National Republican., 1880-03-10
CURRENT CAPITAL TOPICS.
A Day OF Long Speeches in Congress
Yesterday.
Senator Mcdonald on Porter Representa-
tive House ON civil snrvice--secr.tary
Evnrts and the Canal - Bargain
with tho Utes-Cnbinet Meet
ing-A Republican Cau-
cuE-A Novel Claim.
The National Legislature.

The Presidents message aud the accom-
panying documents, which were sent to tho
Senate on Monday, wcre laid before that body
yesterday.
Tho Vice.President also laid Lcforo tho
Senate message from The President. lnclosng
communication from The Secretary Of tho
Interior in relation to the agreement With tho
Uto delegation.
number Of memorials w0ro presented and
bills introduced among the lattrr n bill by
Mr.. Edmuuds for the erection of monument
IN Washington to General Custer, aud by Mr..
Burnside TO amend the Revised Statutes Of
The District of Columbia relating to public
buildings.
Mr.. Bailey offered resolution inatructing
tho Committee on the Judiciary TO inquire
into an alleged ontrnGt hrtwceu tho Central
and Union Pacific Railroad Companies and the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company, which was
agreed to.
Some unlmportant bills on the calendar wero
disposed Of when the morning hour expired.
aud Mr.. Mcdonald took the floor in support
of tho Fiia.John Porter bill. Hc went over
nearly the same ground rs Senators Randolph
aud Bayard, maintaining The power Of Con.
gress TO reverse the action of the court.martial
and reviewing and defending the military
conduct Of Porter on the Goth of August aud
Immediately preceding and following that
day. without concluding his remarks, Mr.
and at 4:35 the Senate adjourned.
The first real, downright political speech of
the session was made In the House of Repre-
sentatives yesterday by Congressman House.
OF Tennessee. He was allowed to occupy tho
floor FOR two hours and R-quarter on the bill
to prohibit Federal officers from contributing
Tor political purposes. His speech was through
out an attack upon the Civl.Service policy of
The Administration, which, ho tried to show,
was no policy Mt all. lie had much to say
about what he called the fraud that put Mr.
Hayes into the Presidential chair: reviewed
tho history Of the Florida and Louisiana re-
turning boards from the Democratic stand.
point and argued that Hayes had violated
all Of his professions Of civil service reform
by appointing the members OF those
boards aud the visiting statesmen to of.
fee. He referred also TO tho assessment of clubs
in the Departments. and urged the pas
sage Of tho pending bill on the
ground that it would enable clerks to
positively refuse to contribute for political
purposes. He had much to say about Mr.
Hayes occupying the place which rightfully
belonged to Mr.. rilden, and his speech was
regarded us the Grst gun for Tildcn that has
been fired in Congress. In the course OF
his speech bo quoted deliberately from
testimony before the Potter Committee, and
had much to say about the so.called exposure
which was made by Casanave. one of the Lou.
isiana returning board. last summer. He
dwclt at somc length on New York aud Ohio
politics, and insisted that civil-service reform
had been violated by the Administration ad.
voGating the election of Cornell in New York
and Foster in Ohio. BY the Administration
advocating Cornell they enabled Mr.. Conk-
ling to gain substantial victory in New
York. The whole speech was raid upon the
Administration, and bad very little to do with
the bill under consideration.
Mr.. Tom Young, of Ohio, has the door to rc.
ply today,