The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-02-15
HOUSE.

HOUSE.
Mr.. Crocker, member elect from
Massachusetts,, in place OF Washburn.
resigned, appeared and took the oath Of
office.
Mr.. Beck asked leave to offer a reso-
luton calling for information as TO the
sales of material by the Navy Depart
ment since June, 1865, and the disposl-
ton made of the proceeds.
Mr.. Butler, of Massachusetts, Oh
jected.
Mr.. Leonard presented petition from
267 cigar manufacturers OF the third
district OF Pennsylvania, for an increased
duty on imported cigars; also, memo;
rial from 42l members Of the Universal
Peace Union, for the passage OF an
amendment repeating the war clauses OF
the Constitution; for the gradual abo'
lition of the army and navy, and pro-
posing that foreign powers be invited to
Join in a general disarmament and a
system of international arbitration.
Mr.. Finkleburg, OF New York, from
the committee on Ways and Means, re-
ported a bill to repeal the existing
duties on tea and coffee, and said that
it was reported in obedience to the
order Of the House, but that a majority
OF the committee were adverse to the
passage ofthe bill, and he himself was
of the majority. He reported the bill
without any recommendation, and
moved it's reference to the committee OF
the Whole on the State Of the Union,
where the members could have the op-
portunity OF expressing their views on
| it. The bill was so referred.
Mr.. Farwell, from the same commit
tee, reported bill for the erection of a
Government building in Quincy, Hi
nois, at csst not exceeding $4,000,
the site to be donated by the city.
The bill was opposed by Messrs. Gar
field, Dawes, w. r. Roberts and Cox,
and was advocated by Messrs. lIawley,
Platt and other members.
Mr.. Dawes appealed to the House to
pause before passing this bill. He had
no objections to Quincy, which had as
meritorious a claim as any other town
of the same size, but was Congress to
inaugurate a hundred OF such buildings
and tasten the cost on the Treasury, or
should it not confine itself to cases
where postoflices, custom houses and
United States courts combined to render
government building necessary
Alter further discussion, Mr.. Holman
moved to lay the bill on the table,
which vas nesatived 10y - yeas and lO5
nays. The bill went over without
further action.
Mr.. Dickey, from the committee on
Appropriations, reported the army ap-
propriation bill, which was made the
special order for Tuesday next. The
bill appropriates S29, $4,000.
Mr.. Beck offered his resolution OF
INQUIRY as to the sale Of naval material
since June, 1865, and it was adopted.
The Senate amendment to the Post.
office deficiency bill and TO the pension
appropriation bill were taken up and
concurred In.
The House then, at . P NJ, went
into committee of the Whole, Mr..
Blair, of Michigan, in the chair, on the
naval appropriation bill.
Mr.. Banks paid high compliment to
the Secretary Of the Navy, and expressed
his belief that be would re-establish the
navy into the affections OF the people.
lie condemned the system OF bureau
cracy and favoritism, which had, until
recently, prevailed in the Navy Depart
meu,, and read from a letter OF the
commander of the Kearsarge, COM
planning Of the system and saying that
he had ceased to expect any attention
to be paid to any Of the requests of his,
and chiefly because those who had
controlled the affairs there could not
forget that he had sunk the Alabama.
The present Secretary Of the Navy,
however, was fast breaking up that
bureau system.
Mr.. Sargent replied to the structures
and charges made Yesterday 10 the sale
of the old material ofthe navy, and said
that the total amount received from
tn at source for the last two years had
gone into the treasury and had not
been used in aid Of appropriations. The
total amount received from that source
was less than a million of dollars. He
also replied to and contradicted some
OF the statements made by Mr.. Morgan,
Yesterday, in reference to the expense Of
the Indian Department.
The discussion was continued bv
Messrs. Cougblan, Beck, Sargent, Con-
ner and Cox.
The latter condemned the Govern
ment for its lack of spirit, as we'll as
for the weakness Of the navy, and
longed for that old defiance OF foreign
dictation which had ennobled the
Democratic administration in the days
Of VIM. l.. Marcy.
The committee then proceeded to con-
slider the bill by paragraphs, for amend
ment.
The reading OF the bill by sections
was then begun, and when the para
graph appropriating 100000 for the
laborers in the ordnance bureau was
reached, Mr.. Hibbard moved to amend
by adding a provision that the laborers
should be selected without regard to
political sentiment
!. Mr.. Slocum, Of New York, advocated
the provision, and charged that the
navy yard..at Brooklyn had been noto-
riously used for political purposes, and
that gangs OF men were employed
last fall for the sole purpose Of
voting the Republican ticket, and
that the quarrels between the two
factions were even carried so
for that men affiliated with the Fenton
faction were discharged and Conkling
men substituted. Admiral Gordon, one
OF the bravest officers that ever lived,