Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-05-11
Our Washington Letter.


WAsHINGToN,D. c., May 6, rs.
An immense number of peti-
tons have beer presented to
both the Senate and-the House,
asking these bodies to use ey-
cry effort for o. M. Condor, i'm
.prisoned by the British govern
ment fol- life, as a political Of
fender. 1t is hardly probable
that the United States can do
much in his behalf, as they
have just given formal notice
of the abrogation of article ten
of the Webster Ashburton trea=
.ty, which provides for the ex-
tradition Of terminals. The
Government had no other course
left consistent with self-respect,
afterthe British Ministry claimed
that an act Of parliament modi-
fed the stipulations Of a treaty.
The claim was an hnpertincnce
that called for prompt resent
ment and secured it.
President Grant has sent a
most extraordinary message 10
the House. On the Ord Of A
pril a resolution was passed
asking him to inform the House
whether any executive duties
had, within the last seven years,
been performed at any other
place than the capital, in viola
ton Of a law Of 1871. On the
fifth of May, more than a month
having elapsed, the President
responds by a most insulting
message, in which he tells the
House they have no constitu-
tional right to inquire-that
they had better attend to their
own business, and that he will
permit no cncroachment upon
his prerogatives. Of course
this is not the exact language
of the Message, but stripped
Of unnecessary verbiage and
reduced to plain English, that is
what it says. He1hen proceeds
to say that he has performed
acts away from the capital, and
justifies his action by showing
that Washington was away
from the capital when he did
many official acts-that John
Adams was absent 385 days du-
ring his term Of office, and trc-
quently did official business at
Quincy, Massachusetts,. That
Jefferson was absent 796 days
during his term, Madison 629
days, Monroe 7O8 days, John
Quincy Adams ODD days, and
that jackson was absent SOP |
days and signed the order re-
moving the bank deposits in
Boston. The President also re-
fers to President Jackson re-
fusing to allow a committee Of .
the House of Representatives
to make a general examination
OF the papers at the executive
Altogether the
message is a most cXtraordina-
ry one, and seems to be in the
nature Of a defence to the
House. 1t was referred to the
Judiciary Committee without !
debate. The committee on the
public printer-Clapp, have a.
greed to a report recommending
his indictment on six distinct
charges of malversation in Of
fec. The papers, forwarded /.
from England by McDougall,
president of the Emma Mine
Company, to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, place General
ochenck in a rather unpleasant
position, for they positively dis
prove some Of his assertions,
and show that papers which he
exhibited as copies were not
correct copies Of the original.
A bill has been introduced in
the House authorising the
Treasurer to issue ten millions
in silver change for that amount
of legal tenders, the reason Civ
EN- being the scarcity Of change.
The fractional currency is held
to accumulate in amounts .suf-
icient to redeem, and the silver
so soon as it reaches certain
hands is boarded, so that the re-
suit is a dearth Of change
The bill meets with considera-
Die opposition. The House is
now considering the post Office
appropriation bill. 1t reduces
he expenses over 100000,
md of course is meeting with
he usual opposition from the