Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-12-13
CONGRESSIONAL
The Senate not In SessiOn-An In
teresting Day in the Lower
House.
The Back-Salary Weakness EX-
tensively Diseussed-The
Bill Referred.
Spirited Debate on the Action Of
the President in the Cuban
ImbrOgliO-AlmOst
Row.
General HOWard's Freedmen's Bu-
reau Tricks to be Investigated
Other Important Pro-
ceedings.
HOUSE.

Information as to other roads in aid of which
land grants have been made. Adopted.
| Mr.. DueU presented a petition from a large
: number of business men all over the country
| for the repeal of the bankrupt law. Referred
Mr.. Beck, from the committee on ways aud
means, reported a bill authorizing the can
| collation. of an export bond for fifty barrels o
, distilled spirits, belonging to John :. Miller
| OF Illinois. which was burned while in the
, | bonded cars of the United States. After eX-
PLANTATION the bill passed.
The speaker laid before the house a com
| munication from the secretary of war, calling
/ attention to defalcattOns in the accounts Of
| General y. o. Howard, Of the freedmeu's s bu-
reau, and at the request Of Mr.. Wood the let
ter was cad. at tue conclusion Of the read.
: ing Mr.. Wood offered a resolution, that the
letter accompanying the report relating 70
the defalcatlons, etc., OF General Howard, be
| referred TO the committee on military affairs
with instructions to report a resolution pro-
viding for the trial by military court-martial
Of auy officers OF the army implicated therein,
Mr.. Dawes moved to amend by striking out
the clause relative to instructions. He wished
to have IL simply referred, leaving the COM
mittee to take such action as it should judge
best.
The speaker remarked that he had been
about to refer the communication 10 the COM
| mittee on military affairs.
Mr.. Wood said that he preferred, in view of
the antecedent history of the freedmen s
| bureau, and of General HOWard's connection
| Herewith, there should be some instructions
| given.
Mr.. Hall N. Y. objected to the debate
| vote was taken on Dawess amendment
| and agreed to. Yeas, ia; nays, IS.
| Mr.. Dawes said that he did not desire to
| shield General Howard, but he objected.tO the
resolution making statements rs facts before
| n hearing. II stated as fact the defalcat1On
| of General Howard, and he did not under
| stand that there was any such thing in the
| Mr. Wood-The resolution states as a fact
| what has been authenticated in two official
| documents sent here by the secretary of war.
! l think we can well afford to stand on facts.
/ If that gentleman Mr.. DawesJ goes back of
/ the administration, VIII not.
Mr.. Dawes-No matter how strong the proof
/ may appear, 1t Is sufficient for us TO use the
words ''alleged defalcation.'
Mr.. WOod-The secretary-Of-war submitted
| these documents to the attorney. general, and
the attorney general gave his official opinion
that General Howard was liable to be tried by
court-Inartial, and should be so tried, but
that there was some technical difficulty
Mr.. Dawes-AIl that may be so, but the
proper way is for the committee on military
affairs 20 report these facts. 1 move 10 insert
the word alleged" before the word "defalca-
tions-"
Mr.. Wood-It is a very small matter, and 1
will not detain the house with Quibbling
about it-let it go; but 1 desire to say that II
that side of the house takes the responsibility
Of shielding this man, 1t may do so.
Mr.. Dawes-This side of the house will take
the responsi bility of shielding no man.
Mr.. Wood-It has done so to-day.
Mr.. Dawes-But II viii take the responsible
ty of passing Judgment after conviction, and
not before.
The resolution was amended by inserting
structiOns," and adopted.
The house then resumed the consideration
of measures in regard to salaries
Mr.. Cummings defended the increased
salary bill, but announced his intention OF
voting for the bill reported by the committee,
Mr.. Phillips said there had to be limit TO
the compensation of members, and that
limit had been fixed by public opinion. The
American congress stood to-day at the bar OF
public opinion.
Mr.. Burchard thought the pending motions
TO refer with Instructions omitted one i'm
/ portant point. That was as to when the
notifications should begin to apply.
Their predecessors were notion trial before the
country. They should justify the expectations
formed on them, and date back 10 the COM
mencement OF the decrease OF the present
terms.
Mr.. orth said he had offered his resolution
last evening more IN the nature of a cOmprO-
n than anything else, because IL was appa-
rent that unless there was a compromise the
house would never arrive at a conclusion.
He thought that four propositions had been
definitely settled bypubhc opinion. First, that
the law of the last congress should be re-
pealed; second, that the mileage shah
never again be restored third, that the
frsnking privilege, so far rs relates 70 the per-
SoDal privilege of members of congress, snall
never be restored, whatever else may be done
in regard TO distributing public documents;
fourth, that the salary OF members of con-
greSS shall be substantially what 10 was un-
der the old law. All this 10 be provided for
in the proposition which he had offered.
Mr.. Tremaine asked MIR. Orth whether his
proposition made any provision for covering
Oack-paN INTO the treasury.
Mr.. Orth replied that il did not. He said
that personally he would have no objection
TO let the law date back, but, as a
matter of compromise, he thought it
better TO let the reduction commence from
and after the passage OF the law; he believed
that would meet with the wishes of the
people, and would be in conformity with the
previous history OF congress- on that subject.
He argued that the people were as much in
favor sof the reduction Of the Presidents
salary as that OF the members, but it could
not be touched Till after the present term. He
modified his proposition so as to touch the
salary Of supreme court judges, it would ap-
ply, however, TO members Of the cabinet; II
applied, therefore, only to what were known
as political officers, After answering other
questions in reference to the salaries Of cabi-
net officers, Mr.. Orth moved the previous
question on his proposition.
Mr.. ShankS hoped that the previous question
would not be seconded, as the discussion
should be continued until the people were
satisfied that the house understood Il well
as they.
MT; aldrldge thought that the latitude of
debate should be greater.
Mr.. Monroe stated his position In re-
gard TO the salary Dill TO be this:
He believed that the true thing for the house
to do was TO repeal completely and thor
oughly as 1t possibly could consistently with
the constitution, the salary bill OF the third
of March, 1873,
The house now came TO a vote on the pend
ing propositions. The first was that offered
a. Mr.. HurlbuGt TO re-commit the bill, with
Instructions to strike out the second and third
sections of the bill and substitute for them
the following:
First-That from and after the passage Of
this act, the compensation of senators, repre-
sentatiYes and delegates shall be at the rate OF
six thousand dollars per annum, payable
monthly; and in addition thereto, the actual
individual expenses of each senator, repre-
sentative and delegate in going TO and return
ing from the seat OF government once In every
session, 70 be certified to in writing by each.
Second-That the com Pensation OF the
speaker OF the house of representatives shall
be two thousand dollars in addition TO his pay
representative. amOnntinQ a IN pfu
thousand dollars; and that of the Nice-Presi-
dent the same amount, with the same allow
ance for travelling expenses as herein before
provided.
Third-That ali laws and parts Of laws in
consistent with the provisions of this act are
hereby repealed.
Mr.. orth offered substitute, as follows
That the select committee report a bill re-
pealing the whole salary act so far as the
same can be done under the constitution ex-
ceptiDg the judges Of the supreme court, and
ascertain the average amount of salary,
mileage ana other allowances, exclusive OF
any estimate for the use of the franking
privilege paid to senators, representatives and
delegates TO the fOrty-trst congress, and re-
port a bill determining the compensation of
senators, representatives and delegates in con
gresS hereafter at an amount, as near as prac-
ticable thus ascertained with the necessary
travelling expenses, and restoring all other
salaries as they were before the passage of that
act.
The previous question was seconded by a
vote OF l32 TO l26, and the main question or
dered. The question was taken on substitute
ing Mr.. Orth's proposition, and it was
adopted also without calling the yeas and
nays; so the bill was recommitted to a special
com mittee, with the Instructions proposed by
Mr.. orth, and it was agreed that when the bin
shall be reported back it VIII be considered
under the i've minutes ruin.
The house then went into committee OF the |
whole, MIR, Tyner in the chair, and took up |
the bill appropriating four million dollars for |
the extraordinary expenses Of the naval SER
vice.
In the course Of the discussion Mr.. Cox said 1
that there was not fight enough in the house /
to kin a mouse; the nag OF our country had /
been dragged in the dust through our diplo- |
macy; the house was pusill animous before all |
the world, but the navy should be better and 1
stronger and he would vote at all times 10 |
strengthen IL.
Mr.. Hale lMainel accused Mr.. Cox Of incon-
siatency, and he called TO mind the con-
slant attacks made by that gentleman, hither- |
70, on all the naval appropriation bills.
Mr. Hawly [Conn.l said he had listened /
with an indignant start to the remarks OF this /
gentleman from New York Mr.. Cox who had /
dared to tell the house that il was pusillani- |
nous and hed not energy enough TO kill a /
mouse, and that the nag OF our country had /
draoOeI in the dust. he a. No odr