The New York herald., 1879-03-04
Irreooncilable Differences on the Army
and Legislative Bills.
OTHER APPROPRIATION BILLS AGREED UPON
Fight in the House Over the Sew
ard Impeachment.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.

BILLS BECOMING MORE lNTENSE--Mh. WOOD
ON THE EXTRA sEssIoN-AN IMMEDIATE CALL
NOT NECESSARY.
The situation at ten O'Clock this evening is ths:-
On two bills-the Legislative and tho Army bil--the
conference committees appear to be utterly unable
to agree, and the manner Of disagreement Is
ported to be thus The republicans insist keeping
either the oaths the right Of the army to keep
the peace at the polls The democrats insist having
not only these but the Supervisor and Marshal laws
struck cute Both parties say they will give
up and each appears to be trying to bluff the other
but in this very process the excitement increases,
snd republicans we'll democrats. who last
Ing reasonably disposed, that it would
be disgrace to surrender. Meantime the engross-
ing clerks have been steadily at work, and tho
practical details in such shape that II an agree
ment should be reached by daylight soon after to-
morrow morning all the work could be done and the
bills signed by noon.
There is. however. this evening very general ex-
pectaton that the two bills now In dispute will
be lost; and in that it is probable
that the President will call the new Congress
together st once and with short notice. appointing
he 18th or the latest. the Goth of March for its
assembling. There report to-day that he
would call the Senate In extra session before
this date. but the fact is that IL the needful
appropriations arc passed and extra session
houses necessary,
there will be called session of the Senate for
tive business The President is understood to have
. number Of important nominations in reserve.
which he will send to the Senate which win of
course reorganize before 1t proceeds to business.
The democrats taking control of the committees.
Meantime it is suggested by Mr. Fernando
Wood that even If the Legislative and
Army bills fail that need not compel the
President to call Congress together earlier than next
November He means to explain his idea to the
House In tho course Of the night tomorrow
morning He urges that when the Army bill failed
In 1877 the President did not call Congress to meet
until the middle Of the following October,
and the new Army bill was not passed
until December. He thinks that the inter
ests of the country would be furthered by
avoiding extra session. and that nobody would be
seriously inconvcnienced any interest Of the
government hurt, and he says the following list Of
all the extra sessions since the beginning Of the gov
ernment shows that up to 1877 all were summoned
for some other and graver cause than the
failure Of Appropriation bill.
The specially called sessions Of Congress have been
SIX in number, namely
First-1S77-Spccial session called by John Adams
to meet May Is. 1897 to provide for the threatened
French war;
Second-1s37- Especial session called by Martin Van
Buren,. May Is, 1887, to meet September 4. 1897 to
provide for financial exigencies. CThe banks
spended May 10. 1881
Thtrd-184l-Special session called by William
Henry Harrison. March IT, lsi1 to meet May 81 1s4l
to consider the revenue and Of the country.
This was o change Of parties and policies.
FourDt-1s5G-Spec session called by Franklin
PIERCE to meet August e. 1856 three days after ad
journment Of Congress) to provide appropriations
for the army. as will be seen, on account of Indian
wars.
FyfM-Isel--special session called by Abraham
Lincoln April 15 1861. to meet July 1861. to pro-
vide for the civil war emergency.
SirM-ls77-special session called by r. B. Hayes.
TO meet October 10, 1877 to provide appropriations
for the army, the bill having failed to pass.
President Pierce's proclamation set forth:-
Whereas while hostilitics exist with various Indian
and while in other respects the public peace Is
ously threatened Congress has adjourned without
granting necessary supplies for the army dcPrvins
relation to the common defence and security. and an
extraordinary occasion has thus arisen for assem-
bling the two houses Of Congr css, do. therefore,
by this my proclamation convene the said houses to
meet at the Capitol in the city of Washington. on
Thursday the 21st day of August instant. hereby
requiring tho respective senators and Representa-
tives then and therefore 20 assemble to consult and
determine on such measures as the state of the
Union may seem to require.
Mr. Wood claims that such emergency Mr..
Pierce presented be said to exist and that he
believes the President ought not to call the next
Congress together before next November, IL the
Army and Legislative bills are lost
The House during the evening good.naturedly
tried to divert Mr. Springer from his determination
10 impcach Mr.. George +. seward. Mr.. Springer.
during q struggle OF several hours, moro than
master of the House. but he was laboring in q very
heavy sea. Meantime members of the conference
committees wander moro less grim and discon-
hctu fhc nd lena the Inn
throng of visitors which crowd all the passages
Rarding them harmlessy insane persons.
At eleven O'Clock Mr. Springer was caught mapping.
He gave way for moment to allow the Potter Com
mttee reports to be introduced, whercupon tho re-
publicans moved 20 have these reports Sead by the
Clerk. At this thcro a great uproar. which
temporarily drowned out Springer. who stood voice
less or at least unheard while babel of demands
arose 10 have tho reports read, with 'rcgu-
lar order" cries the democratic side.
gentleman moved that tho House take recess while
the Clerk read tho reports. Another moved that
General Butlers report be road hrst and this the
House, as curious as so many women. was ready to
agrec to unanimously. but the Speaker forbade It,
At this moment Mr.. Cox. Of New York. rose to
point Of order and inquired what had become Of tho
gentleman from Illinois, Mr.. Springer. Mr. Springer
replied that no upholding tho dignity and rights
of the House. Shouts of iaughtcrJ
Mr. Reed at this point moved that a. the democrats
avorsc to having thcir report read the House
should agree TO have the minority or republican
port road. Al this tho democrats, in some alarm,
rased deafenina shouts of Regular ordcr!" Mr
Springer assumed martial attitude and demanded
that his motion concerning Seward be Immediately
voted on.
In sono way presently tho House came 20 ordor
and began TO vote on tho question preliminary
namely, whether IL would vote at ALL Everything
waits for the conference committees. and tho House
Is good naturcdy giving Springer harmless field
day while 1t waits. Tho Senate is dccorously dis
cussina the Mississippi Levce Commission.
At midnight there Is still no certainty about an
agreement on the blls and the reports from the
conference committees TO the effect that