The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-03-24

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late secretary Of war. His colleagues ha
been similarly subpGened. He [Clyfherl hai
| appeared befufe that eetirt, and had state,
! that in obedience to law he appeared at it
| bar to obey its order, but that as a membe
| of the committee of the house, he felt
would be preiudicial to the highest interest
| Of the country that his colleague and himsel
should be compelled to state what had trans
| pired in their committee-fb0m. Mr.. Lama
| Offered resolution fecitinS the history o
| the case, declaring the mandate of the couf
| to be breach of the privileges of the house
| and directing the members of committee t,
| disregard such a mandate. The resolution
after n ieng and acrimonious debate, wa
| passed-130 to 75. Mr.. Whitthorne from th'
committee on naval affairs, submitted to tht
house the testimony of i. T. Wolf, formerly
boOk-keeper to S. P. & A. B. Brown, NAVY
contractors and Claim AGENTS, in which he
declined to answer the following questions
1. Did you ever take any money from Brown
and hand it to anybody connected with the
naval service? ?. Did you know of any
commission money having been in any way
paid to anybody connected with the naYa
service? Mr.. Whitthorne also offered reso
luton directing the speaker to issue his wRr
rant directing the sergeant-at-afms to take
int5 custody the body of Wolf and bring him
to the bar of the house to show cause why
he should not be punished for contempt
Adopted. Adjourned.
In the house, on the Sth, the recusant
witness, A. r. Wolf. who had fefiised to an
s#er certain questions put to him by the
committee on naval affairs, was brought before
the bar OF the house, and Mr.. Whitthorne,
chairman, was proceeding to state that the
witness had this morning appeared and an
swered, and that he might therefore be dis.
charged from custody, when the witness
himself fell on the floor in an epileptic fit.
Mr.. Knott made a report on the impeachment
case of the late secretary of war, and offered
a resolution instructing a committee on Judi
ciafy to prepare articles of impeachment,
with power to take further proofs, and to
report at any time. He also recommended
the immediate passage of a bill to protect
witnesses who shall be required to testify in
bill was passed-206 to 10. Adjourned.
In the house, on the 9th, Mr.. Pierce
offered a resolution instructing the committee
on Indian affairs to inquire into the expedi-
ency of opening up the Indian territory for
settlement, ETC. Adopted Mr.. Clark, from
postoffice committee, reported bill to regu-
late the compensation of pOstmasterS, which
was made the special order for Thursday
next. 1t provides that the maximum salary
and compensation of any postmaster shall
noI cACeeu IOur thousand collars, except IN
New York, where it shall be six thousand
dollars. Mr.. Stowell, from the postoffice
committee, reported a bill authorizing the
sender of any third-class mail matter to write
on the outside of the wrapper his name and
address with the name and number of arti.
cles enclosed. Passed. Mr.. Caulheld, from
the Judiciary committee, reported back the
substitute for senate bill fixing the terms of
the United States courts in West Virginia.
Passed. Mr.. Hurd, from the same committee,
reported a bill to regulate the removal of
suits from state COURTS After an explana-
ton the bill passed. Mr.. Lewis offered
resolution reciting allegations that Charles
Hays, of Alabama, member of the last con-
gress, had nominated Cav Roosevelt Boards
academy from the fourth congressional dis
triet of Alabama; that Beardsley was not an
actual bona fide resident of the district for
four years, but that Mr.. Hays had falsely
certified that he was; and also that Boards
let's mother had paid Hays 5000 for the
and directing a thorough in
to be made as to the truth of the
Referred, and the kvcuse ad-
ourned.
In the house, on the 10th, Mr.s sCOx Of
fered a resolution reciting from the reports
Of the secretary of the treasury, that between
The 3ist of JANUARY and the oath OF February
there was an increase of coin and bullion in
The treasury to the amount OF over eighteen
million dollars and that between the oath of
February and the both of February there was
4 reduction of over twenty million dollars
hat these great fluctuations, within so short
time, require explanation, and instructing
he committee on ways and means to examine
The books of the treasury department, if nee
essary, and the officers thereof, to ascertain
he causes of such fluctuations, and also to
,-norfatn Npbathpr iaOo l-tpOHpr uOfpS rpppivp1
or the redemption of national bank notes
sfe kept as a special fund, or whether they
ire held in common with other money. Re-
erred. The house then went into committee
IF the whole on the legislative and judicial
bill, and was addressed by Mr..
Phillips on the general subject of finance.
Messrs. Haskins and Willis also addressed
he house on the currency question. The
after said the only relation the government
mould sustain to banking should be to secure
hese three ends first, uniformity; second,
convertible into cOin and third, absolute
security to bill holders. Adjourned.
In the house, on the 11th, Mr.. Atkins,
rom the committee on appropriations, re-
ported a bill appropriating 100000 to supply
he deficiency in the appropriation for certain
Sioux Indians. Passed Mr.. Cook, from the
committee on military affairs, reported a bill
o equalize bounties of soldiers of the late |
var. Referred. Mr.. Morgan offered reso-
utiOn relating TO the grant of lands by the |
United States to the Southern Pacific railroad |
company, and the condition, disposition and |
tile OF said lands. Referred. The house then |
vent into committee of the whole on the |
judicial and Legislative appropriation bill, |
md considerable sparring was indulged in |
" the members. Mr.. Wilson, in connection |
With the appropria ions for the agricultural |
,ureau, spoke of the importance of flax grow
ng interests in his state, which he said would |
,e seriously interfered with if Mr.. Morrison's |
ariff bill should become a law. Mr.. Hunter
made a speech en- the currency question,
gainst the resumption of specie payments
Intil after the cancellation of the public |
Iebt, and in advocacy OF the bill introduced |
" himself to establish a uniform rate of in |
crest throughout the United States. Ad |
ourned.
In the house, on the 18th, Mr.. Camp
ell presented petition of seven hundred |
nd thirteen citizens of Illinois, asking for !
he repeal of the resumption act; referred |
he following bills were introduced and re-
erred: Prohibiting contributions from Off |
ers and employees of the government for |
political purposes; allowing three months |
'ay to officers and soldiers of the Mexican |
var; for the benefit of distillers of a less |
quantity than five hundred barrels per year;
granting the right of way to railroad |
through the Indian territory |
dr. Baker offered resolution that the |
people of the. United States constitute one |
lation and not a mere confederacy of states |
,r nations; that the constitution was formed |
~ the people acting in their primary and |
Individual capacity through their delegates |
hereto duly constituted; that the govern |
nent under the constitution is one of the |
people, by the people, and for the people, |
md that in its appropriate sphere the gov
of this nation is sovereign and SUI
Dreme; that in its nature it is permanent and
except by the action and con-
tent of the whole people; that no state has
my right or authority to judge of the consti-
of laws enacted by congress, or to
lullify the execution of the same and that
Ill overt acts by any state, or people thereof,
IF secession therefrom, or of rebellion against
he same, constitute treason, and that the
ate war of the rebellion for the dismember-
nent of the Union was causeless and indie
ensible on any theory of right or of consti-
iutional law. He called for the yeas and
nays, which were ordered. The resolution
was rejected-91 to 72-two-thirds not voting
in the affirmative. Mr.. Cox then offered the
following: That the people of the United
States constitute a nation in the sense and to
the extent and for the purposes defined in
the Federal constitution; that the govern
ment of the United States is a Federal I'm