National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-06-03
SENATE.

Mr.. Harris, from the Committee on the District
of Columbia, reported favorably on House bill $780,
authorizing the Commissioners of the District of
Columbia to issue twentyycar 8 per cent bonds to
redeem certain funded indebtedness of said Dis
trlct Placed on the calendar.
Mr.. ROLLINS, from the same committee, reported
favorably on House bill 20O5 to confer OH the Com
missioners of tho District tho powers, duties and
Limitations contained in chapter VIII Revised
Statutes United States. Placed on the calendar.
Mr.. BAYARD, from the Committee on the Judi.
ciary, reported with amendment Senate bill i9i,
to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to pass
the accounts Of Cyrus Thomas discussing agent of
the United states chronological Commission, not.
with,tanding his having inadvertently omitted to
law. The bill was considered and passed
Mr.. PENDLEroS introduced bill, which was con.
sldcrcd and passed, TO authorize the Secretary of
War to furnish condemned ordnance for railing
Sr6llnu ne monument to Colonel Robert H. Nc.
Cook, of the Nlhtnvsto Volunteers, at Cincinnati.
protection of attorneys doing business before the
Patent Office and the Departments of the Govern.
ment Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr.. MCMILLAN moved in Mr.. McDonalds absence,
TO postpone the consideration of the resolution
offered by that gentleman to refer parts Of the
Rhode Island petition TO the Committee on Alleged
Frauds IN the Late Election. and take up the bill to
extend the time for payments by pre.ompors on
certain public lands in Minnesota and Dakota.
Mr.. BLAINE gave notice Of the following amend
ment proposed to be offered by him to Mr.. MELON.
AIDS resolutions
Pcsoi,cd, That inasmuch MS the Third, Sixth and
Eighth Congressional Districts of Georgia the Sixth
and Eighth Districts of North Carolina, and the
Third Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Districts Of Mssis.
sippi cast atjhe last election aggregate of
only 30j1l, almost entirely for candidates of the
Democratic party; and inasmuch as at the preced
ing election in 1876 the candidates Of the Repub
lican party in these same districts received aggre
gate vote of 5973D the said committee Is instructed
to inquire whether within these districts or any
one Of them, there was fraud or undue influence
practiced against citizens at the late election
whether there was denial of tho right 10 vote to
any citizen of the United States who are also cit
zens Of the States respectively named herein and
that in making these inquiries the committee shall
have the right to send for persons and papers
Mr. EDMUSDs, rising to debate the motion to post
pone the resolution called the attention of the
chairman of the Committee on Alleged Frauds in
the late election (Mr. Wallnce) to the publication
by tho committee of a small pamphlet called No.
3, part of which relates to transactions alleged to
have taken place at the election in Bennington
VT, in 1873 Mr.. Edmunds urgently requested the
committee to investigate the matters alleged in
that paper, because IL they were true. somebody
ought to be punished for misconduct, He also
wished to call the attention OF the Senate to the
odd way adopted by the committee in putting be.
fore tho public In printed FORM 50 as to be readily
mistaken for established facts, what were really
onlyCrDuFte charges.
He thought this an unfair way TO enlighten pub.
lie judgment or seek after truth. If anybody
wanted to get upa dishonest political campaign,
and palm off on people who had incomplete menms
Conformation, OneSlded charges as facts found by
some commitee-if there were any such person.
as there could not bc-one of the courses he would
take would be to print and publish as they were
filed before n committee and have marked on the
outside as its proceedings communications made
to the committee, which had never been invcsti-
gated, and which were entirely erprrtc and then
have favorable newspapers all over the country
comment on those publications as established truth
legged Frauds changed front at the beginning OF the
present session there were found certain dOcu-
mens and papers which had been called for by
the former committee and furnished by leading
Democratic Senator. They had not been printed,
and no notice had been taken of them. while all
AL sftu TO a In tIn t1nrF hah
been printed. Leave was obtained to print the pa
pers thus found in the records of the committee.
charges in reference to Vermont and Massachu'
SETS He did not pretend to say whether they
were true or not Tho committee had not yet in,
vcstigated them Only 100 copies had been printed
for the of Senators and in advance OF the com
miuce report as was the usual practice
Mr.. EDMUSDS said his point was that the dOcu-
ments were in fact printed for public information.
1t would have been proper and customary to print
for the use of the committee
Mr.. WALLACE said the same practice had always
obtained. Senators could always get copies Of the
testimony for distribution from the document room
Mr.. DAWES asked if Mr.. Wallace spoke of the
papers. in reference to Massachusetts, as "testi-
Mr. WALLACE said he intended to speak of them
as papers laid before the committee. He would be
glad to remove any erroneous impression shown
in the newspapers in regard to the documents.
In the course of debate which ensued Mr., Ed
MUNDS said 1t would not do to hold a committee re-
sponsblo for the publication OF what purported to
be its transactions. Similar reports appear in the
newspapers oil what goes OH III executive session
the secrecy of which no Senator can be supposed
to violate. But in the present instance this com
mltec has officially published certain documents
all onc'Slded statements, and one q forgery as Ee
believed, was now admitted, though the committee
has not yet reported. He did not think the Yer
mont document forgery. but it presented only
one side OF Il case, and he wanted both sides to ap
pear.
resolution went over.
The Senate proceeded to consider the unfinished
business. being the House bill to amend M act 0p
proved March A. 1879, making appropriations fol
construction, &C., of certain works on the Great
Kanawha and Kentucky Rivers, The bill author
lies the Secretary of War to use part of the apprO
priaon for the purchase Of sites for such improve
Mr. CoNKLING opposed the bill and called at.
tenton to the extent to which the National Coy
crnment is going in the name of improving high
ways Of commerce. He believed that the author
ity of Congress as correctly understood isconhned
to national MISREPRESENTATION streams-and to
harbOrs on the seabolrd or the Great Lakes,
Mr. HERRFoGD pointed out that in this case the
appropriation had already been made and the bill
only authorized the use ofp9rt of i IN particular
way. He also claimed that the authority contained
In the Constitution for Congress to legislae to AS
In the debate which ensned Mr.. Conkling TOOK
occasion TO rally Mr. Beck on having with i'm
punity introduced and had printed in the Rscoro
finance report, for quoting partially from which
without note or comment Mr.. Conklng said he
had been covered with abuse by Democratic Scna
tors and others,
The bill was read a third time and passed-yeas.
30 nays, 10.
Mr.. ANTHONY called attention to the title of the
bill. and asked how the bill of which this Is amend
atOry could have been approved on March 4, 1879
when Congress was not IN session on that day.
Mr.. DAVIS W, Va said the bill as enrolled pur
ported TO have been approved March 1,
Mr.. ANTHONY said he would not move to amend
the title of the bill just passed but It was gOoC
question for the lawyers whether a bill approves
when Congress was not in session was good law
The Senate, on motion Of Mr. MaNey, took NJ
House bill No. 2O2O, to establish pOst,ruads. and
without action thereon, adjourned lat 2i) p. IN,
until tomorrow.
HOUSE or REPRESi 2N7.ITIVES,
Immediately after the reading Of the journa
Columbus Epson Oho successor of the late Gustav
Schelcher) was sworn in as u Representative from
the State of Texas, taking the modified oath.
Under the call of States the following bills were
among Others, introduced and referred;
By Mr.. MURcH For the speedy payment of tn
yorkingmen of the District of Columbia.
BY Mr.. FARR' Relating to the election of senN
tors
By. Mr. Cox IN. W; Amending the treaty witt
Russia as to the holding of real estate by American
Israccs
by Mir. TuLMAN; For herolief of owners Of land
sold for direct taxes
BY Mr. SANFORD; Prohibiting the funding q
United States bonds payable in Treasury notes int