keep
the gentleman from Massachusetts,
TButler1 loyal. He knew that in 1861,
when he and Butler were Democrats
together, it took more trouble to keep /
the gentleman from Massachusetts |
loysI than it did himself, and II it was
ascertained what the gentleman was
worth now and what he had been
worth then, the question might be
answered. All he knew was that this
money had gone in ways that Con-
gress knew not OF.
Mr.. Butler called the house to wit
ness that he had endeaYOred to keep
within the proprietles Of debate, and
to deal with general principles. He
asked Mr.. Beck whether 1t was be-
coming for q man who occupied the
place Henry Clay had once occupied
to fling vile slander at an opponent for
want OF q better argument, and he told
an anecdOte of q eOuntryman, listen
ing TO an argument carried on by
learned doctors in Latin, who said he
knew which side was getting the
worst OF the argument when he saw
who got mad first. He had served /
with Mr.. Beck on the committee on
appropriations for one Congress, and
he called on him to say whether, in all
his official action, he had not endeav-
ored to protect the treasury as well as
he Beck did. He would tell the gen.
tleman what it cost to make him But