The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-02-03
soTfy.flfsh CongPeas.-.Tiafrti Bessfon
VAaHlSoTos, FEBRUARY /, 1879.
SENATE

Z
Mr. Nee reery, or Kentucky. from the
Joint committee TO, inquire into the expe.
diency OF transferring the Indian Bureau
from tae Interior 10 the War Department,
submitted Q report signed by four members
OF the committee in favor OF the transfer.
Ordered TO be printed.
Mr. HoE presented a minority report OF
the Committee on Privileges and Elections,
signed by himself and Msssfs. Cameron fof
Wisconsin, and Mitchell, favorin2 six
teenth amendment To the Constitution pro.
hibiting the States from DISTINGUISHING per-
sons on account of sex.
The Senate then resumed tire eonsidera-
ton OF MIR. EdmRnds's resolutions affirm
Inc the validity OF the thirteenth, four.
teenth, and fifteenth amendments
Mr. Morgan, Of Alabama, continued his
remarks in favor OF bis own substitute.
hfr. Withers, of Virginia, presented q pc
tltion OF farmers Of Hanover county, Va,
fayoring reduction OF the tax on tobacco.
Referred to the Committee on Finance.
The Vice-President laid before the Sem
ate communication from the Secretary Of
War, enclosing letter from General Hum
phreys, Chief Engineer, with regardoto a
plan for the national survey proposed by
the Academy Of Sciences. After long re-
view OF statements made by the Supefin-
tendent OF the Coast Survey, General Hum
phreys says experience gives no reason for
believing that national survey can be ex-
ecuted at a less cost than forty more
thousand dollars for rough Typographical
survey, based on astronomical determine
ton; sixty-two million dollars for the same
based ON triangulation, and one hundred
and sixty-eight millions for thorough
cadastrale survey. The area considered in
these estimates is only that OF the States adj
mitted before 1850, including California,
Texas, and Oregon.
The Secretary Of War also transmitted a
letter from Commissary-G General Merely,
showing that bis department would be
thoroughly crippled by the adoption OF the
system Of organization required by the
Burnside bill.
Executive session.
Adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The House is fairly launched into long
impending debate on southern war-claims.
The discussion was opened by Chal-
mers, OF Mississippi. He suggested that
the tendency to suspect others (as exhibited
in the speech of Bragg, OF wisconsin, indi-
Gates generally tendency to corruption in
ones self.
Mr.. Chalmers cared nothing for the pay
ment OF loyal southern claims, because 10y
atty to the Union during the war meant dis
loyalty to everything that he held dear.
That many men in the South had been loyal
to the Union was nevertheless true, and he
did not envy the cheap political capital that
the Union soldier could make by telling
such men that be had no more confidence in
their honesty than mouse had in stuff
ed cat-skin. The claim now presented
came from women and children, against
whom the statute OF limitation seldom ran.
The gentleman from Wisconsin Bragg,
taking advantage OF well-known opposition
everywhere, sought to blend war claims
with claims for southern improvements, and
endeavored to throw the odor of his dead
cat over them. That gentleman announced
in advance that he was unwilling to trust
the honesty OF either claimants or court.
Such readiness to suspect corruption in
others sometimes indicated an innate ten.
dency to corruption in ones self, and he
should therefore not charge corruption on
any one. The issues OF war were certainly
dead with him. He had but one po.
litcal faith--to preserve inviolate local
seli-government; but one political hope,
to build up the waste places in
the South destroyed by the war. He
called attention to the difference between
the speech made by the gentleman from
Wisconsin (Mr. Bragg, not rs toned down
in the Record, but rs delivered and partially
published in the New York Herald, and the
speech coming from the Republican men,
Der from New Hampshire (Nr Blair), both
OF which appeared in the Record on the
same day. When the West had been in its
infancy it had been fostered by the South.
Mississippi Democrats bad stood side by
side with those from Michigan in the work
OF western improvements. He had warned
northern Democrats last session that a
refusal to recognize the just demands
OF the South might result in the
defeat of southern Democrats and the
sending OF other representatives who
would form alliances with other parties.
The rapid growth OF Independent candi-
dates in the South had already sustained
bis declaration. He had nothing to take
back; not line, not syllable. He re-
peated what be had then said. He hoped
that the solid South might still be solid for
the Democratic party, but for that portion
OF it that had courage and manliness to
treat the people Of the South as equals and
not as interiors in the Union. The gentle
man from Wisconsin,, after having slept on
his speech for nearly year, and after
| "nursing his wrath TO keep it warm,' had
come forward to eXcommunicate him (ChaI-
mers) from the Democratic church and to
| Give a general ticket of-leave to the rest OF
the southern men who CARED ask for
Justice and for equal distributions Of APP
preparations from the Federal Treasury.
He INF. Bragg) had assumed to speak in the
name Of the northern Democrats; and even
| il he had authority thus to speak, it was the
first time anybody had ever heard OF the
minority undertaking to turn out the MAORI
| ty of party. But this great leader from the
solid Democratic State OF Wisconsin pro-
posed to show him to the door OF the Demo
cratic party. and when the South asked fol
small proportion OF Government AID De
trepted her like mendlcant, and SAID &c
her, like Van Reekman to old Rip van
Wrinkle, "GiYe her cold potato and. te
her CO." AS representative OF northern
Democrats, the gentleman from Wisconsin
had stated that they would not sell out bod!
and soul to the southern Democrats, ant
had intimated that they could do bette
without the South than with it. FL
would like to know who. had appointed
that gentleman salesman Of northern Demo
Gratis. How many northern Democrat
could he deliver even il he found pur
chaserS That gentleman reminded him o
the s.cow-beys" and t.skinners Of tn
Revolutionary war, who belonged to neithe
pasty, but robbed unfortunately from
both, and fled in terror when danger up
preached. The gentleman struck first OF
one side and then on the other, and when
lever a question came up requiring fear
less courage and manhood he rush