National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-20
CONGRESS YESTERDAY.

The Senate nave, Tor the time Delng, gotten
through with their exciting and acrimonious
debate, and have settled down to business.
This is good for the country, but hard on the
visitors who daily visit the Capitol, and on
such visits expect TO be entertained with cHrC-
tive oratory. They can sit for hours and listen
to q good speech on either side of n subject
but they cannot endure routine buslness-it Is
dullcr by far than tho proceedings at q second.
class funeral These prosy proceedings give
tho doorkecpers something to do, however, for
within an hour they had TO wake up seven
slumbcrng visitors In the front seats. They
don't much mind quiet nap IN the rear row,
but 10 slccp--nay, snorc-in the front seats Il
too great breach Of the privileges. The Sen.
ators devoted the day to the Introduction of
bills, &C., tried 70 make III order, but failed
TO facilitate business, and then went TO work
on the npproPrIat lon bill, with which they
made some progress.
In the House It was good day for dignity.
The members, both individually and collect.
lively, were on their dignity. Several OF them
had been grleVously attacked by the pubica.
ton Of their names Ia certain papers IN con-
ncctIon with the Pacific Mail subsidy. These
gentlemen were not only indignant but they
were vlrtuously honest, aud after declaring
this fact In the strongest possible language
permitted other gentlemen 10 testify 10 their
good character and their Innocence of the vile
charges. Hardly had the echo Of the closing
words OF the ChaplaIns prayer reached the
Throne Of Grace and Mercy before Mr.. Storm
rose TO q question Of privilege, and made n
speech which he intends to repeat at the " bar
NJ Col m ha Iay - artn hat 10
was a poor man, and never owned s 900
bill In his life, and never received n cent
from the Pacific Mail Company. Mr.. May
nard then proceeded 10 satisfy the House
that neither Mr.. Storm nor Mr.. Boyd Win
chester had ever seen a dollar OF the
Pacific Mail money. Mr.. Syphcr was the next
gentleman 10 speak on the same subject. lie,
unlike the other gentlemen, was rich, and did
a banking business with the Scrgeant-at-Arms.
At times his deposits were greater than II took
TO buy either Congressman or newspaper
men. He had got thousand dollar bills
changed, and had voted for the sub
sidy, and would do 1t again. There was no
applause at this declaration. At the request of
Mr.. s. B. Chittendcn, Mr.. Dawes certified that
his name had not been mentioned IN the COM
mittce, aud that gentleman was made happy.
The individual cases had been disposed of for
the present, and now comes the weightler ones
Of maintaining the dignity of the House of Rep
resentatives, which had been assailcd, by the
arrest OF Whitelaw Reid, under a due process
of law. On Mr.. L. Il. IIoar devolved the duty
Of opening the subject, which he did by the in
PRODUCTION of the resolution published else
where, and said to have been dictated
by Speaker BlaIne) TO inquire into the
matter. This lie advocated In a few
remarks, and Mr.. Butler, of Massa-
chusCtts, took the floor in opposition
to the measure, and for awhile talked good
common sense, instead Of the twadde that a
man accused of a crime could not he arrested
because he had come from New York 10 in-
struct the committee in secret session how
they should proceed with the duties assigned
them. He was interrupted and replied TO by
Mcssrs. Hoar, Dawes, Kelley ard Randall, and
as the vote was called for, with the manner so
peculiar him, he called out: "Let us now see
how many members of the House are not
afraid of the TriJ,u,c!'' To its discredit be it
said, only forty odd members Of the House
voted against the proposition. Mr.. Hayes
then denied having received any subsidy; after
which the Speaker announced the special com.
mittce.
Still another question Of dignity was brought
up in the shape Of his resolution directing the
arrest of Mr.. Wctmore. Mr.. Beck took occa-
sion to tell all about his opposition 10 the bill,
and quoted and referred to the paragraph in
THE REPUBLICAN of yesterday. The audience
thought the point Of the paragraph good oNe
and laughed, after which the resolution was
adopted. Half an hour was spent in legiti-
EIste business, but as they have so much time
remaining of the session the members con
cluded to have some more fun, and Mr.. Wet
more was brought before the bar Of the House
by the Sergeant-at-Arms, and in response to
the inquiry of the Speaker he answered with
laconic "no."
His fair, manly and proper request pub
lished in the proceedings was then read by
himself in an audible voice, and it was sup
posed by all would be willingly granted. But
no: Mr.. Dawes wanted blood; he wanted
the answer at once. One gentleman from the
Pacific coast had the decency to say a word
for the prisoner, and make a motion in his be-
half, pending which the House adjourned, and
the prisoner was placed in the custody OF the
Sergeant alarms.