The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-01-27

(FTom our Regular Correspondent.)
The protracted duilness of routine bust
ness, pension, patent, and appropriation
bills, was broken yesterday by the intro
duction of the Potter resolution to investi-
gate the cipher. dispatches. For the first
time 10 weeks the gallery of the house was
crowded in anticipation Of sensations, and
when Mr. Potter arose to make the motion
expectation was on tiptoe. Mr.. Potter
gave his reasons for making the motion
now, and for not having made it before, in
slow and measured words, and with de-
liberation of speech altogether at variance
with bis usual lightning diction. He is
usually the most difficult member of the
house for the steuographers to take down,
utteriug moro words to the minute than
any other representative. After he had
animadverted against the misrepresenta-
tons of the press, and squared himself be-
fore the country, he yielded 20 minutes
OF his tune to the gentleman
from Massachusetts. This was the mo-
ment looked for. Gen. Butler arose, rested
his left hand on the corner of his desk,
crossed his short left leg before his right,
and placing his right hand on his hip, was
fac SiDliIe, in prose, of Florence in the
Almighty Dollar" But those who ex-
pected 10 hear something rich and racy
about election frauds in Massachusetts were
disappointed. His short speech contained
hint on this subject, but 1t was so yelled
in phraseology that few discerned it; and
the best caricatured statesman in America,
after opposing the investigation on the
broad ground that it would not pay. sat
down, leaving all who had come to see fun
disappointed. The next star was Mr.. Eu-
gene Hale, of Maine. His speech was i'm
promptu, and the most vindictive of the
programme, He spoke with bitter irony
Of the g1ileless old man, surrounded bv
friends aud nephews, who would now have
an opportunity 10 vIndIcate himself from
the charges OF having attempted to pur-
chase through fraud, with money, the high
office to which he was not elected by the
people. Mr.. Hale was followed by Omer
ID. COnger, from Michigan, whose speech
was hardly up 10 his usual efforts 10 bOufe
oratory. To MIR, Hewitt, of New York, as
chairman OF the Democratic National Cam
palgu Committee, was accorded the priv.
lege OF concluding the debate. He read
from printed manuscript a strong argu-
ment 10 favor ofinvestigation.
The motion authorizing the Potter com
mlttce to investigate the cipher kilograms,
and appropriating $4,000 to defray the
expense of such Investigation, was passed
with scarcely dissenting voice.
Mr.. POtter's committee held long pri
vate session this morning. The democratic
members first brought up the question
whether ST. Martin should be called as a
witness by the republicans or discharged
by the committee, and after discussion was
laid over.
The question then arose whether the
committee should call any witnesses in re-
gard to the cipher kilograms in advance of
the passage, by the senate, of the house
bill making an appropriation for the ex-
penses OF the investigation, their funds be-
ing wholly exhausted. This question also
went over for decision until tomorrow.
The sending OF subcommittee to New
York to investigate the cipher dispatches
was discussed. No conclusion was reached
but the committee seemed to be about
evenly divided, whether to conduct the in.
vestigaiion 10 this city or New York 1t il
thought that all OF the witnesses needed
will be summoned to Washington, excep,
Gov. Tildep, and that subcommittee will
sit in New York to take his testimony. Gen
Butler informed the committee that he had
in bis possession cipher kilograms number
ed from | to 600 inclusive. He said he did
not know precisely how he became the
custodian of them, but that ht
had suspicion. which he did not dis
close. He had left them with his clerl
last summer, and one day when he asked
Tor them he was informed that his mes
seDger had called for them and taken then
away. Subsequently. afterthe Tribune haC
published the cipher dispatches, he found
the originals in his Office among some ole
papers. There are about $40 Of these dis
patches which he will lay before the com
IA''ee 'O-nctrOW' G. A.. S.