The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-03-08

| jurisdiction. aud the House and the commit.
i teehad no right to embarrass the grand jury
In the execution of the laws of the land.
/ Mr. McCrnry, Of iowa, reminded his col.
| league that the committee had tn it's posses
sion the contract which uust be the founda-
ton of any proceeding for an Indictment OF
this offender, and that that contract was
probably the very thing the grand jury
would get hold Of.
Mr.. Clyner remarked that that contract
was between Caleb r. Marsh and John s..
Evans, and that the Secretary of War knew
nothing of it when 1t was. made, nor for two
years afterwards.
Mr.. Kassop, 10 the course OF some further
remarks, referred to the interview which
Mr.. Blackburn, of Kentucky, bad bad with
some of the parties implicated, and suggest.
| ed that the grand Jury might baVea desire to
examine him about it..
MIR. Blackburn replied, with some beat Of
manner, that IL the gentleman from Iowa
said that he had had conversations with
Mrs. Belknap, and at great length, be would
CODY the remark of senator and would
authorize the gentleman from iowa when.
ever he. beard any body making any such
statement, to say that he had his Bfck-
burn's) authority for telling chat man that
he lies. [Great excitement.I
MIR. Kssson: Do understand the gentle
man to say that be had no conversation on
the subject involved in this prosecution, in
volyed in this criminality, outside of the
committee.room.
Mr.. Blackburn :: have fled statement
on the subject, which neither the gentleman
from Iowa nor any other nan can impugn.
Mr.. Kasson:: Then appeal to that state
ment, and ask If that is. not so. Ii the inter-
view was mpertinent to the ease, why was
1t reported and made public? And if peril
nent to the case, why are not the criminal
courts Of the country entitled to it.? ZAP
plause on the left side.l
MIR. Blackburn : Will the gentleman from
Iowa inform the House whether the news
paper report is true that he and bis colleagues
waited in body on the former Secretary Of
War; ,-s..
Mr.. kasson I" I will answer the question
with more fulsess than the gentleman has
answered mine."
Mr.. Blackburn: g Then, I trust the gen.
tleman will tell US what occurred, and
whether he is the repository of the confeS.
sion of guilt"
Mr.. Kssson: &c shall respond to sub.
pena TO give any statement of fact in aid of
the prosecution OF crime. Will the gentle.
man do as much, or will he plead bis prvi-
lege and decline to aid in the prosecution
Before the committee made its report there
came request to the entire Iowa delegation
in both houses to ca on the Secretary of
| War, as he wanted to see lhen that
| day. We went in the evening, senators
and members, and we met this statement
from him: When 1 sent for you, gentle
men, supposed there would he some OPP
portunity to be beard in the House on this
subject. I have now learned that am i'm.
peached, so that it is useless for me to treu-
| BILE you with what was going to say as to.
the evidence in this case"-and we left him
MIR. Ainswortb, Of Iowa, asked why the
Iowa delegation had left him out. daughter
on the Democratic side of the Housed
The debate continued amid great excite.
ment and with frequent demonstrations OF
applause and laughter on either side of the
| House.
Mr.. Blaine, of Maine, was the central
figure on the Republican side of the House
at which all the shafts of eloquence ard ga.
tire were launched from the Democratic side
The debate was of such length, extending
over four hours, that it is impossible to give
a connected summary of it. 1t was partici-
pated In by Mr. Robbins of North Caro-
lima, Singleton Of Mississippi, Danford Of
Ohio, Pecke Of New York, Cox of New
York, Bright Of Tennessee, Hoar of Massa
chusetts, Knott of Kentucky, and Hooker o.
Mississippi.
The Republicans intimated that the wit
ness Marsh had been allowed to escape tbt
country through some motive which the
Democrats had, and it vas charged on tht
Democratic side that the President and cab
met We're instrumental in driving him out o
the country through intimidation.
His escape was characterized by Mr.
Beebe, Of New York, as that OF an obscure
petty thief, and he suggested that the Demo
Gratis were so intent on greater game tba
thew bad allowed that miserable offender tt
slip through their fingers through the machi
nations of the Executive and Cabinet Off
GERS, The Democrats, however, he said
proposed to pursue, not the Marshes, who
were trichinR, but the villains in higt
places, and in that connection be quoted tn
doggerel rhyme:
Some bait their hook with mites Of cheese,
And sit Oh kennel to bob for feas;
Others bait their hoo KS with tiger tails
And sit on rocks and bob for whales.
The gentlemen on the other side, be said
might pursue their flea catching if they
pleased, but the Dem crats would drag from
the turbid waters Of pollution the whales
aud would supplement it, perhaps, by drag
ging out the leyiathan himself and exposing
him to the indignation Of an outraged com
munity.
Finally the debate closed, and the House
nroeeeded to vote on the resolution offered
| - 4.
tl1te TO Mr.. Lamar's, and which proposed to
declare that the members subp9naed were al
liberty to attend the criminal court, and to
give such evidence and produce such docu
ments as relate to the charges against w. w
Belkuap for receiving bride from one
Marsh.
The substitute was rejected-ayes, 81
noes, 1913.
Mr.. Lamar's original resolution was agreed
to-ayes, 1870; noes, 70.
Mr.. Whitthorne OF Tennessee, from the
Committee on Naval Affairs, submitted tc
the House the testimony of Elchias F. Wolf
OF Washington, formerly book.keeper to S
P. & a. P. Brown, navy contractors ano
claim agents Of Washington, ia which be de-
clined to answer the following questions
"Did you ever take any money from Mr.
Brown and hand it to anybody con
nected with the naval service, and do yor
know of any commission or payments having
been in any way paid to anybody connected
with the naval seryice?"
Mr.. Whitthorne also offered resolution
directing the Speaker to issue his Warran
directing the Sergeant-at.Arms to take into
custody the body of Elchias F. Wolf, and
to bring him to the bar OF the House to SHOW
cause why be should not be punished TO