The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-26
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.


NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IN THE HOUSE
| WHAT THE PRESIDENT WILL DO.
| The members OF the House appointed at the non
partisan cancus last Monday afternoon TO determine
| upon finance and executive committee to expedite
the passage . tho Anti Resump ton bill and bring
about the demonstration OF silver have
nounced as the Finance Committee Messrs.
| Wright OF Pennsylvania; Evans, OF lndi.
ana; Boone, Of Kentucky; Mills, OF Texas;
| Dickey, OF Ohio; Townshend, Of Illinois and
Haskell. OF Texas. The Executive Committee are
Oliver, OF Iowa; Phelps OF Connecticut; Gardner of
Ohio; Riddle, OF Tennessee; Lyon, OF Alabama
Hanna, OF Indiana, and Chalmers, OF Mississippi.
careful Of tho House by clerk one Of the
House committees has resulted In thus lar securing
tho names OF lis signers who unconditional advo
Gates OF silver and repeal. Thrty-fve more mem.
bers known 10 DO In favor have not yet
signed, while nineteen additional relied
upon TO stand by the object Of the league though
they may not subscribe their names to tho roll OF
membership. meeting OF the league is called for
Monday afternoon next Immediately after the ad
tournament OF the House. majority OF the House Is
147 The leaders OF the league claim to have uncon-
ditional supporters in excess OF this number.
During to-day the report generally circulated
that the President had said within tho past few days
that If there was anything like large majority for
the Silver bill its passage In the Senate he should
not veto it. accepting the expression OF that majority
| as the will of tho people. THIS announcement has
considerably weakened the enthusiasm of the silver
advocates who loudest in thor demonstrations
| when they were certain that tho Executive
| solved to oppose thcm.
THE DECLINE IN GOLD EXPLAINED BY GEN.
ERAL BUTLER.
The for the steady and considerable decline
In gold the past few weeks accounted tor by Gen.
II IA.
TO extend the time that domestic whiskey may remain
In bond He said tho decline was due to the relaxed
demand for gold to pay for import duties
at the Custom Houses, the merchants being unwilling
10 take out their goods long here prospect
OF change In the tariff. He predicted that tho gov
eminent would become embarrassed for money II such
legislation proposed in tho whskey resolution
discussed to-day wero carried out, and that the
Treasury would find itself without funds toward tho
end OF tho fiscal year " the paying interest
allowed speculate upon the chances Of legislation.
THE NAVAL INvEsTIGArIoNs--PLAN LAID OUT
BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE COMMIT
TEE.
The Navy Department will DO investigated by both
the naval committees OF tho House. chief COM
mittce, OF which Mr.. wniithorne is chair man, hav
ing decided TO make searching inquiry into tho
operations OF the department. There will DO no in.
terference with the work Of the committee tho
one the expenditures OF the Navy Department, Of
which Mr.. Willis, of New York, Is chairman.
ln this connection Mr.. Whitthorno there Is
authority for tho assertion that he has planned of
being baulkod in his investigation hitherto by tho
conduct favoritsm toward ex-Socretary Robson
OF any oil the members OF his committee but
thelcss he intends to pursue hts inquiry independ.
emily Of whatever may be elsewhere. He is
waiting now Tor the printed pamphlets containing
flQ lnat 0f fha non linn
and, fortified with the power givon him
under Mr.. Woods resolution. Will take up the
CATION where It left or at tho expiring of the Forty
fourth Congress- To facilitate the work no has d.
vidcd his committee into eight subconmittees. One
OF these. under the charmanship Of Mr. Wood IS
trusted with OF the general subject of
the management VI navy yards, and Ii expected TO
In vestigate moro particularly the Jobbery in the sao
Of the Philadelphia Navy Yard; another, ON
the subject Of contracts and the sale Of ships,
will look uto the alleged unlawful contracts given
IN tue time Of Secretary Robson. aud a third tho
marine corps will determine whether the navy pay
really deficient or wrongly diverted to other
channels Tho other subcommittee viii examine and
consider thu subjects respectively o the relations OF
tho navy TO commerce. the future policy and manage
mont OF the navy and the personnel OF the navy. A
subcommiYee on the expenditures Of the Navy De-
partmeut US ntmaed, will work with Mr.. Willis
mittce.
Mr.. witthorne expects that an Intelligent and in
dustrious pursuit OF the plan sketched above will
the bost possible results During tho last ses-
sion OF Congress Mr. whiithorne compiled q lot OF
material in the OF statistics and evidence show.
ing tho reckless manner Of which the Navy appropr
atoms had been plundered by diverting them from
the purposes for which thcy INTENDED turn
ing them into abe hands aud pockets OF certain con-
tractors.
THE TRANSFER OF THE INDIAN BUREAU
YELLING IN THE HOUSE MILITARY COM
MITrEE.
The House Military Committee have under copsid-
Grafton the transfer OF the Indian Bureau TO the War
Department. The committee are agreed as to the i'm
portance OF tho transfer but the important lea
turo undor consideration Is tho manner OF
the transfer. The subcommittee to which
tho subject has been referred par
TALLY wiling 10 surrender the bureau to
the War Department without transferring clerks,
officials anybody at all connected with the
agemcnt The intention is to bring about entire
departure. This, a member OF the subcommit-
tee said tonight, seemed 10 be absolutely demanded
by tho facts before the committee The idea Is TO
bring tho conduct Of Indian affairs strictly under tho
martinez discipline of tho army and to have tho
Secretary OF War absolutely master OF the business,
uncncumbcrcd by existing resuIaliona
THE CASE or CONGRESSMAN sMALLS-A SEARCH
AMONG ANCIENT RECORDS FOR PRECEDENT.
The report of the chairman OF the Judiciary Com
mittee oil the House in tho OF Congressman
Smas, oil South Carolina, has been ordered to DO
ported as the opinion Of the committee, ana It is ~
brief declaration that treason, felony and breach OF
the peace tho entire range OF criminal law and
the South Carolina courts have not been guilty
OF breach OF the privileges OF
Of It's mombers arrestug and OBTAINING Mr. Smalls
within It's Jurisdiction. That which makes the report
both Interesting and novel Is the fact that before
In tho history OF tho government has such question
been presented to either house Tor consideration.
Tho chairman OF the committee therefore Obliged
10 turn to English history and procedents and his pre-
scnaton OF the argument In support OF the position
taken coyors PERIOD Of that history from I420 down