Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-15
WARRINGTON.

The Pacific Mail Subsidy.
| During the private session of the Ways and
Means committee to-day, the ACCESSIBILITY OF repro
ducing the testimony of Dillon, the former door.
keeper and the sergeanta- arms, was discussed. 1t
was decided in view of certain statements in that
connection affecting q member of former Con-
gress, and in order to complete the record in the
subsidy examination, to reproduce the testimony,
| either by statement of the witness or a memo
randa. His testimony taken two years ago. was
destroyed at his request the committee at the time
not considering it as having essential bearing on
the question 1t will be re collected that Sergeant
| alarms Ordway recently requested that Dillon
be re-summoned, and stated that his books do not
show that even dollar had been paid in orthrough
his Office to influence legislation. The following
sei'-cXplanatory letter was to-day received -
Washington, February 10, 1875
Clark Bell, Esq, Counsellor of the Pacific Mail
| Steamship Co., Dear Sir-You will without delay,
notify each and every person whose names have
been certified to as having received any part of
the money distracted from the Pacific Mail Steam.
ship Co., by A. Il. Stockwell and of Richard b. IT.
WIN, while they were officers of said company, that
unless the amount so certified and admitted to
| have been received by them is promptly refunded
to the company You will use all means known to
the law to compel immediate and prompt settle
ment. Very truly yours,
(Signed), Rufus Hatch,
Managing Director and Executive Officer Of the
Pacific Mail steamship Company.
Speaker Blaine's Views on the IIabeas
Corpus Question.
There having been some erroneous reports of
Speaker Blane's speech in the republican caucus
Friday evening last, the following is given as an
authentic outline of what he said:
The Speaker confined his remarks wholly to the
proposition for general suspension of the writ of
of habeas corpus and made no reference whatev-
| er to any other subject. He stated that he could
no possible reason for giving the President the
power to suspend the great writ at his discretion
| in Maine and Michigan because there was dis
turbed condition of affairs in Louisiana Missis-
| sppi. If there is condition of affairs there to
warrant it, let the suspension be confined to the
nisturbed districts He could not see why South
ern States like Virg mia, North Carolina and Ten
| nessee that were now trying to sustain good gov
| ernments, should be menaced and excited by
suspension OF the habeas corpus. Moreover, the
pending proposition was unlimited as to the terri
tory and unlimited as to time. The bill, if it should
become law, would confer upon the President of
the [ nited States for all time to come whoever
that President might be, the right and power to
suspend the habeas corpus at his sole and absolute
discretion in any city, county, district or State
within the Union.
He felt great respect for President Grant and
would trust him as far as he would any executive
officer, but he would never vote to confer this
tocratic power upon any President, now or here
after. Even if no actual harm should come from
1t for long period Of years, the people would in
the end become too much familiarized with the
suspension and would lose that intense jealousy
of individual personal liberty which is the great
characteristic of the Anglo Saxon race and which
all legislation should stimulate rather than re-
press.
Hon. Samuel Hooper member of Congress from
Mas sachh sets, died this, Saturday evening.
The Massachusetts delegation held a meeting
to-day, and took action concerning the death Of
ranged that Judge Hoar should tomorrow an
nounce his death in the House. and ask for the
appointment of committee to superintend the
funeral, which is to take place from the capitol
Tuesday afternoon at two O'clock. The remains
will be deposited in Oak Hill cemetery until the
return of the family of the deceased's from Eu-
rope.
Confessional Notes.
The message of President Grant and the &C.
companylng documents on the Arkansas affairs
communicated to the Senate ON the 9Th inst, still
lies on the table, several frutless attempts having
been made by Senator Clayton to refer them to
the committee on privileges and elections. The
subject is however already before that committee
on the memorial of v " Smith, claiming to be
the lawful Governor Of the State, and the docu-
ments now awaiting reference furnish but little
data not already known.
None of the general appropriation bills have
passed the House Of Representatives and several
of them became laws. The river and harbor bill,
the deficiency bill and the bill making appropria-
tons for sundry civil expenses will be reported
this week The army bill is in committee Of the
whole. The Senate has despared Of all the
general appropriation bills sent to it, excepting the
Indian, Military, Academy and pension bills. All
these bills far advanced as at any previous
session.
The bill for the equalization Of bounties passed
by the House Of Representatives. and is
the third of the kind passed by the House. The
two previous bills in former Congresses failed to
| receive defniive action by the Senate, nor is the
present bill likely to become q law mainly because
while there may not be time for the Senate to act
upon the measure it would, if passed into q law,
take from the treasury at least as much as the
proposed to be raised by the pending tariff bill.
the necessity for which is urged on the ground of
public necessity The tariff bill meets with objec
tons not only from the democrats but from many
| Of the republican members and therefore doubts
are expressed to whether it pass in the pres
| ent form.
Postal Changes.
| The following are postal changes for the pas
week:
| Post-masters appointed
Nathan Ellingwood Greenb lsh, Penobscst
| county, Maine.
John r. Pulsfer, South Auburn, Androscoggin
| county, Maine.
Milton Coffin, Thorndike, Waldo county, Maine.
Mrs. Relief Il. Sanborn, Compton, New lamp
shire.
Charles S. Weed, Farmsvillage, Connecticut.