The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-03-11

HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, March 10, 1876.
COIN AND DULLION.

Of his colleague (Mr. Hewitt), offered a
resolution reciting from the reports Of
the Secretary Of the Treasury that be.
tween the 3lst Of January and the 9th Of
February there was All increase OF coin
and bullion in the Treasury to the amount
Of over SIS, 100000, and that between the
9th Of February and the 10Th OF Febru.
ary there was reduction Of over S20,.
100000; that these great fluctuations
within 30 short time require explana.
ton, and instructing the Committee on
Ways and Means TO examine the books
Of the Treasury Department, il necessary,
and the officers thereof, to ascertain the
causes Of such fluctuations, and also to
ascertain whether the legal-tender notes
received for the redemption OF national
bank notes are kept in common with
other money. Referred to The Committee
on Ways and Means.
CURRENCY QUESTION.
The House then went into Committee
of the Whole, with Mr.. Cox, Of New
York, in the Chair. on the legisla'
tive and Judicial appropriation bill
and was addressed by Mr.. Phillips, oi
Kansas, on the general subject OF finance
Messrs. Haskins and Willis also ad-
dressed the House on the currency ques'
ton. The latter said the only relation
that the government should sustain TO
banking should be 10 secure these three
ends: First-Uniformity. Second-Con-
vcrtibility into coin at demand. Third
Absolute security 10 bill holders. Amy
other remedy involved delay and posi-
bly, the increased fever for greenbacks in
disregardo OF all consideration Of morality
and sound policy.
The committee rose without action.
Mr.. BASS EXPLAINS.
Mr.. Bass, a member Of the Committee
on Expenditures in the War Department,
proceeded to make personal explains
lion in reference to the insinuations in
two Of the speeches oil his colleaugue on
the committee (Blackburn) that the Re-
publican members OF that committee had
taken no part in the Belknap invcstiga.
ton till the proof was all in, signed and
sealed. lie showed that no notice what
ever had been given to tho Republican
members of the committee until after the
testimony OF Marsh had been taken. He
called attention TO the fact that although
the meeting at which Marsh testified was
held on Tuesday, the regular day OF meet
ing, il contained the evidence that he
had been before the committee on the pre-
vious day Monday. He asked why
the Republican members OF the commit
tee had not been advised Of that Mondays
meeting.
lie spoke Of DR.. Tomlinson, whose
mission 10 Washington had been TO fix
up the matter rs having been mcssen.
ger between Marsh and the committee.
Ii was after such secret proceedings as
these that the House had been dramatic.
ally told, not once only but several times
that certain members OF the committee
had not crossed the threshold Of the com.
mittee room till the proof was all In, and
signed and sealed. II they had not there
was therefore greater reason why they
should have been notified OF this speech,
and important that the record OF
the committee should be that
there had been only two meetings
Of the committee up to the time OF this
investigation. Reverting TO the dis.
charge Of the witness (Nlarsh), he BASS
dissentcd distinctly and unequivocally to
tl,e statement Of Mr.. Blackburn that The
witness had been discharged with the
knowledge OF the entire committee. One
Of the Republican members Of the com.
mittee (meaning HIMSELF had strenuously
opposed the discharge Of the witness and
had stated some reasons why, but the
witness had been discharged at II J O'Clock
that day. Objections had been made in
the presence Of the committee alone
After II o'clock that day, when the rcsig'
nation OF Secretary Belknap had been
notified TO the committee, the two sub
iec,s had been matter Of discussion
The reasons which he (Bass) had stated
against the discharge OF Marsh were that
Marsh was the sole witness in the case
and his testimony was uncorroborated
that Il the Secretary Of War should be Z
witness before the committee and should
contradict Marsh's testimony il would be
necessary to recall Marsh; and, further
that the safety Of the committee (regard
ing its own rcputation) would not allow
the discharge OF the witness pending pro
ceelings, The discussion on these two
Observation-Disclosures after the rcsigna
ton Of the Secretary and the discharge
Of the witness-had lasted several min
utes. Then single question had beer
put to the witness by Mr.. Blair, counsel
ior Secretary Belknap, the witness
having been called in for that
po,lrpose, and thercupon without any
question having been asked OF any mem
ber OF the committee, and on the sole re-
quest Of the witness, he was discharged
by the chairman. The witness had then
stated that lie desired to leave for New
York on the l o'clock train, as he ex.
pressed it, and the chairman offered to &c
with him and get his fees, and said that
II ne had not time to gel. them before the
train left he would send them to him by
mail. Marsh then inquired MS to the con-
tract between himself and Evans, and the
chairman stated that he would send it Ia
him by mail In q few days. The witness
then left the room and he (Bass) had moi
seen him since. Thcsewere the facts in the
case. This man Marsh had testified 10 the
most grave and serious charges against q
high officer Of the Government, and those
charges had been sufficiently proved &c
ius,iiy demand for immediate impeaclr,
lnent, but the charges we're wholly and
utterly uncorroboratcd. Evidence had
been given by the witness as to certain
certificates Of deposits that were sent tC
the Secretary OF War. Would II moi
have been judicious at least to have de,
tained the witness until the bank had
been applied to for corroborating cvi
dence. As TO Knott's proposition thai
the detention OF the witness would have
been an assault, he (Bass) regarded that
as preposterous absurdity. II had beer
charged by gentlemen on the other side
that other people were responsible for the
escape OF the witness, and 1t had beer
asked how they could detain him. The
answer was that he could have been de-
tanned rs he had been brought-by sub
ppna. What evidence was there thai
The subpoena had lost its virtue at 1l:SC
o'clock on Thursday? The witness woult
have remained in obedience to the sub
pona, or, II he had escaped while under
Il, nm attachment could have been imme
diately issued against him and an Officer
sent in pursuit OF him on the next train
who wonld have returned him 10 the