The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-16
XLIId CONGRESS-. SECOND SESSION.
SENATE.

dt6 VI bu6 Oulttu Dtdt6S NIL DlOWuHoN uC-
gan by saying that there was a time when
Beck would not have dared to put this insult
upon him lest he (Browlow) should take Beck
overseer's whip from his hand and lay it over
his back. He also said that when Beck aband-
oned the respectable business of hostler and
became a slave driver, he sank below the notice
of all decent men.
The Vice President said this language was
improper.
Mr.. Chandler moved that Mr. Brownlow
have unanimous consent to proceed. s
Mr.. Casserly asked the Vice Presiden whether
he knew of any precedent for the utterance of
such language in the Senate Chamber
The Vice President said he did recollect when
such language had been uttered, but of course
not in accordance with parliamentary law.
Mr.. Blair said that Mr.. Brownlow' s language
was appropriate to the means by which he OBJ
tanned his seat and hoped he would be allowed
to proceed.
The Clerk then read the explanation 1t re-
viewed Mr.. Brownlow's career as Governor of
Tennessee and asserted that his dealings with
the State Treasury had been strictly honest and
further said that Beck's statement that he
(Brownlow) was hated and despised by the peo-
pie of Tennessee was false as hell. In conclu-
sion he said he left Beck in the worst possible
company namely, with himself.
Mr.. Wilson introduced bill authorizing the
issue of clothing to enlisted men in place of
clothing destroyed by accident.
Mr.. Cole submitted resolution which was
agreed to, instructlng the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor, to inquire into the expedien-
cy of an amendment to the Constitution pro-
viding for some educational test in the exercise
of electoral franchise; also a resolution direct
ing the Committee on Territories to report on
the expediency of enacting a law to prevent in
discriminate slaughter OF the antelope and
buffalo.
MIR. SUMMERS PHANTOM
The Senate resumed the consideration of Mr.
Summers resolution, and Mr.. Harlan contnued1
He said that the government sold arms to our
citizens during the Franco-German war, but
there was not the slightest particle of evidence
to show that our authorities were cognizant
that any of the arms sold were destined for
France. In reply to the intimatiens that all
the money received on account of the arms
sold, was not paid into the Treasury, he read
from the report of the Chief of Ordnance of
the sales of arms, and claimed that the decrep-
ancies alleged by Mr.. Sumner do not exist. In
reply to the intimation that certain sales of
arms had not been included in the report of
the Chief of Ordinance, to support which Mr..
Sumner had read an Associated Press dispatch,
stating that such sales had been made.
Mr.. Harlan explained that no such sales
were made, the offers having been rejected, and
in proof of this, he produced the records of the
War Department He asked Mr.. Sumner
where he got access to the French record.
Mr.. Summer stated that it was the official re-
port printed in the official French Journal and
copied into the New York papers
Mr.. Harlan said he would submit to the peo-
pie whether newspaper reports was sufficient
testimony on which to arraign higho officer of
our government before the American Senate.
He said the explanation was that the French
government wanted the information to proceed
against its own officials. -t
Mr.. Frelinghuysen reviewed the preamble,
and said it contained some false statements
and that none of the assertions furnished
foundation for the allegation that the good
name of our country was seriously compro-
missed. The investigation must now 60 on but
he hoped it would not be made by the commit
tee proposed in the resolution because the orig
inator of the resolution was chairman of it.
He thought the Committee on Investigation
and Retrenchinent the proper one TO make the
investigation T
Mr.. Schurz then took up the preamble and
reviewed it point by point. He said when
Remington applied for 100000 cartridges the
Government should have been more than ordi-
narily circumspect in the disposal of its ord
nance stores. He would not say that the Secre-
tary of War knew at first that Remington was
an agent of the French Government, but that
Remington soon disclosed himself as such Re-
ports made to the French Government showed
that all lots of arms sold here went to France.
Mr.. Conkling denied this. ,l.
Mr.. Schurz said that at least an overwhelm-
ing majority of the arms went to France He
read from letter of Remington of Dec. 18th
to show that he bought fifty batteries, etc., of
the Government after he had declared himself
e French agent.
Mr. Conkling said we had the word of the
Secretary of War that no arms were sold to
Remington after about the middle of October,
1870. -HAet' -'-ifo
Mr.. Schurz said Richardson, the alleged at
torney of Remington & Son, was a lawyer of
lion, N. Y, and had ordered $4,000 muskets.
He thought it very bellicose appearance for
country lawyer. He had since gone to France
carrying certificate of character from the Sec
Rotary of War.
Mr.. COnkling said Richardson had been ques-
toned, impeded and baffled in his transactions
in arms far beyond anything to which he had
known citizen of any other country to be- and
when his character had been questioned abroad
he applied to the War Department for certifi-
cate, but the Department consented only to GER
tify that inshis transactions in arms with the
Government he had been found trustworthy.
Mr.. Schurz said an American born German
had urged him by petitions, letters, &C., last
year to attack the Government for the sales of
arms to France but he refused to do SO public
ly. He had, however, spoken to Government
officials in private, and the Secretary of War
said the Government had right to sell arms to
American citizens, and he had no knowledge
that the arms went to the French. After the
November election of that year the Secretary
promised to interfere and the sales were stopped.
In conclusion, Mr.. Schurz said the people had
an impression that somewhere in this country
there existed military ring which was exert
my Il COIfupb duu dangerous luuutnCe on the
administration, and if the proposed investiga-
ton should either show that this impression
was unfounded or should discover them guilty
and bring them to punishment it would render
very important service to the best interests of
the American people. t.4a
Without reaching a vote, the Senate, at 4. 80,
went into executive session and soon after ad-
journed. r -g-15z.-r-. ~ serss7
HOUSE
The bill reported yesterday for the erection of
a government building in Quincy, ILL.,, came up
in the morning hour and was passed. ~
Mr.. Willard, of Vermont, from the Commit
tee on the reorganization of the Civil Service
reported bill to regulate the employment and
compensation of clerks to the Committees of the
House.
After discussion, the bill went over without
action till the morning hour of Tuesday, and
the House went into Committee of the Whole
on the Naval Appropriation bill.
Mr. Slocum of New York, moved to strike
out the appropriation for Brooklyn naval hos
pital and spoke of its immense cost and the
folly of retaining land there which was worth a
million dollars.
Mr. Hale, of Maine, was in favor of abolish
ing both the hospital and the yard but this was
not a proper bill to decide that question.
Mr.. Banks, of Massachusetts,, opposed all
sales of government property as it became val
liable, thus making the government misera-
BILE Spectator in lands If it became the pol
icy of the government to have its work done in
private yards, or by contract, he would not OBJ
ject to selling the Brooklyn yard, but at pres
ent such course would, to the last degree, be
improbable and unwise.
| After further discussion Mr. Slocum, of New
| York, withdrew his motion, saying that he had
accomplished the object of calling attention to
| the subject.
The motion of Mr.. Holman, of Indiana, tc
| strike out the item for naval establishment al
Mound City, was rejected.
Mr. Myers, of Pennsylvania, offered al
amendment for supplying sailors with clothing
at the government expense, but after discus
sion withdrew it with the remark that ht
would introduce it as a separate bill
Mr. Hale moved to add new section to thu
| at public auction, after the advertisement Of
| such vessels and mater ials as are not suitable
or capable of profitable use for repair or fitting
| out.
Mr.. Wood, of New York, suggested that nj
vessels should be sold except after condemna
ton by board of naval officers.
Mr.. Maynard, of Tennessee, suggested tina
exceptions should be made of such historical
vessels as the Constitution Macedonia, Kear
| ways be maintained by the government.
Mr.. Hale objected to Mr. Woods suggestion
as taking the responsibility from the Secretar,
of the Navy and putting it on board of nava
officers.
Mr.. Wood, of New York, argued in supper
of his proposition and suggested the objection
to it arose from the fear that naval officer
would condemn all vessels in the navy
The discussion on this point was continues
by Messrs, Garfield, of Ohio, and Swami o
Maryland, against Mr., Woods proposition,
In the course of his remarks, Mr. Swami state
that in case of war there were not six vessels i
ha navy that cOuld he relied on and he felt cor