The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-12-12
CONGRESS.
HOUSE.

WASHINGTON, December IL. - The
Senate bill for the appointment Of Gov.
Bancroft to I'll the vacancy in the
Board Of Regents oI Smithsonian In.
stltute was passed.
Mr.. Orr from the Committee on Public
Lands reported o bill allowing homestead
and preiemption settlers in Iowa, Min.
nesota, Nebraska and Kansas, whose
crops were destroyed or injured by the
the grasshoppers ia 1874, to leave and
be absent from their lands until May,
1876, without prejudice 10 their rights
Passed.
Mr.. Garfield denied that there was any
foundation whatever for the article in the
New York Tribune Of yesterday, entitled
the half million steal, hargthg the Com.
mittee on Appropriations with having in.
serted an item in the Postoflce appro.
priation bill for additional subsidy to the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company. The
bill had not been reported or even con.
sidered by the Committee.
The HouseItook up the private calendar
TIE PACIFIC MAIL INVESTIGATION.
Mr.. Dawes, rising to q question Of priv
ilege, called attention to the fact that the
Committee on Ways and Means had taken
up the investigation into the Pacific Mail
subsidy which had been commenced al
the close OF the last session, and had then
tAllen through because the committee had
been unable to secure the attendance OF
Richard b. Irwin, the agent Of the com.
pany, who was the'only person who could
give the information sought for, and who
had lett for Europe while President OF the
company and became temporarily insane
or pretended insanity. This Irwin had
recently returned from Europe and the
company had caused his arrest and
brought suit against him for the recovery
Of $3.50, 600 obtained by him from the com.
pany. He had then given bail and had
again gone TO Europe, but had since
returned here. The committee had
subrpnaed him, and had late last night
received telegram from him stating
that he had important business to attend
to in New York on Friday and Saturday;
that his health would not permit him 10
travel at night, but that he would appear
before the committee on Tuesday next.
The Sergeant.at.Arms had also received
u telegram from his assistant at New
York, stating that Irwin would be un-
able, on account OF his health, TO appear
before Tuesday:
The committee had some want OF con-
tidence in Irwin, and had sent him tele.
gram that the committee could not con-
sent 10 any delay. To this the following
reply has been received:
"Iintend no disrespeCt 10 your commit.
tee, but il is utterly impossible for me 10
start before Monday without increasing
my illness to such an extent that my
presence would be useless. | will posi-
lively appear next Tuesday"
MIR. Rsndall-Has not Irwin been in
Washington within ten days?
MIR. Dawes-Ii that is so, it is news to
the committee. | wish to have the action
OF the House on the subject so that II
this witness should fail to appear, the
House, and not the Committee on Ways
and Means, shall be responsible Tor 1t.
MIR. Phelps sent 10 the clerks desk q
telegram which he had just received from
Irwin, stating that he was too i'll to move
before Monday; that he was confined to
his room, unable to write and hardly able
to speak audibly, and said that the com.
mlttee's haste was pro forma and was
simply brutal. He added that Irwin was
a constituent of his and that he was be-
ing made victim Of the Pacific Mail
Company: that he was eager to have the
suit tried and had come back from Europe
10 hurry on the trial.
After further discussion the resolution
was adopted directing the arrest OF Irwin
for contempt in falling to obey the sum-
mons Of the committee.
Mr.. Dawes explained, however, that
the chief object was 10 guard against
Irwin again leaving the country before
giving his testimony. Adjourned.