Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-14
FOvty-SeCond CfOngress

SECOND SESSION.

On motion OF Senator Cameron the
Z bill passed authorizing a survey
marking the boundary line be-
2 tween the United States and the
4 British possessions, from Lake of the
Woods to the summit OF the Rocky
, mountains.
Senator Pomeroy introduced bill
, for ascertaining and settling private
land claims.
Senator Conkltng called up his res
! olution asking the President to COM
munic ate to the senate number Of
. recommendations for office made by
senators from New York, Illinois,
Missouri and Nebraska, and proposed
to add to it the following:
Aud whether the appointments or re-
movsls have in any instance bssn made
at the suggestion or request of any third
party who acted as go. between either Of
said senators and appointing power or
| represented, or in any manper caused 1t
to be understood that such appointments
| or rewards would be agreeable to or were
desired by any senator, and II so, giving
the names of persons who so represented
or caused it 10 be understood and particu-
larry whether any such appointments or
rewards have been made at the request or
suggestion of Roswell Hart, assistant Hu-
perintendent of mail service at New York,
or II s. Lsfiln, naval officer Of the port of
New York, or A. b Cornell, surveyor at
the port of New York, they or either of
them protesting to represent any Of such
| senators;
Also, whether any such senators have
| made application in reference to contracts
TO be awarded to the lowest bidder, and If
/ so the name Of such senator and ct whose
suggestion such application was made.
Senator COnkling said he would not
have Ventured to use the names of
the three gentlemen in the resolution
but for the fact that they themselves
wanted inquiry made.
Senator Trumbull reminded the
senate that there was an amendment
pending offered by Senator Upton to
extend the enquiry to recommends
tiOns made by all senators, and asked
| whether the mover of the resolution
could modify it when there was an
amendment pending.
The vice-president ruled that he
could not, the yeas and nays having
been ordered on the pending amend
ment.
Senator COnkling gave notice that |
he would offer his modification at the |
proper time.
The question was then taken on |
Senator TiptOn's amendment.
Senator Logan said the resolution |
and amendment were ridiculous, un-
worthy the attention of the senate, |
and moved to lay them on the table. |
Senator Sherman asked Senator |
Conkling whether he deemed the pass
age of the resolution necessary for his |
own vindication.
Senator Conkling-Necessity com.
pels me to say that do. have been |
so often charged with having an un-
due share in obtaining patronage that,
after the exercise Of what / think a |
cOmmendable degree of patience, l /
now want the senate to know the /
facts.
Senator Nye suggested that inquiry
should be confined to Senator COnk-
liDg's recommendations Laughter.
Senator Conkling said that it would
not cast any light on the subject.
Three senators had repeatedly made
statements aud insinuatiOns on this
subject which were plainly aimed at
him, and now he wished to have the
records of the accusers and accused
laid side by side.
Senator Conkling asked Senator Lo-
gan to suppose that there was a sena-
tor who had made fewer recommend
atiOns than any other, and who had
been denounced as a henehman and a
hucksteI Of power and as clinging to
the skirts OF power, and then asked
him whether he did not think 1t nat
ural that this senator should desire to
know how the account stood between
him and those who were so free in
talking about him.
Senator Logan said he knew that
he Logan1 could not be the senator
referred to, because IL would take a
committee three months to investi-
gate ali the recommendations he had
made. Laughter Seriously, he
thought this subject unworthy to Oc-
cupy the attention of the senate for q
moment. 1t was evident from Senator
COnkling's remarks that he was
smarting under some personal criti-
cism, but that was not a matter for
the senate.
Senator Hamlin thought that the
adoption OF the resolution in its broad
est form would serve good purpose.
His experience satisfied him that the
service in the departments of the
government had never in the last
twenty years been as prompt, efficient
and honest as Ii was now, and all the
hue.and-cr that has been raised
to the contrary would be swept away
like snow before the sun il facts could
be got before the people.
Senator Trumbull thought IL re-
markable that Senator Conkling had
left out of his resolution on the subject
the recommendation to Office of the
very senator Morton1 who had first
paraded in the senate recommends
tions made by an individual senator.
Senator COnkling did not see how
investigating MortOn's recOmmenda- {
tions could throw any light on the ]
subject.
Senator Trumbull thought 1t would
throw some light on the general sub.
ject to show how many relations and {
friends Senator MOlton had got ap-
pointed to Office.
Senator Ferry Connecticut said !
that the resolution and this discussion {
were prejudicial to public interest.
He called for the regular order-the {
appropriation bill-and declined to
yield to a further discussion of the
resolution.
Mr.. Coburn opposed the amend. s
ment and suggested a substitute for
it admitting foreign-buiIt vessels to 6
American registration. He under l
stood that iron steamships could be
purchased abroad for three fOurths of
what they would cost here. A voice, =
'one-halfrn1 That was the shape in &
which he favored granting subsidies. s
Why not let the Pacific Mail Steam 9
ship company buy four great ships I
that it required wherever It could get
them cheapest, instead of taking q
haH million dollars year from the '
treasury. he offered his amendment {
reducing the subsidy to $500, 900 and t
allowing the Pacific Mail Steamship T
company to purchase four iron steam
ships abroad to be registered In the 6
United States. 8
Senator C0nkling moved to post {
pone the appropriation bill in order 1
to say that It was time that this one t
sided discussion, which had gone on c
so long without wearying the senator t
from Connecticut Ferry should {
cease. The senator from Illinois LO- 8
gan was mistaken in thinking Ihst {
he offered this resolution because he /
was smarting under newspaper or /
other criticisms. His object was to I
dispel one Of the greatest delusions I
and one Of the most shameful frauds
that ever was palmed of on the {
community since sam's fall. He
read daily in the newspapers state
ments Of pretended facts In refer 7
ence to public men and affairs 1
in Washington, and he laid them t
dow believing that never since 1
tb> human tongue first wagged, G
q er since writing or printing came q
fnfo tho xyOrld had any aODonunjtv | Il