The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-04-01
THE FIGHT IN CONGRESS.
mILITdRYRULE OR CIVIL LIRER.
TY TIE ISSUE OF THE HOUR.

es by Stephens. Garfield and Others
Speaker nandall's Ruling.
WASHINGTON, March 29.-HousE.
At 12.40 the House went into
committee of the whole on the army
appropriation bill and the discussion
was resumed, Stephens, Of Georgia,
opening it. He argued in favor OF
the relevancy and admissibiity of
the section, but intimated his dis.
sent from the theory that the rules
of ono house governed tue succeed
ing House unless readoptcd. There
was no question in his mind but
that the pending section was ger,
name and was in the. direction of
retrenching expenditures. Retrench-
ment was not only possible and
probable but certain. He discussed
the laws of 1895 and 1907 and
argued that they did not apply to
the use Of tt oops in civil cases, but
only in casoe of invasion and insur-
rection. In civil cases troops were
furnished on the call of the marshal
as Il posse comitutus, but such
provision as authorized the presence
of troops at the polls never existed
Oh the statute book until 1865, and
all the change of Legislation propos-
ed by the section in question was u
repeal of that law. Public senti-
ment North and South WAS against
the employment Of troops ut the
polls. There WIS no need for such
tning. The country had got along
without it for three quarters of u
century. There would be no harm
done, therefore, by the repeal of t. 9
law. MIR. Stephens spoke for over
twenty minutes in Il clear voice and
attracted great attention.
After argument by Reed, of Maine,
against tie section and III support
OF the Poirt OF orde:', the chairman
made q decision over-ruiing the
point of order and holding that the
section WAS gclmLnc and would
retrench expenditures. An appeal
WIS taken and the decision sustained
by 1t vote of ll5 to 107.
A general discussion was then
opened by Gn field, his argument
bcing that no vote would be taken
to~day. Garfield made q very
strong speech against the policy of
the Democratic party in Congress
declaring it to be utterly revolutior..
AIRY and tending to the subvcrsion
OF the government. He showed
how, by the abstention of the
majority in either House from the
performance OF their 10 yislntive
duties, the government could be
broken, and declared that this was
tic first time in American history
anil t.ie first time in two centuries
in England that it had been propos-
ed or insisted upon that those vol.
untary powers should be used for
the destruction of the government,
and yet that was tho programme
announced to the American people
to-day. If the pending proposition
was the simplest and most inoffen~
sive. still when it was demanded as
n matter Of coercion, it had to be
resisted. II was not against the
proposition itself, but against the
Democrat G methods, that he spoke,
and what was the law, on tho repeal of
which the Democrats now insisted
at the very peril Of the national life?
1t was the law proposed by tho
Democratic Senator, Powell, Of
Kentucky reported against by n
Knpubllc"n committee and passed
in both houses by majority Of
Democratic votes, the minority of
Republican votes being against it..
He named us voting for it Senators
Hendricks, of Indiana, Davis, of
Kentucky, Johnson, Maryland, and
Mcdowell, Of California, aud among
the Democratic Representatives
Randall, of Pennsylvania, Wood, of
New York. and Pepdleton, of Ohio.
The speech creates great excite
ment.
BEUNER ACQUITTED telegram
was received hero yesterday an.
mounting that the man Bruner,
charged with the murder of the Int
7. NJ. Murray, of this city, in Rock
Hill last summer, who WAS brought
to trial day before yesterday in
York7ille bad been acquitted. No
further particulars were received,
except that the jury remained out
only about three minutes, but it is
presumed that it was shown to the
1,.,Is so.H. u Ii.