The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-03-15
From Washington.
SrENCER AND PINCHBACk.

The senate, which remains in extra session,
on Saturday admitted Spencer OF Alabama,
who was elected to the Senate. by the bogus
legislature of that state, to his seat, on the
ground that the senate could not 20 behind
the certificate of the Governor, except after
the seat was successfully contested. Ofcourse,
being once in, no democrat elected by the lie.
gal legislature, stands the ghost Of chance
of getting his place.
As soon as Spencer was admitted, Conbling
undertook to smuggle in Pinchback, Of La,
in the same way; but Pnchback threatens to
prove a troublesome Niger and the Senate,
though his claim is every bit It's good rs Spen.
GERS shows great reluctance to admithim.
COMMITTEES.
The radical senate caucus, in fixing up the
committees of that body, out of the members
on each committee gave the democrats, as
usual, but one To this the democrats de
INJURED, saying that, as they composed over
third of the senate, they ought to have
at least three of the seven on each COM
mittce The radical caucus finally opened its
heart so far as to give the democrats two
members, except on the fnace and foreign
committees, where they still have but one.
THE RUSH FOR OFFICE.
Notwithstanding the new civil service rules
and that the President has given out that he
will make few official changes, the rush for
Office is even greater than at the former in
auguratiou Nearly every shelved or defeat
ed congressman wants Il fat office Of some sort
anything in fact, rather than go home to
his fomerconstituents Starting with foreign
missions, some oft applicants have already
rot down to lighthouse tenders, and in week
more will be down to old shoes.
CALDWELL
Senator Morton, on Monday, succeeded in
bringing up the case Of Caldwell, of Kansas
and advocated his expulsion in one Of the
abest speeches he ever made. He reviewed
the evidence in the case, showing that the
fact that Caldwell had bought his seat, by
Tie expenditure of from fifty to eighty thou
sand dollars, was so clearly proved as to adj
nit of no doubt, and then he argued the pow
er and the duty of the senate to purify itself
by his expulsion Caldwell read in reply an
argument prepared for him by Caleb Cush-
ing, denying none Of the facts proved against
him, but disputing the power of the senate to
cXpel him on account of acts done outside the
senate The reading Of Caldwell's argument
occupied most of Tuesday, Carpenter supple
menting it with frantic appeal in his behalf;
and on Wednesday Senator Logan took up the
cudgel in his defence. No vote has yet been
reached in the case.
EX-GOv. YATES, OF ILL,
Has been appointed by the President, COM
missioner ON the part of the government TO
look after the interests of the United States in
the matter of land grants &c, TO the North
crn Pacific Railroad
SOUTH CAROLINA PATTERSON.
The petitions and documents from South
Carolina insisting on all Investigation Of the
case of Mr. Patterson continue to roll in. The
last offers to furnish abundant proof that Pat
terson not only openly offered money TO buy
votes, but that he did eXpend 100000 in that
way paying members from $500 to $1,000 for
their votes "Vell," as Jeremy Diddler would
say, 'vot of it?" Admit all that is alleged
against Mr.. Patterson, and his case is no
worse than that of Caldwell, whose seat the
senatel virtually decided it cannot declare
vacant and whom it refuses to eXpel.
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