Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-07-03
Our Wash.ngton I etter.
WASHINGTON d. G., june q 1874.
81 o.

WAsmINGToN D. G., June q 1874.
1t has been dectncl impossible by
calm observers t0 kinQlc anew AMY
deep interest III CONGRESSIONAL pro
cccdings, but observation-disclosures that
Gen. Butler woultpay his resiScts 70
certain people on Friday evening,
drew full house of wide awake and
Jolly listeners. BntlcrEis never gull
ty Of being dull whatever other sins
he may be Charged with, and on this
occasion he WAS III his livclicst mood,
and made it warm for opponents in.
and out of Congress. The feeling of
the House has been decidedly enlist
cd in behalf OF the great firm OF
Phelps, Dodge & Co, Of n. Y, and
it is the supposed hardships Of their
case which has nail.li caused the alb
clifton Of moi,ti,s. 10 the dealings
of this firm Butler gave special at
tention, and charged: |: That they
made numerous undervaluations III
invoices, keeping set Of books with
the true and false invoice entered
side by side, but making oath at the
Custom house to the false one and
selling by the other. That under
the advice of four eminent lawyers,
they made voluntary offer to com
promise with Secretary Boutwell, and
pay S27l,0 900 which he refused to ac-
cept, unless they made confession
that the talsehood was intentional,
which confession was made. 8. That
the firm cheated the government by
having their metals cast into statues
which they imported free, and sold
as metals, melting them as soon as
imported. 4. That member of the
firm secured, fraudulcntly, change
OF a comma in revenue act, by
which they ncttcd several millions Of
duties which were included in the act
as passed. The most singular thing
in this whole debate was the fact that
Mr.. Roberts, Mr.. Dawes, Mr.. IRE
maine and the other gentlemen who
replied to Butler did not. deny the
truths of these allegations, in single
particular. This glaring defect in
the defence was patent to the galleries,
and despite the illusions to spoon
stealing, and being counsel to in
formers which were made against
Butler, it told so heavily in his favor
that his triumph was decided and ac-
knowledged. by applause, If these
heavy charges cannot be denied, it is
of very little use to say much about
the "exalted reputation" of Phelps &
Dodge, for the case Of Facts VS.. Rep
utation always ends in favor of the
plaintiff.
In the course of the debate, Butler
read letter of Fosters which show
ed desire on his part to crap" the
member from Massachusetts,. which
was not only supplementary, but
inconsistent with proper notions of
public duty and motives for lcgisla-
tive action. TO ''twit'' any man for
natural misfortune or defect is sim
ply contemplate, and that case must
be weak indeed which needs that
kind of assistance. The invectiye
hurled at Butler was bitter, but vain,
unless his charges are, false If they
are false, then his speech was braz-
en- lie, but if true the inyective was
ridicplously impotent, and sadly out
ofplace.
Our District, bill by which Gov
enor, Legislature, Board of Public
Works and other paraphernalia of
rulership was squelched was signed
by the President on Saturday, and on
SunAy we We're a free pcople-savc
them bonds.
On Monday Congress re,nainedin
session until past midnight fixing
up measures, compromising, and ar
ranging details, while anxious claim
ants i'll scores and hundreds hung
around with anxious hearts and faces,
all uncertain whether their various
little bantlings, SO carefully nmsed all
winter would get through safely or
die in the last throes of the expiring
session. Tuesday came and all was
over, but what was done and what
left undoue cannot at the present
writing be definitely asccrtained in
full.
THE CLOSING ACTS OF CONGRESS.
A currency bill was patched up,
which strange to say passed, and was
signedhby the President. TWAS con-
traction enough to suit the hard mon
ey men, and expansion enough to
please the lovers of more money, and
twas such a good bill that Grant
couldn't help signing it. Poor Rich
ardson who has suffered the torments
of the damned for having expanded
the currency to $2S3,0OO,00O, and
whose financial reputation was blast
ell in consequence of the act, was sus-
tanned, and the overwhelming judg-
ment Of Congress, as expressed in the
bill, is that he lit the case exactly,
and they voted that as the true vol
umc Of the currency, without the
least suspicion that it is anything but
Congressional wisdom, and fully con-
vinced that Richardson is financial
fool. "Such is life"
One of the good bills passed late
was the act to prevent hazing at An
napolis, for which the Secretary of
the Navy deserves great credit.
I spent few days at Annapolis
during the late examination of candi-
dates for the Naval Academy and
was surprised to find this pernicious
practice had extended to the candi-