The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-06-13
HOUSE.

Joint resolution to modify the treaty
with China so as to restrict immigration
passed.
Bills were introduced and referred.
BY Mr.. Lord-A joint resolution rec
ommsnding an additional amendment 10
the Constitution providing that officers Of
the United States, such as assessors, post
masters, marshals and collectors, except
collectors of customs, shall be elected for
term of four years.
By Mr.. Haymond-Providing for the
gradual resumption OF specie payments.
and for the repeal of so much OF the re
sumption act as fixes the date for resump-
ton ut January lst, 1879.
On motion of Mr.. Caldwell, of Ten
nessee, certain testimony affecting Mr.
Bridg geland, Consul to Hsvre, Was re-
ferred ~ the Committee on Expenditures
in the State department.
Mr.. Pappleton moved to suspend the
rules and adopt a resolution with long
preamble, directing the Judiciary Com
mittee to irquire as to the truth or
falsity of certain charges and allega
tions in connection with the legisIa-
ton of 1869. requiring the principal
and interest on government bonds
to be paid in coin, such charges
neing generally that large sums
of money were paid TO corrupt public
officers and TO influence the public press
IN favor of that Legislation; also direct
ing the committee to report whether such
corrupt action does not lnvalldate that
law; whether the law was not IN violation
of the contract under which the bond.
were originally issued and therefore Is
unconstitutional. The vote on the mo-
ton to suspend and adopt the resolution
was: Yeas, l02; nays, Il. No quorum
voting SO the, motion tailed.
Mr.. aClymer, from the Committee on
Expenditures in the War Department,
made report in the case of the charge
against Mr., Kerr. The report states that
a.ier iull inquiry into the facts. and after
II thorough examination Of Lawrence
Harney, the only witness making the
chang :, also Of A. p. Green and divers
other witnesses, it appeared that IN 1866
while u member of the House OF Repr"
sentative of the Thirty.nlnth Con
gress, Mr.. Kerr did, in the exercise oI
his right or privilege. nominate Green
Tor an appointment il The regular army.
The committee, howe, rr, had found n,
ditficulty in. reaching tae conclusion that
the charge as TO the payment OF money
to Mr. Kerr was unqualifediy false, and
that Mr.. Kerr stood fully exonerated
rom all implications affecting his person
al honor or official integrity. The com.
mittee had found nothing in the whole
progress of the investigation to impair
or detract from the well established repu-
tation o. MIR Kerr for unquestioned
personal integrity and unsullled purity
MIR. CIV mcr remarked that the conclu
sion reached was the unanimous judg
ment not only oil the committee, but oI
the House and country.
Mr.. Danford, Republican member 0
the committee, sold that it afforded nm
real Measure TO be able TO subscribe to
the report, not because of the unfortunate
illness OF Mr.. h RI, but because 1t was al
q It OF mp justice to him.. de spoke oi
the unfortunate circumstance whicb
presented itself ut the Threshold ol
,nouIry as to Mr.. Kerr, y Democrat
from Indiana, giving the nomination
to Mr.. Green, Republican from New
York, and said that if it had not been
for that circumstance, the committee
would not have deemed 1t worth while To
even enter on Investigation. de wns
happy 10 say, however, that he had n"
,dea that So tar as the corraption OF Mr..
Kerr WA. concerned, there was = single
scintila of truth in Harneys testimony.
IL WAS II falsehood taken advantage oi
of BY a bad man, for the purpose OF At
TEN ,.llng To bIsckeu tue reputation OF y
good man. tApplause. de spoke OF
these in ves,igations, used by by bsd uen
such as Harney, rs being the very worst
instruments that can be used in coun-
try like this. The testimony OF Harney
was but tie natural outgrowth OF these
Investigations. The committees of the
House had been seen this session mousing
around and dragging public life and the
private correspondence Of citizens INTO
o ,blicity. publishing even bank
'ccounts OF officials without charges and
without specifications. he had thou nj
n, times that there was, in some quarters,
a qualification when public official cosId
be smirched He remembers the head
lines of a newspaper some two months
,yo IN which il WAS Announced that
aGrsnt is caught at last, and dispatch
actually r-joici, z in the prospect thst the
Presid, mt Of the United States had been
found IL q questionable transaction.
Reierr,rg g TO the matter OF the eIpendi-
ture # money in regard to the New
York election frauds, the President was
one whom all should honor and rep ct {,
for the position which he occupied. lie
wss q man who had been leader OF the
American army from Donaldson to APP
pt matpx, and VINO VA nDw IN the Ia
wear of his second term ~ President
He VISA successor Of Washington and
Jefferson and Lincoln, and it wss q ssd
sight when sny committee OF the H"use
OF Representative. or when any citizen OF
IN. Un".d S,z,.s could express gratitud.
q. catching the President in aquestionab 0
transa-. n. ne also remeinb 'red an
other transaction Of another committee,
in which a witness was brought /, testify
uguii st the President in regard 10 the
breaking up Of the martial relations OF
the witness. That witness had come
wi,hou, n single corroborsting circum-
siarce, without . sing fact to support bis
testimony, and yet, though the
Presidents public character might be
b,a.,ed, bis reputation smirched for
ever. and bis family relations
broken up-if that nigh: BE-