Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-04
TORIY-FOURTB CeNGRESs.
Closing Proceedings YcSserdau


the government was Liable but re 49,,
common sense people Of this country ala moi
see IL. 1hey Ola see aud know that m lions
| uf money had been spent here in vioiatio., 81
| law. He held that IN order IN prevent any
| further violation OF law and tie large eX-
lcndiiureS. IL was absolutely necessary thai
80 one should be invested with any dIscra-
tlOn whatever, but that Congress should
direct explicitly what 20 do. lie advocated
hat TothirE should be paid ou account OF
| the 65's I'LL ~ was aScertsined what proper
tiCn OF them were legal and what Illegal lie
| did not believe that AZ the interest was not
paid till after this investigation that 10 wOull
hurt the credit OF the United states one par
icle- He complimented Mfr. Shepherd as "A
man OF abllty, and did not blame him ~ ne
could make money by Influencing public
men. Senators and Others. He found mat
| Mr.. Shepherd had built "A great many houses
and sold many or them 10 contractors. II a
man wanted = house aui hal not the money
10 pay fOr 10, lie was given contract apt
made ecough out OF that 10 pay Mr.. Shep
herd for his house.
Mr.. Morrill,. OF Maine. hoped the Senate
would ron come u a vote. By the amend
meat which bad already been agreed u. a.
Was settled that there could he no farther
tUcrea 80 Of the iudehtedhtSs of the District
and this, lie should think. wo1ld satisfy fha
senator from Texas, iMr. HamIltoE,1 AMI
OTHER Senators. IL the amendment o. Mr.
Hamilton was passed IL would prgE-pvf fba
Commissioners from eNpcudiug eVel current
| funds on the most necessary IMPROVEMENTS.
MI salisbury denounced thp Blart OF
Public Works for its alleged eNtravayance.
| ard also expressed his diSapproyal OF the
action OF Inc commissioners.
NF. BOgy asked who is now authorized 10
issue any evidence OF debt. either certificates
or bonds for what Is now expended, AMI said
| that the extravaganza uoy iudgieel IN
! should tie arrested. He referred - the BDa-t
/ Of AUDIT, and asked who. since july. 1875 IS
authorized 10 issue any evidence Of the DOLL
| CATIONS OF the District which We are bpuad
20 respect The board has been eXtraytCaGt.
and allowed more than thirteen million dol
4aTS Of claims.
Mr.. Morrill,. OF Maine read the statute OF
nar rF.aH fsT 10
| Boy.
MT. Bogy, rcsumIng, said the actof Narrh.
| lS-5, should not have been passed, though
/ there was not voice RAISED against 10. and
| lie Proceeded 10 Teaa the act, crIlc,s.as 10 10
sustain the standpoint taken by him.
Mr.. morrill, (Me) said The Amendment OF
Mr.. Hamilton would stop all repairs of the
streets of every character.
| The amendment OF sir. Hamilton wa then
| rejected-yoaS 81, nays 3l-the Alternatives
| consisting Of tie democratic Senators, an
| Messrs. Clayton and Hamilton.
| Mr. EdmuuGs then offered an amen mant
that any officer or person who shall knysg-
| iugiy increase, or aid aud aDet la iucrsaSi ~
| such total indie btedneSS OF Tho District Sulll
De deemed guilty of a hign mis- iame3..p r, -
| he punished, On conviction thereof, by inn
| lTi>Oumcut mol exceeding zen cars, alI GIe
| not exceeding $4,000.
Mr.. Stevenson moved an Amendment abpl-
! isLluC the Board OF Audit. aud directing lt %
| surrender it, books to the II strict IlmC's-
| s!oBeTs on the approval OF TINS act. tie SAIL
| That lie functions OF this board legally
/
| since tLat ti.ue was void. J. was EEel 'Ss d
| tell him thai tie United States was i.lola
| for The certificates Issued b. this b0a.i IA
| violation of
| After discussion the amendment or NJ.
/ Stevenson was adopted.
The amendment Of Mr. Allison that the
! certificates heretofore ISSUED D Tue bp9rl p.
| audit, Including those converted istp E.i5
| g0l ds, and those which have Tot D-al 50 con-
! vcTtei. and tEe CerIiclt horrat-ar 20 be
! Issued by the board OF aliit or tiasr Success
SrTS 10 gIfics, shall not exceed "A the q. vrra-
! cate the sum of ~!5.OIU pJO.
! Nr. Eaton moved n further ame1tm a7',
| dlsciaimiug any liability on the part Of the
! United States Tor any bonds issued after
| January -. 1876. He stated that re-ol alton
| was passed by this board on THURSDAY Jas,
/ not TO issue any more OF these bonds, aut
| Notwithstanding this he understood they Ia
| issued hundreds OF tbouSan = OF them. ant
| heidi not doubt they were issuing Them tuis
| very minute. He would hot vote 10 pay for
! any of these bonds until IL was discovered
| which Of them the Dited states were lie gally
| obligated for. He wanted a. investi CATION
| 10 discover this. and lgf-nGeI ID move Tor
| ore The Senator from California tMr. SaT-
| geHt) SAYS who charges guilt Every one
! charges IL; The very air IS filled with IL; L. IS
| ell around the head OF the Senator. lie did
| not intend 10 saddle any more dent upon Inc
| people OF this country, so far as he was con-
| cerned. until he knew Whistler they were
Mr.. Sherman said these charges OF the
| Senator from Connecticut Mr.. Eaton
| threw doubt upon the legality of the acts or
| the sir kiTg fund commissioners. lie did
| lot know whether these charges were true
| or not true; but he felt disposed % vote Tor
| the amendment of the Senator, ana then TIE
| duty would rest upon that Senator hereafter
| Of proving what he had stated.
| Mr.. Sargent sand Corcoran, who was one
| Of the memoTlalists, was member OF the
| sinking fund commission. II might be that
| they had resolved 10 issue no more OF these
| bonds, but when their attention was cailet
TO the statutes which obligated them 20 issue
| the bonds for the certihcates-thcy NAV have
| concluded TO reverse their own action. He
| surmised this might be the case, but he
| knew nothing whatever about IL.
| Mr.. Eaton said that be accepted the re-
| sponsibility put upon him by Mr.. sherman.
| lie never made charges that he was not able
| 10 prove. AS 10 the gentlemen who cO1Sti-
| tujed this board ne did not know their
| names nor their politics, and did not care
| what they were.
The discussion continued al much length,
! involving the points previously gone over.
| Mr.. Howe said that il congressional
! speeches were legal tenders this interest was
/ Ia lair way of being paid; perhaps IL would
| be over hquidatej. All this debate was very
! interesting, but il had nothing at ali 10 do
! with the question before the Senate, which
was TO pay the interest on debt Tor which
| The government was Liable. lie wOlld at The
| proper time like TO have 10 decided whether
! Boss Shepherd was bigger rascal than
/ Boss Tweed. 1t was very interesting queS-
! ton. de would also II ke 10 nave ~ decided
! whether there were more rascals in the re-
| publican party than tBe democratic party.
! He had a very decided opinion on this sub-
| wTOrg. he did not consider. though, This
! the time 20 decide this matter. He had
! heard great deal charged against Boss
| Tweed and Boss Shepherd, but he had heard
! nothing charged against them which he con-
| Sideied worse than this delay in paying a
! dent which fell due day before yesterday.
| The amendment OF Mr.. Eaton was agreed
TO
The bill having been considered I'm Com
| mittee Cf the Whole was reported 10 the
| Senate.
Mr. Edmunds said the penal clause in
serted az his instance Was not inspired by
! any want of confidence In The Commission
| ers, but from the fact that they were ia The
| main compelled 10 rely upon their suo0r1i-
| mates.
| MrWhyte suggested to Mr.. Edmuuds that
! IL would be well 10 specify in his Amendment
| that the trial Of persons so offending should
| be in the Supreme Court o. the District Of
| Columbia; otherwise IL might be supposed
| they were to be tried by Impeachment.
| Mr.. Edmunds said he was surprised Al the
| suggestion coming from so eminent "A lawyer
| as his friend from Maryland. He then ex-
planned that his amendment was perfect as
| ii stood. and needed no modification.
| Mr.. Morton moved TO amend Mr.. Edmunds'
| amendment by inserting after the word
| skuowfuglV'' ssand frauduleully.o