Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-03-19


| TWO REPORTs OF THE COMMITTEE.
| The majority and minority reports in the
| matter of the investigation of DoOrkeeper
| Polk, were submitted to the House today.
| Chairman Harrison, who made the report
notice that he would call the subject up for the
| action of the House on Tuesday next
THE MAJORITY REPORT
| says that the testimony does not show that
Polk is interested positively in any claim now
| pending in Congress. The Neuchaftel com
| Pany owes him an unsettled balance and has a
| bill for its relief before the House, but he
claims to have no interestin it. In connection
with this company prior to the second session
OF the 44th Congress the committee say: M.
employ man because of his pretended claim
| to Influence with Congressman" They also
say: "Mr. Polk does not deny the major part
OF the things charged against him, but in ex
tenuatlon pleads the necessities of his depart
ment, his rawness in position, the clamOrs OF
needy applicants, and past CUSTOM"
| The committee say that with proper handling
| the lawful force under the dOOrkeeper has been
quite sufficient, and that it was his duty to find
out as early as practicable whether or not it
| was Sufnclent, and in no event to add to it
until authorized so to do by resolution of the
| House, but that rawness in Office and no Gus
tom can be set up in defense OF a palpable vio-
| latiOn of known laws.
| The utter disregard of legal restraints
| shown by Mr.. Polk: his open violation of
| known law to say nothing of his ineftcency
as shown throughout the testimony render
! him in the opinion of your committee unfit for
the delicate and responsible position of door
| keeper.
The committee therefore recommends that
| the position of dOOrkeeper be- and hereby is.
! declared vacant. and that until the appoint
ment OF new doorkeeper the duties of the of
| nee be, and hereby are, devOlved upon the
| sergeant at arms.
ESigned.I-Carter Harrison, c. H. Morgan,
j. ID. Cox A. b. James, John Howard Pugh.
| LeOnidaS Sexton, and ClarkSOn Potter.
| THE MINORITY REPORT
IS signed by Representatives Cook, Cravens,
Garth and Henry. They say that Col. Polk
| has not been guilty of corruption in office or
| guilty of malfeasance, other than the employ
! ment OF persons in excess of the number re-
fqred by by Law and that theyare unable to find
claims and bills before the House for action.
The evidence diScloses numerous mistakes of
tfG tn e, ,dooIkeeper especially in the earlier part
! OF his service, arising from neXperience and
| deS ire to comply with the demands and sup
! posed necessities of the House and its com
mittees, and the belief on his part that his
| paramount duty was to perform and cause to
! De performed such services as was to his mind
apparently necessary, trusting to supposed
10rce as he might employ for such purpose.
| They unquestionably dissent from the resolu-
! tIOn OF the majority, because the committee
was not authorized to SO report by resolution
| and Tor the manifest inconsistency of irving
! an 0fhcer upon charge of corruption and
| hudlng MIN guilty of, and recommending a Ie.
| mGVal Tor, incOmpetency.
| THE DISTRICT GOVERNMENT BILL.-The bill
| providing for a form of government for the
District of Columbia seems to move along
slowly When the House went into Commit
| tee of the Whole yesterday on the bill to vest
the District Commissioners with the powers
| OF the old board of audit, it was discovered in
| passing bills on the table, that by some means
| me bill IS In Committee of the Whole whereas
tht special OlNer made upon Governor Hen
| dee's motion was that the bill should be con-
sldeTed In the House and not in Committee of
the Whole. III the bill is not soon passed it
! Will be SO antagOnized by the tariff and apprO-
! prlatl0n bills hat its consideration will be de-
layed for weeks, and it may be for months
SECRETARY SHERMAN argued before the
Senate finance committee to-day in opposition
to the bill for the repeal of the resumption act
At the conclusion of his argument MI Sher-
man requested OF the committee that no state
ments of what he said should be given
prned for re general Wsf Circulation aYe and md
tsi he dd j. not desire garb!ed reports Of what he
formed the committee that in his opinion
| Specie pay yments might be resumed on the
~ Isl OF July next next He was positive that specie
| Tor II by Congress. January !, 1879. His argi.-
ments We're substantially the same as those
given In his last annual report, although at
| A majority of the members of the commit
lee, are SAID 10 be opposed to leaving in the
hahds ma ossss OF MI sherman, the arbitrary power
question. 1t IS undersood that detinite legis. lai.
! latlOn either one way or the other on the sub
| lect of resumption will be recommended by
the committee, before Congress adjOurns.
| NOMINATIONS AND CONFIRMATIONs.- The
following nominations We're sent to the Senate
| yesterday f. Bullock, of Louisiana.
TO De- l. 5. consul at Cologne: Ada c. Sweet,
pension agent at Chicago: Assistant Engineer
| faWDathSen, to be passed assistant engineer
The following nominations were confirmed
in executive session by the Senate yesterday:
n. Heard cnllpHtnr n cntp Doc
| ton: M. ID. Ball, collector of customs at Alex
| andrla, Va: Ben. f. Simpson. L. S. marshal
OF Kansas: Charles McCandless of Pennsyl-
Nanla clile1 justice OF the supreme court of
| New Mexico.
THE NOMINATION of Thomas c. H. Smith,
appointment clerk of the Treasury, to be paw
master in the army, was referred today to a
| subcommittee of the Senate military com
mittee Tor examination into the merits of the
appointment.
THE TEXAS PACIFIC RAILROAD BILL was
reported favOrably to the Senate from the
committee on railroads to-day. This bill is
essentially the same as the Stephens bill, re.
Gently reported favOrably to the House. The
southern Pacific bill was also reported back
10 the Senate without recommendation.
AFRICAN ANEXPLORATIONs.-The United States
consul at Zanzibar writes to the Department
OF State that the International expedition to
Africa. naugurated by the King of the Bel
slams, ndS petl 50 lar very unfortunate. as
two of its most worthy members have died at
Lanziqar-L. Crespel, the commander of the
expedition, and Arnold Macs the naturalist
ne 1Olmer died on the 18th of January of sun
stroke, the latter few days later of Zanzibar
fever.
TOBACCO CASES COMPROMISED-Commis
soner Raum has made compromise in the
Surry county. n. c.. tobacco cases, where
nineteen parties were arrested for the alleged
unlawful manufacture of tobacco. The fraidS
charged against these parties were extensive.
The terms OF the compromise are that they are
to appear Inc in court and plead guilty; this most
are then to be suspended during good beha.
ViOr. II they violate the laws again thew are
to be taken into court and sentenced In adj
dltlon, the parties are to pay to the govern.
menf, without condition, the sum of Si2O 900
and stand all the costs and expenses of the
suits against them. '
END OF THE RETURNING BOARD PRosEcU
TIoNs.-The decision of the Louisiana su
greme court yesterday in the appeal case of
Thos c. Anderson FOR a new trial Setting
aside the yer verdict Of the inferior court on the
were not susceptible of forgery and Orderino