The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-05-20

hung whether this thing should be settleI
Gr not, and hung simply on the fact thal
III. Laluln SAID the crime was so enor-
nous that 80 far as he was concerned, be
never would consent TO settle It short d
the payment Of $4,000 by Phelps, Dodet
q 20. think Senator Conklinp advised
him TO do better. I only wish he had
stuck toit one day longer.n
| MIR. hale, ol New York, iitimated thai
Mr.. Beck was doing Injustice 10 Senatol
Conkllng. -., = IL - N''"''' -
Il Mr.. Beck-T can't yield to in,erruption
| have not done Senator Conkllng an in
Justice. l have made no charge agains,
him. I say that the testimony Shows
that he was counsel ior these men.
MIR. Hale-The gentleman Il certainly
IN error In that regard.
Mr. Beck-He was counselliug and ad.
vlslng with them. But what / want 10
get at ls, that no Senator or member
should be allowed TO act as counsel in
such cases, and that Is tho object Of my
amendment.
MIR. 3. Z. Roberts said that Mr.. Dodge
explained how Senator Conkliug happen.
ed to DO in the room, and that he sup
posed he was there not as counsel,
MIR. Beck-Mr. Dodge didn't say that.
| have read what he said. Judge Davis
said that Senator Conkling was there
reading law and expounding Il, appearing
as the friend and adviser of custom house
officers, thing which he had no buslness
10 do, and which no Senator and no
Representative ofght to be allowed to do,
and Il my amendment prevails they never
Will do 1t any more. insist that the third
section should be struck out OF the bill as
perpetuatiDg a system which ought not 10
exist Tor one moment The custom houses
have become dens Of corruption, and arc
kept up on account Of their political DOW.
er to control primary elections, pack con.
ventions, stuff ballot boxes, and perpet-
uate frauds such as ought to be impossible
IN any FREQ country.
At the close of Mr.. Beck's speech Mr.,
Kasson quoted from the testimony Of MIR.
Dodge as follows:
MIR. Oodge-I never had the most dis.
tant idea that Senator Uonkling was there
professionally; but ! believe he happened
TO be in New York at the time this thing
was In process OF settlement, and was in
council with some ol the other gentlemen
there, particularly, believe, with refer.
ence to the position occupied by Lailin.
! have never before mentioned his name
in the matter. My impressions were that
he had no pecuniary interest in It in any
way. have always looked upon 1t as q
mere accidental visit on his part to the
city. Still, the TACT that he was there in
connection with the other gentlemen
showed what an array there was against
us. -.
Mr.. Dawes had read on the same point
the statement Of Judge Davis, as follows:
Ar. Davis-The statute was there and
1t was read. Senator Conkling read the
statute. He had 1t in his hand. Whether
It was brought in after came or not, l
cannot say. He took the statute and
read It over, and SAID 1t didn't seem to
him that there could be any doubt. l
give only the subStsnce.of the remarks OF
Conkling-that tho true construction oil
the statute was that the whole Of the in.
voice was forfeited, and that under such
o state OF facts he thought 1t the duty Of
the collector to bring suit for the amount
Of the invoices, instead Of for the article
affected with fraud. I said to him that
under the rules Of the construction adopt.
ed in the Federal Courts, in all revenue
cases, that was the construction that
would be put upon the statute bill. He
said If the question were purely common
law under common law, The rules
that statutes imposing penalties and
f0rieitures, were TO be construed in a
milder sense. / thought the highest court
would give construction that would apply
forfeiture 10 the articles actually offered,
but I understood tho tendency OF the Su-
preme Court, as shown In tho wine case,
the cliquest case and some other cases had
been to give to those statutes q rigid con.
struciion on tho ground Of public policy,
and that l thought the Supreme Court
would give the construction which he
gave to the statute.
MIR. Wood, another member OF the
Committee on Ways and Means, made q
speech in support Of the bill.
Mr. Kasson, another member Of the
Committee on Ways and Means, while
condemning the law under which such
outrages had taken place, warned the
House against sweeping away all guard
and barriers against frauds,
Mr.. Burchard, another member of the
Committee on Ways and Means, gave his
cordial and hearty support TO the bill.
Mr. Niblack, another member Of the
Committee on Ways and Means, also ad-
vocated, as except 10 the 3rd section,
which he said appeared as anamolous and
unusual. E.--t IL
MIR. West moved an amendment to
provide for the employment OF 90 clerks
Of class three, instead OF. 81, In the office
Of the Auditor for the Postoffice Depart
ment. Agreed to.
Mr. West also moved an amendment TO
the fitth section, in regard to unexpended
balances being covered into the Treasury,
80 as to provide that the section should
not operate to prevent the lulhlment OF
contracts existing at the date Of the
passage Of the act. Agreed to.
On motion Of MIR. Sargent, the appro.
priation for the contingent expenses Of the
Executive Office was increased from "a 900
to $4,000.
Mr.. Hamlin submitted an amendment
for three additional clerks in the Office OF
the Fourth Auditor, TreasurysD Depart
ment, Agreed to.
Mr.. Frellnghuyeen said that the Score
tary had presented to the Committee on
Foreign Relations sundry amendments,
which were unanimously approved by
that Committee, and on behalf Of the
| Nor, yntlfaa ha nouu ofTaHad fhat1n On taI >
lows: To increase the number OF fourth.
class clerks from ten to twelve; TO reduce
the number of third.class clerks from
nine to six; to dispense entirely with sec
ond class clerks; 10 increase the number
Of clerks Of the flrst-class from eight to
eleven; to create thirteen clerks to act as
copyists; 10 increase the charge for pass
ports to five dollars after July /, 1874; to
authorize the Secretary Of State to have
char1a NJ tho diefrihntinn M TIM n1a,;noi