New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-09
Especial Correspondence Of the Republican
AFFAIRS AT THE CAPITAL.

| AFFAIRS AT THE CAPITAL.
| WASHINGTON, D. c., August 4, 1876.
| Tie whole course Of !he present Hous'
majority since the opening day last De
cember, when Fernando Wood opened th'
grave of State rights, exhumed the de
cayed body of that prolific parent Of many
; OF our political woes, and attempted 70 re
vivify it by congressional indorsement, con
firms the belief that q Bourbon 1evel
torgets or learns anything. In December
Proctor Knott entered the House under al
almost oppressive weight OF fame, the frui
OF his Duluth speech, and possessing The
respect of political friend or foe, although
many were annoyed at his appointment q.
chairman Of very important committee
that on Judiciary. The memories Of you,
readers do not need 20 be refreshed as tc
the part he took in the Blaine persecution
eliminating in his suppression Of the Cald
well dispatch. for which he was ex.
ooriated by Mr.. Blaine and investigated
by the committee. Yesterday the re.
port Of the committee was submitted
to the House unanimously exonerating him
from any malicious disposition in the mat
ter. Contrary to the expectation Of every
one, he made speech so full of vindictive
hate asainst Mr.. Blaine as to forfeit for
felt forever the last ves1ige Of respect re-
naming to him. Mr.. Frye, with an elo-
quence rarely equsled in Congress, hurled
back into the teeth Of the lowering Ken
tuckian his malicious insinuations with all
the torce Of fiery Indignation. He was
followed by Mesers. Hale and McCreery
much in the same spirit, admid intense
excitement. AL three of the Republican
members of the committee demanded that
their names be stricken from the report.
Mr.. Knots humiliation is complete and
overwhelming. Even his friends were
ashamed to defend him. He has added an
other to the many reasons furnished this
session by Democratic Congressman against
the rehabilitation Of that efiete, reactionary
organization.
Now that the Belknap business has been
disposed Of by his acquittel, final adjourn
ment is the most absorbing question before
both House and Senate; and it is predicted
it will occur early next week.
It may be said, il passing, that Mr.. Belk-
nap has no occasion to be unduly happy
over his escape, as it was probably due to
the conviction of twenty-:hree Senators
that private citizen is not obnoxious to
impeachment as a. means Of punishment for
crimes and misdemeanors committed while
an official. But an indictment is hanging
over the ex-Secretary, found last spring by
the grand jury of this District, and if he is
convicted under it, all the punishment will
follow that would have resulted from his
conviction by the Senate.
The river and harbor bill was recommlt-
ted to the Senate committee a few days
since with instructions to limit the appro-
priations within $5,00O,0O0. The instruc-
tions were carried out and the bill again
to the Senate where it's several
items are being considered separately. Ran
dali yesterday intimated that the legisla-
tive bill would have been agreed to by Sat
urday night. 1t is believed the House will
recede from it's demand to transfer Indian
affairs to the tender Tor otherl mercies of
the War Department. If go the Indian bill
can be readily adjusted. Only one other
consular and diplomatic. At
the last report no agreement had been
reached and the prospect for an early &C.
was decidedly discouraging.
At caucus of Republican Senators de-
was almost universally mani
tested to resist any further encroachments
Of the House. The rumor is prevalent here
to the effect that Goode, a member of the
Banking and Currency committee, was ar.
bitrsly awarded his seat, to which he does
not appear to have q shadow Of
claim, through bargain with the hard
money Democrats by the terms of which he
was to absent himself from Washington as
his contest with Platt should he decided in
his (Goode's) favor. Whether true OF 9TH
erwise he was absent, and thus defeated
any report of bill to repeal the resump.
ton act, or 90 much Of it as fixed definite
date for resumption.
As the Bland bill, proposing the issue of
coin notes to the value Of gold and silver
bullion held by mints and assay offices, and
which we're to be legal tenders for all pub
lie and private debts save those specified
to be paid in gold, can only come up in the
morning hour, it's passage is not probable,
as it's opponents seem able to defeat every
to bring it before the House by
tllibustering tactics. Its friends are In
but not very hopeful.
Mr.. Wilson, late solicitor, whose sensa-
tional testimony made some stir here, has
been often and fatty contradicted by sub
sequent witnesses. He explains that the
Presidents 'let no guilty man escape"
letter probably got into his box because it
was marked "confdential," and for that
reason was not opened by the party who
packed the box. General Plaisted, of
Maine, Republican member of the commit.
tee investigating the whisky prosecutions,
is perseveringly at work that the truth may
be established at last. "The end is not
yet"
President Grants message to the Sem
ate, transmitting copies Of all papers in
his possession relative to the Hamburg out
rage, has encouraged the friends of law
and order in the belief that the guilty par.
ticipants in that fendish outbreak will be
brought to q speedy trial and subjected to q
punishment; and that in the
future the perpetration of kindred atroci-
ties will provoke his most determined
efforts to bring the transgressor to q full