National Republican., 1878-05-23
FORTHWITH CONGRESS.
CONTINUED from First Pugc.l

nHu voted.
Mr.. HARRISON. have no desire to oh.
struct the legislation Of the House [cries Of
order, or,lcrl, and as gentlemen on the other
side, by refusing to vote, had left the House
without u quorum, he would withdraw the
resolution.
Mr.. WILSON Immediately roso to a qucs.
tion Of privilege, and offered a preamble and
resolution
That special committee Of this House has been
appointed ~ investigate alleged frauds in connec
tOn with the electoral vote OF the States of Louis.
ana and Florida Therefore
ResOirei, That such committee he and Il hereby
elections aforesaid IN any other State, provided
they have probable cause TO believe that such
This created another scene Of excitement.
and
Mr.. cox IN. W moved to refer the resolu
ton to tho select committee having charge of
the subject, and demanded the previous ques.
tion.
Mr.. MILLS tried to bo recognized to make a
point of order that this was not question of
privilege.
On the question Of reference the vote WINS
50 In the affirmative and lis In the negative.
The majority of the negative vote was made
up Of Republicans.
Mr.. cox then expressed the hope that the
resolution would be adopted unanimously.
The question was put, and II was decided In
the affirmative by uira roce vote, but nearly
all tho voices heard were from the Democratic
side.
Tho SPEAKER pro TEN. appointed Messrs.
HuNToN, BLACKBURN, and HENDEE the con-
ferCcs on the part Of the House on the bill reg
Uniting the appointment of justices of the peace
In the District of Columbia.
Mr.. SPRINGER, from the Committee on
Expenditures of the State Department sub.
mittcd report on the case of Consul. General
Bradford, which contained ten charges of mis-
demcanor In Office while Consul-General at
Shanghae and recommending that articles of
impeachment be preferred against him. The
report was referred to the Judiciary Commit
tee to consider the matter of impeachment.
Mr.. HEWITT IN. " moved ia. go into com.
mittec on the army bill, and the motion was
antagonized by all effort to have morning
hour.
Mr.. HEWITT said he wanted to get along
with the appropriation bills, If there was any
expectation Of adjourning June TO-
Mr. DUNNELL asked whether he expected
to adjourn at that timo.
Mr.. HEWITT said ho did.
Mr.. DUNNELL replied that he had no hope
Of IL.
Several members. ''Yes; we do expect to ad.
journ at that time"
Tho House then went Into committee, Mr..
SPRINGER In the chair, the time for general
debate having been extended one hour.
Mr. SCHLElCHER was granted forty-fve
minutes. of the hour, and said he would con.
fine himself to the bill actually under consid-
tion, aud especially with reference 10 tho
Texas frontier. He then urged the import
ance of keeping up the effective force OF the
army to 25,OOO men, and he did so because he
knew tho necessities Of the Texas border.
After explaining the extent Of the country to
be protected, he gave accounts Of some OF the
terrible scenes that had occurred along the
border in his own district. Gentlemen did not,
or would not, realize the xtent OF the coun.
try tor the protection which the troops were
needed. He had been called flllibuster and he
was accused Of advocating an increase Of tho
army because ho wanted the country to get a
further slice of Mexico. But God forbid that
we should get any more territory, for the
country Is far.too large now for the minds aud
hearts Of its Legislators. Referring to Mr..
HEwITTs argument that under the proposed
reorganization there would be more effective
muskets with 10000 men than there could be
at present with 25000 men, he said that he had
had good deal to do with figures, but he was
incapable of understanding that sort OF q cal
culation. Tho reduced army was to bo COM
mandcd by the same officers, and yet he was
expected TO believe that you could get rs many
muskcts out Of 90 600 men as out Of %, 900 men
He gave up that conundrum.
Mr.. HEWITT said lie was not responsible
for the gentleman's lack Of appreciation of that
calculation.
Mr.. SCHLEICHER replied no that was the
result of his weakness. lie never could I'M
dcrstand the game of thimble-rigging Laugh
ter
Mr.. HEWITT said he had figures from the
Adjutant. Generals office to show that the
force would be more effective with 10000 men
under the proposed legislation.
MrSCHLEICHER replied that figures would
not give the people protection on the border
lie showed that while there were in figures a
force of 3,7i0 men in Texas, the actual cilcc'
tive force was only ,96i men. In conclusion
he appealed to the House TO keep the army W
to an effective standard.
Mr.. MAGlNNlS called attention to the
fact that not single delegate from the
Territories had been heard on this bill, and h,
asked an extension Of time to enable him tC
speak
Objection was made and the bill was taken
up for consideration under the five minut,
rule
The first paragraph having been read Nj
THROCKMORTON moved to strike out thC
limitation of the number of men to 10000
and to make the number 25,OOO men.
Mr. FOSTER said that under the rule
of the House, which lie did not fully en-
dorsc the Committee on Appropriations die
right in recommending this bill. II any re
form was to be made In this House 1t mus
come from the Committee on Appropriations
for, in its opinion, all tho other committees .
the House were worthless but he Twas opposct
to the proposed reduction of the army.
1t was all done in the interest of reform
and the gentleman from New York makes
comparison of the expenses of the. army
now and In 1860 but ho could not understand
why that year should be taken for q cOmpari
son. Why not make comparison with tn,
same year as to the civil administration. Fol
instance, In that year the expense of running
this House was 1000, and now II is 81 800,
600. By proper comparison, taking all ques
tions into consideration, 1877 will compar,
favOrably with 1860.
Mr.. FOSTER then went on to argue tha
the actual reduction of the last Democratic
House, which was claimed as ut thirty mil
lions, was not more, when all the figures wer,
made up, than ten millions, and deficiencies
would have to be met. 1t was absurd to claim, n
was done on the other side, that the expense,
of the Government could bic reduced to TWEEN
ty.fve millions yet. Tho Appropriation Com.
mitteO had about reached the lowest limit.
Mr.. HEWITT IN. " said there was one
fact which the people of this country fully
rcCognzed-that while they paid one hundred
and fifty millions of taxes under Republican
Congresses, the Democratic Congress had re
duced that taxation twenty-three millions
As to the deficiencies so often referred to
many Of them went back to Republican ad
ministrations, and the book of estimates showed
that some of them went as far back as 1868