Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-17
FOrty-Second Congressional Session.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. IS.
MS

WASHINGTON, D. G., Feb. IS.
SENATE.
A resolution was adopted to print %, 900 copies
of the case of the United States against Great
Britain.
The senate occupied its business hour in dis
cusSing land grant bill and other matters OF
no great importance.
Mr. Morton then began his remarks on the
sale of arms resolution, by declaring that it is IA
political dodge, gotten up to influence the Ger
man vote. When it was offered it must have
been known that the preamble, filled with posi-
tive assertions, could not have been adopted.
TO adopt this preamble would be like the find
ing of a verdict by a jury and the hearing of
the testimony afterward; like the shooting of a
prisoner by order of a dlum-head court martial,
and then having evidence in his case submitted.
Mr.. Morton went on TO crilicise the preamble,
and had some sharp passages with Mr. Schurz
Mr.. Morton said the preamble assumed that
there was a discrepancy of over 81 100000 be-
tween the accounts of the treasury and the
war department; that was not true.
Mr.. Sumner said the preamble did not as
sumo to show the existence OF a discrepancy.
1t only asserted that There was an apparent dis
crepancy in the official reports of the depart.
ments.
Mr.. Morton-"That is the very point. deny
that it appears from the reports of the two de-
partments, and | aver that the reports show that
there is no diScrepancy-that it has been all eX-
planned. This discrepancy was at first thought
very great one, but it had disappeared Even
Mr.. Schurz admitted, yesterday, that he had no
doubt it could be explained"
Mr. SchuZ said what he said yesterday was
that the secretary of the treasury had explained
the apparent discrepancy for the fiscal year end
ing in !1S71, but had failed to explain the pre-
vious discrepancy, although he expressed the
belief that it could be explained.
Mr. Morton was authorized to say that the
charge that there was a discrepancy was lrivo-
lous, and without foundation.
Mr. Edmunds said, if any one would intel-
gently examine the accounts in the reports, he
would see that there was no discrepancy.
" Mr. Schurz said, the secretary of the treasury
had admitted 10 him that all moneys paid into the
treasury from the sales of arms did not aDDear
in the reports, for the reason that some accounts
had not been settled when the report was made
Mr.. Sumner said that the secretary told him
that it had taken some tine TO look into the ac-
counts at the treasury, to slit this matter to the
bottom.
n Mr.. Morton-"Yes, and he told you, in the
same conversation, that it was all right"
Mr. Sumner-"Ycs."
Mr.. Morton-"Then we will consider the dis
crepancy out of the case"
Mr.. Edmunds insisted that there was no an
parent discrepancy, and that Mr.. Sumner and
Mr. Schurz had fallen into the mistake of sup
posing that there was by looking for an item
under the wrong heading in the treasurer's re-
port.
Mr.. Sumner said that in mis- remarks the other
day he contrasted the figures in the report of the
secretary of war for the fiscal year with those in
the report of the treasurer for the same fiscal
year, and said the discrepancy showed that there
was at least reason for inquiry, and he insisted
that the fact that three days discussion was
necessary to explain the discrepancy fully iust-
fed that assertion.
Mr.. Morton said that it was now admitted
that there was no discrepancy at all. The next
lf,faa rItog hDr
sufficient ground for suspicion to justify its in
PRODUCTION into the senate, and he insisted that
there was not. All great governments were al
ways selling arms for which they had no use
and that was what our government did in this
case, and the cartridges were manufactured be-
cause arms could not be sold without ammuni
ton adapted TO them; but it was mistake TO
say that special order was required to manu-
facture that ammunition, that the manufacture
was going on ali the time until the general law
authorizing the disposal of damaged ordnance
stores.
Mr.. Schuiz asked him whether ammunition
not yet manufactured could be cassed as dam
aged ordnance stores.
Mr.. Morton said that this came expressly
within the meaning of the statute.
Mr.. Schurz said powder used for making cart
ridges must necessarily he of good quality, and
asked whether it could be classed under the
head of damaged or otherwise unsuitable
stores for the United St0tes service"
Mr. Morton said that was standing upon
words. The senator insisted that, under the
statute we could not sell powder until damaged
so as to be useless, and then, Of course, would
nor sell It at all. That construction Of law was
new and absurd
Mr. Schurz said that, according to Mr.. Nor
ION construction of law, the ordnance depart
ment could go into the manufacture of cart
ridges as irregular business. for it might safely
0e assumed that there was ALWAYS nowder On
hand liable to get damaged unless nsed in that
way. - '''''
Mr.. Morton said the officers of the ordnance
department had power to do that and MIR. vii.
son sad that It was their duty to do it.
Mr.. Morton said Mr.. Schurz' narrow con.
strueton OF this law showed the desnerote
straits into which he had been driven,
Mr.. Schurz said he would undertake to talse
care of himself lie reminded Mr.. Morton that
IN this case, cartridges were manufactured. not
ior tue purpose Of getting rid Of damaged pow.