New-York tribune., 1872-02-28
WASHINGTON.
-ur DEBATE ON THE FRENCH ARMS
QUESTION.

SALES OF SERNICEABLE
rRs-sENAToR SUMNER TO SPEAK To-DAi'
10y TELEGRAPH To THB TRIBUNRI
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, Feb 27, 1871.
1p0 Indications are strong that the Admins
-. senator's have determined 20 vote down MI sum-
- resolution as we'll his preamble, and that they
m not allow any inquiry into the circumstances unuI
hob the Secretary OF War; or the Chief OF ORDNANCE
',oduced the number Of breech-loading musRets III
v ossesson of the Government, 80 much as TO leave
nnty almost defenseless in this regard endangered
od feeling between this country and Germany ano'
soDs broken our neutral obligations. UnohaIltaoe
,nie have from the 1Fst believed that some excuse
i he found to lay this resolution on inc taole' vi
I,sat II But not until last night, OF to-day nave aS
= I'm came out publicly and announced their inten'
n 70 vote against it. Mr. Frelinghuysen yesterday
"a Messrs Wright Edmunds, and West, to-day have
. 60 md II is reported that enough others will vote
t,h them 10 defeat IT, Mr. COnkling having from the
s promsed TO support it, cannot do Otherwise tnouSh
h told The Senate to-day. his reasons 1t Is not because
A wants an investigation, but because he Is aI"u "a
he newspapers. ,.
IDagrsenent is understood to have been made among
a. Administration Senators. this morning. that no Hu
rr,ent sbould take place until the resolution was
all disposed OF, but Messrs. C0nkhn, Morton ana
1I1lan desire 20 have tho last word 1t VIII never 90 u
- vote TO be taken immediately after speech by
NJ SIMMER or Mr.. Schurz; for If the matter Is lelSas
tv would leave it, with all the fog Of political dema'
Norton cleared away, and the matter goes to the oouh
CIV on the lrple evidence Of tho Chief of Ordnance and
tAo Aosecreary of War, all their efforts 70 cover up the
tuth will fail Never was the necessity in debate OF
4, occasional speech by clear-headed man. VINO Is
master Of his subject and cam by few clean cut eeSi
away the piles OF brush which have been heaped up 20
Ride the solid ground Of TRUTH better illustrated than Dy
Mr. schurzs speech to-day. Since Wednesday last the
,nestou before the Senate had been almost forgotten
and poical speeches had been the order Of the day
Truubun. Morton, Nye, Frelnghuysen, Wright nae
either made no reference 10 it, or had repeated the
.,zuments furnished by Conbing and Harlan weeR De-
fore last Tho attention Of the country had been turned
pthe Presidential question. To-day Wright ana west
te 10 an inattentiyo audience the floor and In the
uerie and IL was not until Schurz took the floor that
d. exercises we're worth listening TO. In his clear eIo
ouent manner which has been often described ana
which Is more attractive the it is displayed he
showed that the Investigation called for could only be
pterpreted as friendly act to Germany that the Ger
anAmercaus OF the United States have proved them
calves as patriotic native born citizens, and explained
ls reasons for refusing TO support Gen. Grant
But the shot which fell into the very midst OF the Ad-
ppsrraton camp and sput them all on the defensive,
vas the evidence OF Gen. Dyer himself in his last two
annual reports To understand the force Of this new
evidence It has not before been introduced Is ne
osssry remember the answer made by Morton, Few
dsy ago. 20 the argument that the sale Of breechoad
been armed with Springfield breechoadng rifles of the
model of 1885, those OF out of date and 80 I'M
suitable for use by the military or militia OF the Uted
States" He also asserted that the 1868 gun had been
sdopted and the army supplied with it, 1t should
also be remembered that the law upder
which IeOOe breeoh-OsdDg Springfield rifles
we're sold authorized tho sale only of old
osnnon and other ordnance stores which are damaged OF
oherwe unsuitable for bv the military or the ite
o the United States" But the report OF Gen. Dyer,
dated Oct 25 1870 at the very time that arms were
selling to the agents Of France, and less than TWO
uonths before Richardson bought 10000 DreechOadlhg
rides and had the cartridges for them manufactured
uys; "The spTin gheld breech-lOading muskets with
which the troops have been armed for more than three
years continue give satisfaction" These couid not
have been OF the model of 1863 for that model had oeen
Invented but two years they must therefore have been
those OF 1866 the same that were sold as uusutabe o
hte by the army or militia, little more than month
,tterward and which Remin oD said in his letter were
difficult to obtain The Chief Of Ordnance continues
"There are about $1,000 hand Of the model OF 1866
But what was the result OF sehmg these
beeehoading rihesf Gen. Dyer in his last annual re-
pot tells u.s. he saVs "EOw there are less than 10000
breechoadDg uskets the arsenals for issue. This
number OF muskets is not half sufficient TO supply the
States with the muskets they now entitled TO re-
oeiye &c This Department should, as soon as possible
BE- placed IN condition to I'LL all proper acquisitions by
the States upon it, and should also have on hand large
aumber OF breechoading musket and carbnes TO meet
any emergency that may arise Ten years ago, the coun
y felt that not less than 100000 muskets should be
tept in store in the arsenas" This is the result Of sell
he within year. under law directing the sale of dam
Iged or unsuitable arms guns which gave satisfaction
after three years trial by the troops.
And now the French National Assembly, having evi.
tence no doubt, that money used 10 influence
American officials 10 dsarm their country for there
must have been some strong motive 10 induce the De-
NJ tn disDOS Of a
teoe so highly praised asks that the conduct Of Amer
officials he investigated, and Roscoe COnkling and
Company at the idea and shout at the top OF their
sOloes that "ts all right there s not the slightest
pOund for suspicion" The fact is, aud IL came out
plainly first time today that the Government is
not and never has been half supplied with breechlOad
ug arms; that the Springfield ArmOry is not turning
arms except small quantities and that to-day,
when our relations with Great Britain delicate
and the Secretary Of State says that a with
tpain is possible at any moment, so long
n the Spanish Government at Madrid holds power by
% fekle tenure, barely ten regiments, beside the
troops Of skeleton OF q standing army could Ice
armed with breech-loadng rifles. A. some have been
converted since December 1870 the number left on
hand then, must have been smaller sti. The country
has night 20 ask by what authority any officer sells
htechloadng muskets which after being in the hands
the troops three years, give satisfaction leaving
e surplus az less than 10000 and whether be actu
wv Wy any improper mOuVe When nc was reducing the
country TO an almost defenseless condition After Mr.
ehaIzs speech there was discussion on the re-
consideration Of the vote by which COnklings amend
ep' was adopted, and the Senate adjourned with Mr.
Gunner on the floor
m, MIS- FRAUD-A CLOWN WITH HIS PAINT
pt-AlsAANAGEMENT OF GRANTS FRIENDS.
iIhoh A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT oP TIRE TRIBINB.l
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-The IIoB. James
'!e@ Nevada has just made the best joke of his life