New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-02
ARKANSAS AFFAIRS IN THE HOUSE.

ARKANSAS AFFAIRS IN THE HOUSE.
CURIOUS POSITION OF JUDGE poLAND's RESOLUTIONS
INGENIOUS DEVICE OF GEN. BUTLER TO MAKE
USE OF JUDGE POLAND FOR THE BROOKS FAC
TON-sMALL PROBABILITY THAT SUCH ADvAN-
TAGE CAN BE TAKEN.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuSE.l
WASHINGTON, March 1.-The most important
question now remaining to be acted upon by the
present Congress is the report of the Arkansas Com
mittee, of which Judge Poland is chairman. The
majority of tins Committee has reported resolution
declaring that there is occasion for any interfer
ence by any branch Of the Federal Government with
the present Administration in Arkansas; and O mi
norty is in favor of recognizing Mr. Brooks as the le
gal Governor of that State and of placing him in pow
er there by the aid of Federal bay6nets The latter
policy is the one that is favored by the President as
was shown in the message on Arkansas affairs which
he sent to the Senate at the instance of Senators
Clayton and Dorsey and of Ex-Gov. Shepherd.
From the tone of that message and from other cir
cumstances, it is very plain that Gen. Grant will
need little encouragement from Congress to induce
him to carry out the policy he has announced. The
position of the question in the House is as follows:
When Judge Poland reported bis resolution, he
caused it to be recommitted TO his committee and
then entered motion to reconsider the vote to re-
commit. This gave him the power to bring
his resolution before the House at any time.
by calling up the motion to recon-
slider. During the night session of Wednesday
last Gen. Butler tired to call this motion up The
trick he intended to play upon the House was. when
Judge Polands resolution was pending. to move to
amend it by substituting another resolution, de-
clariDg Mr. Brooks to be the legal Governor of the
State. He would then call the previous question,
and if he could muster majority he would give the
President lust the preteXt he DESIRES to overthrow
the legal Government in Arkansas. The Speaker
did not recognize him then, but did recognize
Judge Poland whose motion was voted down by
large majority, as the Republicans were anxious to
get at the Force BILL and the Democrats afraid
to risk the danger of majority for the Brooks
substitute.
1t is altogether probable that when this question
comes up the Speaker will recognize Judge Poland
and not Gen. Butler as having chai ge of It, and thus
enable the former to call the previous question be-
fore the Brooks substitute is moved though it may
be that the Democrats and the Republicans who
support the Poland report may think it safer not to
allow the subject to como before the House at all
rather than to run the risk of being defeated by
Gen. Butler and the clique he leads. The Brooks
substitute for Judge Polands resolutionshas other
elements of strength beside those of partisan or
political nature. The success of the schemes Of a
desperate set of railway jobbers, whose dishonesty
was some time ago editorially exposed Tin THE
TRIBUNE, depends entirely upon the restoration of
the Clayton party to power in Arkansas and this
fact has made the contest far exciting than it
otherwise would have been. Messrs. Clayton d Co.
are working not only for political supremacy in the
State but if they succeed the victory will rebound
to the private gain of their friends if not to them
selves.