Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-02-17
Forty-SecOnd Congress
SECOND SESSION.
WASHINGTON, February 16.
aRMazE

" ~
i west In favor Of the Chicago rel
!. bill slsO, resolutions from the IllinC
: legislature for the same.
Twenty-Five thousand copies Of q
4 case Of the United States again
? Great Britain have been order,
!. printed.
Senator Cole introduced a bill to 7
} strict the killing of buffaloes ON pu
? lie lands.
Senator Carpenter called ND the bI
! to extend the time for the cOnstru
> tiOn Of railroad from the river
Oroix to Lake Superior.
; In response to an inquiry from Sci
( atOr Casserly, Senator Carpenter sal
that the bill was identical with on
! passed last session. CID
Senator Morrill, Vermont said ths
I grant of land for this road passed
1866, and opposed the bill.
Senator CasserIy also opposed th
bill.
Senators Carpenter, Conkling an
Upton advocated 1t, and it passed.
The consideration of the resolutiO
as to sales of arms to the French dul
ing the Franco Prussian war was n
sumed.
Senator Morton said that Sumne
would have great difficulty in cor
vincing the country that the introduC
ton OF this resolution was not NOV
on the presidential chessboard. in
tended to affect the next presidentis
convention or election by drawing tn
German vote from the Republican
party. Whatever might be said of Ii
substance, the resolution In its form
was inexcusable, for it was SO drawn
that the senators could not vote fo
the preamble without asserting tha
the allegations to be investigated Wer'
true, and it was as absurd to ask the
senate to do this as 1t would be fol
the jury to find verdict first and the
evidence afterWard. The preamble
assumed that there was discrepancy
Of over one million seven hundred
thousand between the accounts Of the
treasurer and those Of the war depart
ment. That was not true,
Senator Sumner said the preamble
did not assume an actual existence
of discrepancy. 1t only asserted that
there was an apparent discrepancy in
the official reports Of two depart
ments. -
Senator Morton-That is the very
point. | deny that it appears from re-
ports OF two departments, and l aver
that the reports ahoW that there is no
discrepancy, and that it has been ex-
planned. Even Senator Schurz sd-
mitted yesterday that he had H5
doubt it co2ld he he explained.
Senator Schurz said that what he
had said yesterday, was the secretary
Of the treasury had explained that an
apparent discrepancy for the fiscal
year ending in 1871, but had failed to
explain a previous discrepancy,
although he expressed the belief that
it could be explained.
Senator Morton was authorized to
say that the charge that there was q
discrepancy was frivolous and with
out foundation.
Senator Edmunds said that II any
one would intelligently examine the
accounts in the reports he would see
that there was no discrepancy.
Senator Schurz said that the secre-
tary Of the treasury had admitted to
him that all moneys paid into tht ts,,t
treasury from the safes OF arms did
not appear in the reports, for the
reason that some OF the accounts had
not been settled when the rep 1T was
made.
Senator Sumner said that the secre-
tary had told him that it had taken
some time to look into the accounts
at the treasury, and to sift this matter
to the bottom.
Senator MortOn-Yes, and he told
you in some conversation that it was
all right.
Senator Sumner-Yes.
Senator Morton-1h hen we will con-
slider discrepany out Of the case.
Senator EdmOnds asserted that
there was no apparent discrepancy,
and Senators Sumner and Schurz had
fallen into the mistake of suppOsinQ
that there was, by looking for them
under the wrong heading in the treas
1ry report. |
Senator Sumner said that in his re-
marks the other day, he had con.
fOunded the figures in the report Of the |
secretary OF war for the fiscal year,
with those in the report OF the treas
1rer for the same fiscal year, and had |
said that the discrepancy showed that |
there was at least reason for inquiry,
and he insisted on the fact that q three |
lays discussion was necessary to ex-
plain the discrepancy, fully justified
hat assertion.
Senator Morton said that it was now
admitted that there was no discre-
Dancy at all. The next question was
whether there had ever existed any
sufficient ground for the suspicion TO
Justify its introduction in the senate,
He Insisted that there was not. All !
yreat governments were always sell
ng arms, for which they had no use,
md that was what our government |
lid in this case, and the cartridges
we're manufactured because the arms
,ould not be sold without ammunition
or themi but it might safely be as
Iumed that there was always powder
IN hand which was liable to get dam
lged unless used in that way.
Senator Morton said that the officers
If the ordnance department had the
,ower to do it, and Senator Wilson
aid 1t was their duty to doit.
Senator Morton said that Senator
;churz's narrow construction Of this
aw showed the desperate straits into
which he had been driven.
Senatar eehurz said he would un.
lertake to take care of himself, He
Senator Morton that In this
ase the cartridges were manufactured
mot for the purpose of getting rid OF
amaged powder or pig-lead, but be-
ause they were asked for by the
gents OF the French government.
Senator Morton said the Prnssian
naQ known all about
hese transactions at the time and
Ould have bought arms themselves
they wished, but they declined and
lade no complaints because the arms
las sold to others. IL
Senator OonkliDg said that the Ba-
er 4 Co. referred to by Senator
churz were German firm, who, he
yas informed by high authority, had
ought arms of our government
'hich had afterward passed into the
ands of the Prussian government.
Senator Morton said that when the
government permitted the :
rms to be sold by our government
nd shipped openly from New York
} Brest and Havre without objection.
was very extraordinary that an in
in behalf Of that govern
lent should now be made in the
mate. \
Senator Sehurz asked whether he 0
Ieant to insinuate that either Sena- '
II Sumner OF himself ISchurH1 was {
,ting in behalf of the Prussian gov . .
a
Senator Morton said he did not
Iean that, but he did mean to say
lat the Prussian government made 4
> objection. There was no occasion
7 American senators to try to COM
nee them that they had cause 10
)mplain.
Senator SUMNER know Of nobody :.
no is trying to convince the Prus- Il
an government; we are trying to D