The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-04-06
coNGREss. E
HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, April 8, 1875.

nOO0Es
WAsHNGroS, April 8, 1875.
Mr.. Stevenson offered q resolution d.
rec,ing the Commissioners Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia to inquire whether I'D.
ditional Jail accommodations are required
in the District. Referred.
Mr.. Randall offered u resolution
directing the Secretary Of the Treasury
to furnish the House with an itemized
account OF the amount expended under
the item Of the 100000 appropriation
for light and fuel for the fiscal year end
ing June 30th, 1876. Adopted.
Mr.. Cox, from the Committee on Bank
ing and Currency, reported a bill to
regulate the winding up Of the National
Banks. He explained that the object Of
the bill was to facilitate liquidation, and
that the insolvent banks may be perfectly
and speedi y closed up in the interest OF
the public. Passed.
A message was read from the Senate
informing the House that tho Senate had
organized for the trial Of impeachment OF
W. W. Belknap, and were ready to
receive the Managers at It's bar.
Mr.. Hubbell, from the Committee on
Banking and Currency, reported back ad-
versely the bill fixing the legal rate OF in
terest on National money throughout the
United States at not exceeding 6 per cent
per annum, and aftixing the penalties for
It's violation.
Pending action on the bill the morning
hour expired, and the impeachment man.
ayers presented themselves at the bar Of
the House and stated through their Chair.
man that they had proceeded to the bar OF
the Senate and it had fixed Monday, the
17tb Of April, as the day which they would
make the process returnable against W..
W. Belknap, late Secretary Of War.
The House then went into Committee
OF the Whole (Mr. Blackburn in the chair)
on the bill to transfer the Indian Bureau
from the Interior to the War Department.
HELL ALL AROUND.
Mr.. Sparks spoke in favor Of the bill.
Mr.. Cox opposed the bill, suggesting
that the present system was hell and the
Indian was hell and the lowest deep was
in the Interior Department-the still
lower deep that was threatening to de-
YOUR him was TO be found in the War
Department. He recommended the Ca.
madam Indian policy, under which the
Indians cost at the rate OF 81 50 each,
while under our system cost $50 each.
What was wanted was not the
transfer Of the Indian Bureau to the
War Department, but honest agents. He
thought that there ought 10 be wisdom
10 devise remedies for the Bureau man.
agement. Purge the system OF its putres-
cence, punish crime and compel account.
ability without the transfer OF the civil
government to the military. The War
Department he declared was honeycomb.
ed with fraud. With impeachment hang.
ing over the late head of that department
and with bolder chief magistrate, reck-
less OF Just accountability, the House
was asked to place the Indian Bu.
reau under system that con.
nected so much fraud with force,
II the Indian agencies were to be turned
over to the army simply because honest
agents could not be found in civil life,
why stop here Why not give the army
control OF the Land Office, or OF the COL
lection OF the Internal Revenue, II frauds
were alleged TO exist in all the depart.
ments OF the Government, and the War
Department was free from suspicion
II the War Department was to be the
organ Of civilization, why not detail
soldiers as bank examiners, have the let
ter delivery service done by troops OF the
country. He endorsed the recommends
tion OF the Indian Committee appointed
in 1867, to confde the Indian service to
an independent department, and let
its head be chosen from the
members OF the Cabinet, then the service
would be ut once emancipated from its
confused condition, and disturbances, out.
breaks and wars would then be the excep-
ton and not the rule. He referred to
Gen. Sheridan's campaign against the 1u-
dians in the winter OF 1868 as an expen'
siye one, and its climax, the assassination
OF Black Kettles band and the Cheyennes,
as an outrage that had no parallel in bar
barity. In conclusion, he declared the
peaceful policy was that which was the
kindest, wisest and best. It was
the policy OF human advance.
ment. II Rome made her mission
grand by the rule OF men entirely
great, who studied the arts Of peace; il
mankind was destined to make the world
better for living in 1t, then he would have
the forests and plains where the Indians
roam echo the glad tidings OF great Joy
which uShered in the Prince Of Peace
himself, by whom the beatitudes were sc
Iglorious!y promised TO peace makers.
The Committee then rose, and the HOUSE
took recess till 7:3O, the evening session
being for the consideration Of the legisla
tive appropriation bill.
In the evening session there were dis
cussions over the restoration Of the
franking privilege, which was advocated
by Cannon, Of Illinois, but not engraftec
on the bill; over the reduction Of tht
clerical force in the State Department
which was earnestly but unavailiugly op
posed by Kasson, and over various iteml
Of no public moment. Only two pages o
the bill was disposed OF when the Hous'
adjourned,
i SENATE.