The Portland daily press., 1876-07-18
WASHINGTON.
MIR, Rristow's Position.

WASHINGTON, July lit is stated that Mr..
Knott does not intend to recall Mr.. Brstow to
press him any further with questions about
Cabinet matters, though he may call him on
ether matters.
Mr.. Bristow's friends now say that he told
the committee when he was here that he should
not feel at liberty to answer their questions
in regard to what passed between himself and
the President on official matters. even if the
latter should give his consent, since he held
that the privilege which protected communica-
tons between the President and the Cabinet
was not merely personal, but involved grave
questions of public policy, which neither the
President, nor any member of his Cabinet had
the right to waive.
Mr. Bristow's friends do not admit, however,
that he has anything to tell, and the fact that
ne refuses now to answer, although he has the
Presidents permission, is regarded as an &C.
acknowledgement that he has nothing to tell.
The Deadlock Worse than Ever.
The appropriation bills are still in an unset
tied condition and the prospect of favorable
adjustment is further away than on Saturday.
The sundry civil bill twas fixed up on Friday
last in confidence and was supposed to be ready
for reporting to both houses. Today, however,
the bill was taken up again and new PROPOSE
tions entertained which will require at least
one more day for the adjustment if it does net
delay the bill much longer time.
The same thing has occurred to the army
bill. The conference agreed upon report Sat-
urday and it was written out today. When it
was read for the signatures of the conferees it
was ascertained that some of them had new
amendments to submit and the bill will be de-
layed another day.
The conferees on the legislative bill spent
their entire time at their meeting in discussing
the different propositions for agreement, but in
reality made no visible progress on the bill.
Propositions were submitted looking to an en-
tire readjustment of some portions of the bill
which if agreed to will require week or ten
days to prepare the bill for action. Altogether
the outlook is not so favorable for satisfactory
termination of the difference between the two
houses as when the adjournment took place
Saturday.
The Internal Tax Bill.
The committee on ways and means have
completed their amendatory internal revenue
bill, and may report it tomorrow. There are
no alterations in taxes but the changes are prin-
cipally with reference to better administra-
tion OF the present laws.
The Charge Aainst MIR. Ordway.
Capt. Blackford, who went South as Deputy
Sergeant-at.Arms for the Louisiana investigat-
ing committee about eighteen months ago, ex-
plains the report of his testimony recently
given before the real estate pool committee by
saying that adding the amount disbursed by
the late Sergeant.at Arms Ordway on account
of the expenses of the committee in Washing
ton before going to Louisiana to the amount
disbursed by Capt Blackford while absent with
the committee in Louisiana, balance remains
to be accounted for by Ordway of only $50 in
an expenditure of nearly $1,000 for the total
expense of the committee. This balance of
$50 can be explained by Ordway as having
been expended by him for various necessary in
cidental expenses not covered by Blackford's
vouchers 1t has before been stated that near
ly every item in the vouchers had been raised
several dollars higher than the account turned
in by Blackford. This was occasioned by the
adding of items which amount in aggregate to
nearly $500 to Blackford's vouchers paid by
Ordway, but not rendered in Blackford's ac-
count.
Various Matters.
The weather for the past 4S hours has been
mach cooler and has largely diminished sick
ness During the past ten days there have
been fifteen deaths from excessive heat.