Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-03-01

| 'OteuJ vi 'euue'uoJt y I"
decided majority, to restore the franking
privilege to the President, the Vicc-Presl-
dent and members of Congress. Dir. Ed
munds advocated the amendment, saying
that ninety-nine out Of every hundred letters
received and sent by members of Congress
were on public business, and that kind OF
correspondence, instead of being taxed,
should be encouraged. Mr.. Morrill, voted
against the amendment.
The Senate took up Senator Morrill's bill
to create commission of five persons to in
vestigate the alcoholic liquor traffic. Sena-
tor Mcdonald, of Indiana, objected to the
consideration Of it, and it went over.
The House considered the bill providing
that women who have been members in good
standing of the Supreme Court Of any State
for three years may be admitted to the
United States Supreme Court. Upon ris-
ing vote the following New England mem
bers opposed it: Robinson, Field and Rice,
of Massachusetts, and Joyce, Of Vermont.
A despatch to the World says the Mill
tarY Committee of the House is stirring up
quite breeze among the line and staff
officers of the army who have quarters in
Washington and that it has found that
Medical Purveyor Baxter is drawing an in
come from the Government of over 5000
year, in which is included as quarters fine
house in fashionable street
A portion of Wednesday afternoon was
devoted by the Senate to territorial fight
over tho judicial districts of Wyoming. The
members of the legislative Assembly of
Wyoming, who are paid from the United
States treasury, did not fancy the appoint
ment of-Judge William Ware Peck, who is
also paid from the United States treasury,
and so they attempted to so gerrymander the
Judicial districts Of the Territory that the
Judge would only have jurisdiction over two
uninhabited counties, which are a wilder
ness. This attempt at nullifca.ion was not
approved by Senator Edmunds and the other
members of the Judiciary. Committee, who
reported bill annulling the obnoxious
legislation. This was opposed BY some of
the Western Senators, and there were init
nations that some railroad grievances against
Peck bad provoked the hostility to him.
Mr. Paddock, of Nebraska, said that Judge
Peck was one of those gentlemen who part
at Lie Io.r tha yn,IIla opI caaunad 70
think be was an apostle sent to reform the
people of that Territory. lie was preten-
tious, and put on airs not acceptable to
the people of Wyoming, Mr.. Conkling
said that Judge Peck had lived long in
the State OF New York. He was lawyer
of good repute and large instruction.
Knowing him and his family. he must say
that he never heard before, nor did he sus-
pect, that Judge Peck deserved such appel
lations. He knew Judge Peck to be we'll
instructed lawyer, pure and upright man.
Mr.. Edmunds said he had known Judge
Peck personally for more than thirty years.
lie was an honest, respected citizen. and
skilled in the law. For the last twenty
years he had resided in the city of New
York and had been recommended for the po
stion now held by him by the entire number
of the leading members of the bar ofthe city
Of New York, among whom he had lived. In
Wyoming, one of the delegates in the Terri
tOrial Legislature, lawyer who had prac-
ticed before Judge Peck, was fined by that
judge for contempt of court, and it immedi-
ately came to be understood that Judge
Peck would hear of the matter afterwards
upon the assembling of the Legislature. Mr..
Eimunds defended the administration of
Judge Peck, and said under it many rum
sellers, gamblers and robbers had been pun
ished. The bill was then read third time
and passed.
The Senate, on Tuesday, passed bill
amending the laws granting pensions to the
soldiers and sailors of the war Of 1872 and
their idows. The principal change effect
ed by the bill is direction to the Secretary
of the Interior to restore to the pension rolls
all persons whose names were stricken from
the rolls for having taken up arms against
the Government or encouraged the rebels,
and whose disabilities have been removed or
who have applied for the removal of their
disabilities. Edmunds and Oglesby were
the principal opponents of the bill. Senator
Withcrs. Of Virginia, urged the pensioning
of the soldiers OF the war OF lol2 who had
served over fourteen days. but he was es-
pecially anxious that the Southern pension
ers whose names had been stricken from the
rolls because they had participated in the
rebellion should be restored. lie estimated
the cost Of retaining those stricken from the
rolls at about $40 900 year, and the cost
of pensioning the short term soldiers OF the
war of 1872 at about S4OO, 900 year. Mr..
Eimunds opposed the amendment, and said
he did so not that he was opposed to re-
storing these old men to the pension roll, but
such an amendment might be taken as a
precedent for the compensation OF property
lost during the rebellion.
Mr.. Morrill, said he feared this bill was a
forerunner of what was to come hereafter,
and would result in taking large Suns Of
money from the Treasury.
Mr.. Oglesby opposed the restoration to
the pension-rOls Of persons whose names
were stricken therefrom on account of dis
loyalty. lie argued that the men who had
fought for the Government in 1872 should
have been the last to attempt to destroy it
in after years.
Mr.. Blaine said every soldier who served
in the War of 1872 must have been at least
sixty wears of age when the rebellion broke
out and they were now nearly eighty. lie
had not lain awake at night considering how
to restore men engaged in the rebellion to
privileges, but these old men did their part
in upholding the country in the war OF
1872 and he would not exclude one of them
from the pension rolls. The bill passed,
Il toS.
The Senate bill. regulating the pay of post
masters, being taken up, Mr.. Hamlin offered
an amendment restoring the iranking privi-
lege to all officers of the government. lie |
said the government had paid 81, 900 an
nually for printing postage stamps Tor the |
Departments In his judgment the franking |
privilege should be restored. The humbug !
connected with it had long since exploded.
Mr.. Edmunds for one was disposed to add n |
provision that the official communications Of
members of Congress should 90 through the |
mails free The denial of the franking priv
ilege to members of Congress rather implied
that they were engaged in other things than
the public business, or else that they were
selling the franks, and both of these imputa-
tions he denied.
Gen. Garneld's Short speech on the Silver Rili.
Every man who is opposed to the use Of
silver coin as a part of the currency OF the
country, disagree with. Every man who
is opposed to both metals practically and in
I, 4 a hsN IN,