The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-02-24
CONGRESS.
HOUSE.

underwriters should be indempned unuel
the Geneva award.
Mr. Roberts, irom the Committee o
Ways and Means, reported the evidence
taken in matters pending before It, ant
stated that the evidence implicated nj
member OF either House, but eXonorateC
individuals. The Committees Ol bOtt
Houses offered resolutions referring L
tue Judiciary Committee the evidence
with instructions 70 examine 1t and see
how much there Is Of 1t relates to Judge
Charles Il. Sherman, Of Ohio, and to de
termine whether further investigation
should not be had with q view Ot pre-
senting articles Of impeachment. The
resolution was adopted.
The sundry appropriation bill was dis
cussed.
Hir. Edmunds, In reporting the
Geneva bill adversely to the Senate to
day, said that as the House bill was moi
satisfactory TO the Senate, and as the
House was less pressed for time than the
Senate, it was thought best to.report this
bill adversely and let tho House act on
the Senate bill.
The House then, on motion oi Mr Gar.
field, took up the sundry civil approprls-
ton bill, the pending amendments being
that offered by Mr.. Banks prohibiting the
publication OF books or documents by the
government for gr0tuitous distribution,
and the amendment by Mr. Butler, OF
Massachusetts,, iorbidding any payment
\ Of salary or expenses OF officers Of the so.
called competitive civil service examina-
| tioD.
Mr.. HOar opposed Mr.. Banks amend
ment, and said that that proposition and
the abolition Of the franking privilege
were part of the system WHICH ought TO
deliver the public sentiment oI the coun.
try and legislation Of Congress into tie
hands Of q few newspapers in the great
cities, instead Of the annual meetings Of
Congress at Washington. Senators and
Representatives might as well stay at
home and read In libraries the dispatches
Of tue Associated Press or the leading
articles of editors as register OF their de-
crees. His colleague was seeking in this
amendment to break down one OF the
greatest educational influences OF the
country.
Mr.. Mckee advocated Mr. Buffers
amendment, but denounced the civil ser.
vice reform as o fraud aud humbug, and
related an instance Of most intelligent
Young man, who is now cashier in one
Of the great banks on the Pacific coast,
who had been rejected on competitive
examination because he failed to answer
some few questions, which place was
given to q Yankee from Maine, who isnot
1T to be book.keeper for boot.black.
Laughter.
Mr.. Conger opposed Mr.. Banks amend.
ment, and charged that the object Of 1t
was to prevent the circulation among the
people Of the knowledge Of all matters
occurring in Congress, and all matters OF
discovery in agriculture, geology, patents,
sc.
Mr.. Butler, Of Mass, also opposed MIR.
Banks amendment. Alter some eTemarks
on that subject he said he would pass on
to another new tangled notion Of the men
whom the people had lett out OF COnress,
Laughter, that was the civil service re-
form. &c ridiculedhthe question put In
the competitive examination, which was
to correct the grammar In the sentence
"hc Is q gentl Gman and scholar" BE
did not profess to be much OF gramma-
Fian, but he did not know how he could
correct that sentence unless he made 1t
read: "LieGr q gentleman and scholar"
Laughter.
Mr.. BurCnard also opposed Mr.. Banks
amendment, and argued that 1t did not
follow that because the franking privilege
was abolished documents and books
would not be circulated by members who
would pay postage on them. He dia not
believe that such postage would average
moro than 800 or 5000 year.
Mr.. FarIsworth asked Mr. Burchard II
he did not think 1t better to make the re-
form than to add three thousand dollars
year to the salary Of members on the
pretense that they would henceforth have
to pay postage,
MIR. Burchard replied that he was not
AFRAID that the salaries Of members would
| be raised on that account.
Mr.. Farnsworth remarked that that was
one Of the grounds on which the plea for
an increase of salaries was put.
Mr.. Banks amendment was further op.
posed by Messrs. Coburn, Dunnell, and
Townsend OF Pa.
Mr.. Dunnell regarded the proposition
as mere demagoguism.
Mr.. w. r. Roberts directed his atten-
tion 10 tho vote In the Committee Of the
Whole yesterday, increasing the appro-
prlation for q naval station at New Lon
don, Conn, from $1,000 to $4,000, and
denounced it as scheme Tor plundertng
the government and removing of the
Brooklyn Navy Yard. The property
these could not be replaced elsewhere at
n cost Of $50O000OO. Tho scheme was
Tor the interest Of lot Of real estate
spccnlators In Brooklyn, who had been
for years casting their languishing eyes al
the land occupied by the Navy Yard
wanting TO get it for dock and railroad
purposes. He protested against 1t and
cautioned the gentleman as to what the
result Of the vote on the New London item
was to be. Mr.. Roberts ridiculed the
fears aud approximations Of those members
who saw in Mr. Banks amendment or
attempt 10 replace republican institutions
by despolc ones. The House was to bt
congratulated, he said that the great usl
Of miscellaneous public documents had
been discovered. The gentleman from
Massachusetts, (Hoar) had assured
the House that It was q barrier TO saw
the country from the Government by tht
newspapers. he had never known oi sC
complete barrier against danger excep
Mrs Partington's attempt TO sweep bacl
the tide with a broom. The newspaper
circulated millions Of copies among tn
people. Now 1t Is proposed to preservl
the Republic from the power Of the news
popers by putting the agricultural repor
: into every coSner grocery, to bs used TO
packages, or go TO trunk manufactures
lio moved to add to Mr.. Banks amend
Z mpnt a DToyiBo that tho Secretary Oi tn