The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-06-13
CON G r E S S.
HOUSE.
WAsHINaToN, June II.


HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, June l2.
TREATY WITH CHINA.
The joint resolution 10 modify th
treaty with China so as 10 restrict immi
grafton was passed.
The appropriation bill, with section
reducing the. force Of the army and pay Q
officers, was taken up.
FOR THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
Bills were introduced and referred b.
Mr.. Lord. The joint resolution recon
mending an additional amendment to tn
constitution providing that officers. 0
the United States, such as assessors, post
masters, marshals and collectors, excep
collectors OF customs, shall be elected fo
the termof four years.
sPECTE PAYMENTS.
By Mr.. Haymond-Proyiding for the
gradual resumption Of Specie payments
and for the repeal Of so much Of the re
sumption act as fixes the date for re-
sumption January !, 1879.
CONSUL BRIDGELAND.
On motion OF Mr.. Caldwell, Of Tennes'
sec, certain testimony affecting Mr.
Bridgelund, Consul to Havre, was re-
ferred to the Committee On Expenditures
in the State Department.
CORRUPTION FUNDS.
Mr.. Poppleton moved TO suspend the
rules and adopt resolution with long
preamble directing the Judiciary Commit.
Tee to inquire into the truth or falsity oi
the charges and allegations in connection
with the legislation Of 1869, requiring
the principal and interest on'the Gov
ernment bonds to be paid in coin; such
charges being generally that large sums
OF money were paid 10 corrupt public of
fcers and TO influence the public press in
favor Of that legislation; also directing
the committee TO report whether such
corrupt action does not inyalidate that
law; whether the law was not in violation
Of the contract under which the bonds
were originally issued, and therefore un-
constitutional. The vote on the motion
TO suspend the rules and adopt the resolu.
tion was yeas l02, nays q no quorum
voting, so the motion failed.
vINDIcAT1oS OF SPEAKER KERR.
Mr.. Clymer, from the Committee on
Expenditures in the War Department,
made report in the case OF the charge
against Speaker Kerr. The report states
that after full inquiry into the facts,
and after n thorough examination Of
Lawrence Harney, the only witness max.
ing the charge, also Of A. P. Green and
divers other witnesses; il appeared that
in 1866, while member Of the House Of
Representatives OF the Thirty.ninth Con-
gress, Mr.. Kerr did, in the exercise Of
his right or privilege, nominate Green
for an appointment in the regular army.
The committee, however, had found no
difficulty in reaching the conclusion that
the charge as to payment Of money to
Kerr was unqualifiedly ialse, and that
Kerr stood fully exonerated from all i'm.
plication affecting his personal honor or
official integrity. The committee had
found nothing in the whole progress OF
the investigation to impair or detracL
from the well.established reputation Of
Kerr for unqnestioned personal integrity
and unsullied purity.
Mr.. Clymer remarked that the conclu.
sion reached was the unanimous judg.
ment not only Of the committee but OF
the House, aud the country.
Mr.. Danford, Republican member Of
the committee, said that it afforded him
real pleasure to he able to subscribe to
the report not because Of the unfortunate
illness OF Mr.. Kerr, but because il was
IN act Of simple justice to him. He espoke
OF the unfortunate circumstance which
presented itself at the threshold OF the
inquiry Us 10 Mr.. Kerr, Democrat
from Indiana, giving the nomination to
Green, q Republican from New York, and
said that had it not been for that circum-
stance the committee would not have
deemed il worth while TO even enter on
an investigation. He was happy to say,
however, that he had no idea that so far
as the complication OF Mr.. Kerr was con.
cerned there was n single scintilla Of
truth in Harney's testimony. It was q
ialsehood taken advantage OF by bad
man for the purpose Of attempting to
blacken the reputation Of good man.
Applause.1 He spoke OF these investi.
cations used by as bad men rs Harney, as
being the --.--
VERY WORST INvEsTMENTs
that could bc used in n country like this.
The testimony Of Harney was but the ma
turaI outgrowth Of these Investigations.
Committees OF the House had been seen
this session mousing around and dragging
the public life and private correspond.
ence OF citizens into publicity, publishing
even the bank accounts OF officials with
out charges and without specifications.
He had thought at times that there was
in some quarters qualification when a
public official could be smirched, He
remembered the head lines OF a newspa-
per some two months ago, in which it was