Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-12-12
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS


The bill for the appointment Of George
Benfort TO fiji the vacancy in the board
/ Of regents of the Smithsonian institute
was passed.
Mr.. Orr. from the committee on pub
I lie lands, reported bill allowing home
stead and pre-emptiOn settlers in Iowa,
Minnesota, Nebraska and Kansas,
Whose crops were destroyed or Injured
by grssshOppers in 1874, TO leave and be
absent from their lands till May, 1875,
without prejudice 10 their rights.
Passed.
! Mr.. Garfield denied that there was
aBy foundation whatever for the article
| in the New York Tribune Of yesterday,
entitled "a Half Million Steal" and
charging the committee on appropria'
tious with having ins serted the item in
1 the p0stoffice appropriation bill for sddi-
{ tional subsidy TO the Pacific mail steam
I shipcompany. The bill had not been re-
ported nor even considered by the
house. The house then took up the
/ private calendar.
Mr. Dawes, rising to a question of
privilege, called attention to the fact
/ that the com mittee on ways and means
I had taken up the investigation into the
! Pacific mail subsidy, which had been
/ com meDced at the close OF the last con-
I gress. and had then fallen through be-
cause the comm ttee had been unable 10
I secure the attendance Of Richard B. Ir-
win, the agent Of the Dany, who
/ was the only person who could give the
l Information sought for and who had left
/ for Europe, while the president Of the
company had become insane, or pre-
! tended insanity. This Irwin had re-
Gently returned from Europe, and the
company had caused his arrest and
brought suit against him for the rec0v-
! cry OF seven hundred and fifty Thousand
dollars obtained BY him from the COM
paBy. He had then given bail, and had
sgsin gone 10 Europe, but had since re-
turned. The cOmmittee had subpqnaed
him, ana had late last night received a
telegram from him stating that he had
important business TO attend to in New
York on Friday and Saturday, and that
his heslth would not permit him to
travel at night, but that he would ap-
pear before the committee on Tuesday
next. The sergesnt-at-arms had also
received a telegram from his assistant
iu New York, stating that Irwin was
unable, on account of his health, to ap-
pear before Tuesday. The committee
had some want Of confidence in Irwin,
aud had sent him telegram that they
could not consent to any delay. To this
the following reply has been received:
81 intend no disrespect to the commit
tee, but it is utterly impossible for me to
start before Monday without increasing
MY illness to such an extent that my
presence will be useless. I will posi-
lively appear next Tuesday"
Mr. Randall-Hss not Irwin been in
Washington within ten days
Mr.. Dswes-If that is 80, it is news to
the committee. l wish to have the ac-
ton Of the house on the subject, 80 that
If this witness should fail to appear, the
house, and not the committee on ways
and means, will be responsible for it.
Mr.. Phelps sent TO the clerks desk a
telegram which he had Just received
from Irwin, stating that he was too III
to move before Monday; that be was
confined to his room, unable to write,
aud hardly able to s9esk audibly, and
said that II the committees haste was
anything more than pro forHo, il was
simply brutal. de added that irwin
vas a constituent Of his, and that he
was being made q victim Of the Pacific
mail company; that he was eager to
have the suit tried, and had come back
from Europs to hurry Oh the trial.
After further discussion, q resolution
was adopted directing the arrest Of r.
win for contempt, 10 falling 10 obey the
summons OF the committee.
Mr.. Dawes explained, however, that
the chief object was to guard against
Irwin again leaving the country before
giving ais testin .ony.
Adjourned,