The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-25
WAsHINcTC
The Drake Amendment Resur-
recte6 in the Senate.
The Goat Island Steal Passed
by the House.
DIR. HOUARD'S CITIZENSHIP.
TWenty-one Thousand Copies Of Our
Case at Geneva.
FINAL ADJOURNMENT.
DIR. HOUARD'S CITIZENSHIP.
FINAL ADJOURNMENT.
The British-American Mixed
Commission.
WASHINGTON April "a, 1872.
Morrill,, OF Vermont, Worming In the
Drake Amendment.


Morrill,, OF Vermont, WOrming In the
Drake Amendment.
The amendment Of Mr. Morrill,, OF Vermont to
the Deficiency bill, which IL substantially reenact-
ment Of the famous Drake amendment, declared
unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, was the
topic of interest in the Senate to-day. 1t will be
remembered that in 1868 Congress gave Jurisdiction
over captured and abandoned property in the rebel
States to the Court of Claims but In addition to the
other necessary proofs upon which recovery could
be had was the proof OF loyalty. Out OF
this sprung the Drake amendment, the Supreme
Court having previously decided that amnesty
under President Lncoln's proclamation was equal
to apardon, and that pardon put the claimant In
the position OF loyal man. The gist Of the Drake
amendment was to direct the Court Of Claims and
the Supreme Court to dismiss oil cases where the
amnesty oath was pleaded by the claimant. Since
this amendment was overthrown by the highest
judicial tribunal In the country there has been
determined purpose in the Senate to substantially
reenact 1t. Mr.. Morrill, has bill for this purpose
but 1t had no chance Of passage through the House
of Representatives, and was, besides, In danger OF
meeting with the fate OF the Drake amendments. To
gain the assent Of the other branch OF Con-
gress and, If possible, to avoid the adverse
decision Of the Supreme Court were the purposes OF
making Morrills measure an amendment to the
In the Court of Claims for any property seized by
the United States shall be paid without special
appropriation by Congress. This would be tanta.
mount to the reputation judgments obtained under
previous act OF Congress- or provision for their
partial payment by favortism and special legisla-
ton. The debate to-day was not confined to close
argument of these points, but was rather discus
sion OF the condition of the South since the war; in
which Bayard, Sherman, Hill and Alcorn partic
pated The Senate went into executive session while
the new Senator from Mississippi was speaking,
and he holds the floor for the conclusion Of his
speech In the morning The question will DO dis
posed OF tomorrow, and came 80 near being de-
clded to-day that the casting vote Of the Vice Presi
dent alone saved the amendment from being
tabled the vote in the Senate standing rs to rs.
The result viii probably be the defeat Of Mr.. Nor
ril's amendment but the vote is close that 1t is
impossible to predict its fate with certainty.
The Goat Island Grand Larceny Passed
by the HOuse-The Case OF DIR.
HOuard.
The Goat Island bill was disposed OF to-day after
several hours OF voting, Mr.. Holman insisting upon
the yeas and nays upon every question In regard to
1t. But the job was too well put up' to be
affected by any consideration, and the bill or the
substitute offered by Mr. Wheeler passed, as the
indications have been from the first that it would.
way interested personally In the defeat Of the
BILL said in conversation to-day, that the success
OF the scheme would cost the republican
party the State OF California, so bitter was
the feeling there against 1t. During the present
session the lobby has not been so reckless
so daring as 1t was to-day. The hired adherents
Of the measure usurped the places OF the doorkeep-
ers Of the House and prevented members who were
pledged to It's support from leaving the chamber-a
glazing wrong, for which the country will hold the
men who voted for the bill responsible.
The success OF the Goat Island job was the success
OF gross corruption, and the Congress Of the United
States was bought up TO pass It, just as the Legisa-
ture OF California was bought before. The action
to-day is the saddest commentary yet on the hon
esty and decency Of the Forty-second Congress.
Mr.. Dawes suffered another defeat to-day, and
one little to his credit In the refusal OF the House to
90 into Committee of the Whole on the Tariff bill to
the exclusion OF report from the Committee on
Foreign Affairs In regard to Dr. Houard. Only
twenty-seven members sustained his zeal for con-
sdering the finances OF the country to the exclu
sion of the case Of q man In chains, sentenced to
penal servtude, who claims to be q citizen of the
United States. General Banks, Chairman Of the
Committee Foreign Affairs, then reported the
case of DR.. Houard and made brief speech on its
merits. lie went over the whole subject OF Dr.
Houard's claims for citizenship and showed the in
justice and cruelty of his treatment and urged the
necessity for action In the matter.
Mr.. Amber, Of Ohio, followed with the State De-
partment view, and, in a learned legal argument
attempted to prove that DR.. Houard was in no sense
an American citizen and had no claims upon the
United States for protection. There was so much
of the pettifogging element In his statements ana
arguments that Mr. Amber failed to carry convic-
ton with his effort After Mr.. Amber finished sew
eral points of law In regard to similar cases OF citi-
Zenship arising In the Southern States during the
rebellion OF Engshmen claiming the protection OF
Great Britain and owing allegiance TO That govern
ment and afterwards bringing claims for loss OF
property and damages for imprisonment against
the United States government, were discussed,
pending which the House took recess till halfpas
seven O'Clock, when the subject OF pensions W. :!
again considered.
The Senate's Privileges.
In the Senate to-day the Committee on Privg ,pe
and Elections made report touching the CIV 10 O
the Tea and Coffee BILL which the Senate amenf led b
appending to 1t Tariff bill. This the House resist
cd as unconstitutional. The Senate commit ZEE zoe
into long detail on the amendatory priv ileges
the Senate touching revenue-raising bills, and cor
cedes that the amendment In question WI "a not cor
stitutionaly within the province Of That Hous,
Although the Tariff bill might not incrof use the rev
nue., 1t was an original proposition to alse revenue
without reference to whether it W as OF a grad
higher or lower than the existing law, and henc
Aot lawful.
Printing Our "Case"--A Stir In tn
House.
| There was quite scene in ne House this NOR
ing the proposition for IT, printing Of the cas-
| and counter case Of the Urited States under til
Washington Treaty. Tho concurrent resolutlo
| 70 for pri. Of of
case, with an amendnysn t substituting 10000 70
$1,000, was the exciting cause. Mr.. Cox, OF Ne'
York, thought the counter case ought to be printe
at the same time. Mr.. Butler thought the case
gone case, AMI could not see the neces
sty for prip ting It at all. Mr. BANK
decidedly objected to this view and insisted upoi
the case being printed at once and urged tnat 'n'
people were anxious for information upon the ma.
ter. MI william r. Roberts spoke In favor OF print
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