The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-13
] CONGRESSIONAL
TEE SENATORIAL sOLONs TAKE A
REST

Resi-
Lively Debate in the House Over the
william and Mary College
Relief Bill.
WASHINGTON April lathe Senate was
not In session to-day.
House.
Mr. Blount, Of Georgia. moved that the
House go into committee Of the whole on the
PostofIice appropriation bill -,
Mr. Bright, of Tennessee and mr., "a nee ICE tb Hl
Ohio, antagOniZed this with q demand tof the
regular order, In order to have morning
hour.
The House rejected the motion to go Into
committee and the consideration OF the OIL
to restore Capt George A. Armes to his rank
OF captain in the army, when d game over do
unfinished business. was resumed.
Mr.. Bragg, of Wisconsin. SAD ne Ielt o 90 i,
committee in this case There were now 500
sunernumerary officers in the army, and
while the Military Committee was trying to
devise means to relieve the army OF these
snnernumeraries it seemed inconsistent to
report bill 10 increase that number by q
He had another objection, which was that
he did not believe that committee OF Con-
press should review and revise the proceed
ings of courts martial. Thare was another
objection, which was that in 1874 Congress
had passed an act which relieved Capt Arnes
of any disgrace which may have attached to
his dismissal by the court martial. lie was
also allowed pay, and therefore should not be
restored now.
Mr.. Haskell, OF Kansas, SAID he knew tapt.
Armes and was prepared to say that the
charges ,lpon which he was dismissed were
unfonnded, and he should therefore be re-
stored The bill was passed
A large number of private bills were re-
ported from committees and referred to the
committee of the whole on the private calen-
dar.
The House then went into committee of the
whole on the private calendar, Mr. Knapp III
The first bill taken up was to reimburse the
College of William and Mary in Virginia for
property damaged during the late war.
Mr.. Goode, Uf Virginia. chairman OF the
Committee on Educ ,tion and Labor, which
had reported the bi l. said that the r.pnrt
adopted by the committee was that drawn by
the present Senator Hour, VINO was The1 h,s,
itself was originally irtr' duced by Gen. But
Ter, and was recommended q d indorsed by
all institutions of learning throughout the
country
Mr. Goode then recaptulated the facts OF
the case, of the destruction of the college
buildings, and read the testimony OF Gen
Dix Gen, Meade and other Federal officers to
show that there was no military necessity for
the destruction of these buildings, and that
the end of the war was not FASTENED thereby.
+ He called attention to the fact that institu-
tions Of learning were generally exempted as
far as possible from the ravages OF war.
guished men who had graduated from Will
liam and Mary, he appealed to the PATRIOTISM
of the members to vote for this bill. II woula
establish no precedent for the payment q
Southern war claims. Let them dismiss thaS
idea This case was an exceptional one ana
could In no sense be q precedent.
Since this bill had been under considera-
ton, he had read many letters from the
North, which convinced him that the pas
sage Of the bill would give satisfaction to all
liberal minded people in the North, and here
,,l,,Slrv nth RIAL md
timely aid which this measure had received
from the grand commonwealth OF Massa-
chusetts.
The people Of Virginia could never forget
that 1t was son of Massachusetts who III
troduced the bill and petition for this bill; or
that 1t was son of Massachusetts who wrote
the strongest report In favor OF the bill.
Massachusetts and Virginia came together
and clasped hands over the ashes Of this
venerable institution of learning. He wanted
TO call attention to the fact also, that In the
charter of William and Mary, the college was
authorized to appoint the Surveyor General
of Virginia, and received as a revenue u Ger.
tain portion of his fees. When Virginia coded
the great Northwest Territory, she deprived
the college of this revenue, and he appealed
to the members from the young States which
were carved out of that Territory, to aid in
passing this bill
Mr.. Goodies speech was applauded by both
Republicans and Democrats.
Mr. Loring. of Massachusetts, said that
the William and Mary College was in State
that had seeded and was at war against the
Federal government. He recognized the fact
that many OF It's officers, students and gradu-
ates enrolled themselves in the Confederate
army and went forth to meet In battle the
alumni of Northern colleges. The, college
was held by the COnfederates as barrack
and as o hospital until 1862, when it was taken
possession OF by the Union forces, and 1t was
held by the Union troops after that.
The fact that it's use was voluntarily given
up to the Confederates was admitted, and the
Il I1th nlYrt Jlp
OF this fact in discussing this question. He
would not argue it with reference to the law
that prohibited payment for property de-
stroyed during a war by the contend IA,
bill, because the SONS of William and Mary
had laid down their lives In what was mis-
guided and condemned cause.
He did not care whether the buildings were
upon Union or upon Confederate soil when
they were destroyed. He did not care to
argue upon the right or propriety OF the
order which authorized the Federal troops
to take possession of churches, colleges or
charitable institutions for war purposes. He
would not consider the authority under which
the buildings were occupied by the Confed-
eracy, or the nature OF that occupation
His sympathieS were with this bill. and ne
would not place it in position where mere
legal technicality would destroy it. He re-
cognized the full force of all legal obligations,
and the necessity of avoiding the establish
ment of a dangerous precedent, but at the
same time he regarded this as an exceptional
case, and was not only willing but anxious
that the country should give q speedy COM
pensation to William and Mary.
He would be called to sit in Judgment here
upon many claims growing out Of the late
war. He would be called to vote upon ques-
lions relating to the education of the colored
race; for the construction of great public
works destroyed by the war. and for other
measures, and he would vote for these meas;
ares without prejudice, and with a due regard
to an amended constitution and to the laws
which govern the prosecution of wars. But
in this case we might step beyond the mere
legal obligations. Had his alma mater, Har-
ward, fallen before the storms Of war, be
should be found here asking for it's restora-