New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-11
CONGRESS-.
Senate.

WASHINGTON, March l0-Mr. Stevenson
presented the resolutions of the Cincinnati
Chamber of Commerce against change in
the present law for drawbridges over the
Ohio river.
After long debate the bill authorizing
New Mexico to form 3 State constitution
passed-35 to Is.
The House bill removing the political dis
abilities of Samuel Cooper, of Virginia,
passed.
The Senate went into executive session
and adjourned to Monday.
No Southern con6rmations.
The bill extending patents on sewing ma
chimes was tabled.
Mr.. Cox, of New York, offered a resolu-
tion, recitng from the reports of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, that between the
thirty first of January and the twenty
fourth Of February there was an increase
of coin and bullion in the treasury to the
amount of over $l8,000,0OO, and that be-
tween the twenty fourth and twenty
ninth of February there was q
reduction of over $2O,OOO.0OO; that
these great fluctuations within 80
short time required explanation. and in
structing the Committee on Ways and
Means to examine the books of the Treas
ury Department if necessary, and the off
GERS thereof to ascertain the cause of such
fluctuatiOn; and also, to ascertain whether
the legal tender notes received for the re-
demp{ion of national bank notes are kept
az q special fund, or whether other money.
Referred to the Committee Oh Ways and
Means.
The Houee went into committee of the
whole on the appropriation bill.
Mr.. Bass q member of the Committee on
Naval Expenditures, made q personal ex-
planation. He had opposed the discharge
of the witness, Marsh, by the committee
because he was the sole witness against
Belknap.
Mr.. Clymer replied that the recollection
of his colleague differs essentially and
thoroughly from the rest of the committee.
He read from the statement of Danford,
Blackburn and himself, and from the re-
cords of the committee to refute Mr.. Bass
statement. No objection was made to the
departure of Marsh, and to say that he
more than any other member OF the COM
mittee was responsible for his discharge
| was unfair.
Mr.. Blackburn had no doubt the gentle
man from New York (Bass) intended to tell
the truth, and was sorry the gentleman was
not corroborated by the committee or the
records.
The coloquy continued very bitterly, with
| out eliciting any new facts.
Mr. Bass insisted that the record of the
committee bore out his original statement;
that the committee had held only two meet
ings prior to telegraphing for Marsh, those
meetings being on the second and nine
teenth Of February. As to the suggestion
about his advising the Attorney General or
the President to stop the escape of Marsh,
he regarded it rs too absurd to require
an answer. The only tribunal in the
world that had Jurisdiction Of Marsh
was the Committee on Expenditures in the
War Department, subordinate to the au
thority Of the House. The witness had been
discharged before any Repu blican member
of the committee had any knowledge of it
How could the Republican members of the
committee have known, when the chairman
left the committee room with the witness
what directions we're to be given to him
Depunciations had been hurled in thil
House BY the gentleman from Kentucky Al
the head of the Secretary of War, and th.
charge made that he had sought to shield
himself behind the dish0nor of his family
whereas every other member of the com
mittee knew that the struggle had beer
made on his part to avoid their dish0nol
and to shoulder the burden himself.
Mr.. Blackburn said he was glad to know
that that sentence had gone on record. and
that he (Blackburn) stood before the House
, | and country as one who had done All tha'
An honorable man could do to shield from
, criticism and censure an innocent woman
The gentleman from New York was vel
. come to stand before the country - he die
now. striving to shield from punishment ,
guilty. man. (Applause from tho galleries
, and sneers from the Republican side of tn
House.
The House adjourned.