Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-01-23
CONGRESSIONAL.
Shall Grant be Investigated u?
Offices: in Return for Presents.
StartlIngsMOVe'Of .Garrett'DaViS.
The New Orleans Committee.
Animated Debate In the House.
ceS: i'm Return for Presents.
SEN ATE.

SENATE.
| WASHINGTON, ID. C., Jan. 22.-Mr. Cole
presented memorial of citizens of the Pa
cific coast for uniform system of coinage.
Proposed Purchase OF Cuba.
Mr.. Blair introduced joint resolution
! instructing the President TO open negotia-
tions with Spain for the cession of Cuba.
Laid over.
a bill for the relief of Chicago, went over
by the expiration Of the morning hour.
DefaIcatiOn.
Mr.. Cole, from the Committee Oh ApprO-
priations reported without amendment
House bill making good the deficiency in
the Postoffiee appropriations caused by Mr..
McCartney's defalcation.
Arlington.
BY Mr.. Lewis: A petition from the
widow of Gen. Robt. z. Lee, setting forth
the sale of the Arlington estate as unconsti-
tutiOnal, and asking Congress to appropriate
100000 to purchase the estate from her,
whereupon she viii give the Government a
clear title.
Postal Telegraph.
Mr.. Ramsey, from the Committee on
Post-offices and Roads, reported the postal
telegraph bill, and said the committee hoped
to bring it before the Senate at an early
day. In almost every civilized country the
cost of telegraphic messages has been re-
duced to about the rates proposed in the
bill, and it was important that the subject
should be considered here without unneCes-
rary delay.
The amnesty bill came up as unfinished
business. Mr.. Edmunds had the fieor, but
was unable, owing to other engagements,
to proceed with his remarks.
every Extraordinary"
Mr.. Davis, of Kentucky, moved to lay
aside amnesty informally for the pur-
pose of taking up his resolution directing
the Committee on Retrenchment to inquire
whether the President has conferred public
offices of trust or profit in return for pres
ents and has been guilty Of other miscOn-
duct.
He offered a modification of it, direct
ing the committee to inquire into the expe-
diency of Congress passing law, forbid
ding any one in the service Of the United
States to receive any gift or appoint any
relatives to office.
MesSrs. COnBing and Morton were will
ing to have the resolution taken up, but not
by LAYING amnesty aside informally.
Mr.. Sumner opposed laying ann esty
aside otherwise than informally, and
thought Mr.. Davis ought to be allowed to
take up his resolution and make his speech
in the ordinary way.
Mr.. COnkling said this was a very extra
ordinary resolution, and he desired when
ever it should be taken up it should befully
discussed and pressed TO a vote, so that the
Judgment of the American SENT might be
promptly given on its merits and pTopriety.
Mr.. Davis, of Kentucky cOncede that
this resolution is very extraordinary; but l
insist that the subject and occasion of it are |
very extraordinary, too. Laughter.
Mr.. Davis then quoted from Conkling's
speech. on the retrenchment debate before
recess. He said, 81 bring this resolution
forward on my own responsibility; and
whatever may be the scandal, l am ready
to bear it. want the King of the political
forest, as well as the lesser beasts, to be in
vestigated. Laughter l want a commit |
tee to investigate the lion in his den; the |
Douglas in his halls; and for one, 1 am dis |
posed to lead the march to beard that lion |
in bis den. Laughter The office of the |
Chief Executive Magistrate is said to be the !
fountain Of honor, but it is the fountain Of /
country. What have We seen within the |
few days? The President Of the United |
States published as defaulter to the /
amount Of four or five thousand dollars for
upward of twenty years. ! presented my /
resolution. The newspapers opened upon ,
him, and at last, driven by the denuncia- |
tionS Of the papers, or some other cause, he |
was forced to come forward and make good |
the amount Of the defalcation.
Mr.. Sherman was willing to postpone am |
nesty with the understanding that this resolu- |
ton was to take its place until disposed of, |
and lie gave notice to the friends Of the |
amnesty bill that he would not agree to have |
it taken up again until they shall have made .
up their minds TO stand by 1t and press 1t to !
a vote.
Nj. Thurman advised Mr.. Davis to .
his motion, as to press it would |
plainly give rise to a long, and probably, an
excited debate, which would postpone the
bill.
Mr.. Davis said he knew it would give
rise to debate and was prepared for the
most exciting debate that could arise.
Iaughter.) But be did not wish to antag-
onize it against amnesty, and therefore he
would Withdraw it now, but would soon
again bringi before the Senate.
Summers Social Rights.
Amnesty was taken up. The pending
was Summers supplementary
civil rights bill.
Mr.. Morton suggested to Mr.. sumner to
strike out all of it relating to church and
organizations.
Mr.. Robertson moved to lay this bill aside
and Ike up the last amnesty bill passed by
he House.
Mr. Trunbull supported the resolution
and hoped the Senate would pass the House
amnesty bill without amendment, and If
Mr.. Sumner should persist in offering the
Civil Rights bill as an amendment, he
loped the Senate would declare it out OF
order, as it in fact was. He expressed a
nope that Nh Summers bill would never
pass in its present form.
Messrs. COnkling and Morton opposed
he motion. Mr.. Morton said Mr.. Sumner
lad agreed to accept an amendment sug-
gested by him to-day.
Mr.. Thurman supported it, and repeated
bis opinion, expressed when Mr.. Summers
amendment was first offered, that it was
unconstitutional.
Mr.. Robertson said he intended to vote
l)r Mr.. Summers bill, but he thought it Un-
wise TO tack it on amnesty.
Mr.. Thurman said he would point out
some particulars IN which he thought the
Dill was unconstitutional, which he did at
eugth.