The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-07-10
CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY.
Aonnte.


o. -. ..-.,.. Aenn1e. - ' .t..
An amendment providing for the S5, 500, 900
in the sundry civil service bill, and the bill was
completed in committee of the whole, reported
to the Senate and passed. IA messenger from
the House requesting the Senate to allow
Senator Matthews to appear before the Potter
committee was received, and o resolution
granting the permission was submitted, but
the whole matter was referred to the commit
tee on privileges and elections. After passing
a number Of minor bills the Senate adjourned.
The House bill forbidding the demanding OF
more than $40. fees in pension cases was
adopted. Mr.. Voorhees, moved to lay aside
the calendar for the purpose Of considering
the bill authorizing the payment OF customs
in legal.te1der notes. Some discussion on
points Of order ensued, but the Senate decided
TO take up the bill by So to 10. Objection was
raised to the second reading, and the bill went
over,:..At the evening session the Matthews
investigation committee was authorized to hold
sessions anywhere. The bill to form the Terri.
tory OF Lincoln, to include the Black Hills count
nv, was postponed till December LIN the exec.
utiye session the Senate confirmed the nomina-
ton Of Messrs. Groesbeck Inc Walker to rep
resent the United States in the monetary con-
ference provided for IN the silver bill. and re-
iected the nomination Of Mr.. Fenton In q SIM
liar capacity. The President, who had occupied
his room at the Capitol all day. thereupon sent
in the name Of Charles B. Lawrence. Of Him
OILS, but was induced by several senators to
withdraw that gentleman's name and renomi-
nate Mr.. Fenton. After q speech by Senator
Conkling in favor Of the nominee, MIR. Fenton
was confirmed by a vote Of 20 to "a. The
Senate soon after adjourned for the session.
~" House. 80" - %
The House proceeded to vote on the Senate
amendment to the bill repeating the resump-
ton act. The Senate amendment proposed to
strike out the whole of the House bill and sub
stitute for it q provision making United States
notes receivable for four per cent. bends and,
after October / next, for customs duties. The
vote was yeas 40, nays 1906 so, two.thirds not
non-concurred in and the bill, therefore, failed
Mr.. Butler, as an individual member Of the
judiciary committee, submitted to the House
his reasons for dissenting from the resolution
and report of the majority In regard to the in
volatility of the Presidents title. Mr.. Butler
was absent at the time the committees report
was presented. He declared it as his opinion
that Congress was clothed with power to enable
the courts to adjudioate on the presidential
title and denies that there was no remedy for
fraud in elections. b death Of Represents
tive Quinn was announced. Adjourned.
A motion to suspend the rules and pass the
bill to retire national bank notes and substitute
treasury notes WAS rejected. +. . Mr.. Southard's
bill authorizing the payment Of customs IN
legal tender notes after Oct. !, 1878, was
passed under suspension OF the rules 81. The
Senate bill establishing an authorship Of rail-
road accounts was passed: Mr.. Haskell, OF
the bill providing that all pensions on account
of death, wounds received, or disease con-
tracted in the service of the United States
during the late war, shall commence from the
date Of death or discharge, and for the pay
ment Of arrears Of pensions on that principle,
and also providing that no claim agent shall be
entitled to any compensation for making apph-
cation for arrears OF pensions. Agreed TO-
yeas, 1851 nays, 50 Mr.. Cooger, Of Michi-
gan, moved to suspend the rules and pass the
Joint resolution proposing q Constitutional
amendment forever prohibiting the payment Of
any claim for property taken, used, injured. or
DESTROYED by United States troops during the
late war unless the owner was loyal to the gov
ernment and gave neither aid nor encourage
ment to the enemy. Agreed to-yeas, IA ;
nays, 81. . . The conference committee reported
agreement on the sundry civil bill, with the
fisheries award included, making in all a.
$50, 100, and the report was adopted.
The House soon after adjourned for the
session. o. .....
The House Presidential Election Invesitga-
f.E =. 49, tton. f.;.. ...!..
After adjourning over the last days Of Con-
eress the committee reassembled and called as
the first witness Captain Thomas A. jerks, OF
New Orleans, who testified that in 1876 his
residence. was In. East Feliciana parish; held
the position of United States deputy marshal;
was appointed by Marshal Pitkin; Republicans
in the parish had told witness hat they were
afraid to register their names on account Of the
intimidation. At this point Mr.. McMahon
inquired II Mr.. jerks was o witness called at
the instance Of Mr.. Sherman. Mr.. Reed re-
piled that he WAS. Whereupon Mr.. Mcmahon
said that he objected to any questions being
put relating to affairs in East Felicisna parish,
except what materially affected Mr.. Sherman,
and that the question whether or not MIR.
Sherman wrote the so-called Sherman letter"
should be decided before this witness gave
testimony regarding the intimidation which
was experienced by Republicans In East Fell
ciana parish. A. long discussion followed
and ended by Mr., McMahon's withdraw
ing his objection and the continuation Of exa-
mination Of witness. who had not testified
much further when Mr.. Mcmahon again OBJ
iected, but witness was allowed to proceed
with the understanding that at a future meet
ing, when the members were all present, it will
be- decided whether or not the testimony, 80
far as it relates to intimidation, shall be &C.
cepted or stricken out. Witness g then testified
about the alleged intimidation in East Feici-
ana, saving that hundreds Of people had been
driven to New Orleans, not daring to vote the
Republican ticket, and that James E. Ander-
son had told him that there was a perfect
reign of terror in the parish. Witness denied
that Anderson ever told him he could not
make a protest against the election. Anderson
told witness that the Democrats bad made
--- L.. L. L. ,,1 that he Npn16 nnaHo q
pretty good thing out Of the election. Witness
denied Anderson's statement that he and Weber
had once shown him the Sherman letter. On
his Cross examination witness testified that he
saw no violence in East F~eliciana on the day of
election was told by white men that colored
men could vote and by colored men that they
dare not vote. he knew nothing OF his OWE
knowledge regarding the election it was hear
say. The witness first learned that ne had
been subpenaed on the Republican SIDE from
Mr.. Shellabarger (Secretary Sherman's counseD
on the afternoon he reached Washington. he
sent word to Shellabarger that he was in town ;
shellabarger called on him ; then he went to
Shellabarger's Office and had q conversation
with him for a couple of hours. His wife was
with him there part of the time. She went
around to see Gov. Kellogg, and on her return
she called at shellabarger's office. He called
on MIR. Shallabarger st his office three times IN
ALI, duu uGl dRlA O - oSASa eAASoS s~ 4
over Louisiana m 'tters generally, but not par.
ticularly. Mrs. jerks (wife Of witness) came
on to Washington in response TO letters from
Kellogg and Packard !inquiring whether she
had any information or documents which would
be useful to them in the fight for the New Or.
leans collectorship and governorship. he did
not know whether his wife had preserved the
letters received from Kellogg and Packard,
but thought it likely that she had, and that she
would produce them. Adjourned.
Mr.. Butler made an explanation in regard to
q report that Senator Matthews refused to ap-
pear before the committee because he Was
afraid of being insulted by him. Mr.. Butler
he saw him; that he had no personal hostilities
against the Senator. In conclusion MI. Butler
said: " And 1 want to ssy that II MIR. Matthews
win come before this committee, as requested,
I will absent myself on that day. I want to
withdraw all possible obstacles In the way Of hs !