Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-03-09
XLVI. CONGRESS.
SENATE.
TELEGRAPHIC.-
.
The Cost of the Late War to be
81 Calculated. u rss6
's4 r-s ---- -T----- 1i lliv
Senator Bayard Has His Say on
the Fitz John Porter Case. 3,
A Number Of New Bills Introduced
in the House.
WASHINGTON. March 8.

WASHINGTON, March 8.
The vice president laid before the
senate a memorial of the trustees
of the Peabody educational fund,
recommending legislation to aid in
the education Of colored children.
Referred. g !
Senator Jonas { La presented a
concurrent resolution of the Lou
isiana legislature, asking an appro-
priation for the Improvement of the
mouth of Calicasen river. Re-
ferred. .-..-...
Senator Kirkwood Gowa) sub
mitted resolution instructing
the secretary of the treasury to
communicate to the senate o state-
ment of the amount of money ex-
pended by the United States for all
purposes necessarily growing out of
the late war; specifying separately
the amounts paid on the principal
of the public debt thereby in
CURED; the amount of inter-
est paid on such for the
year; the amount paid for pensions
including arrear and amount paid
soldiers and sailors of the war, such
information to be brought down to
January 1st, 1880 Adopted. .
The senate proceeded to consider
the calendar bill to amend the law
relative to the seizure and forfeiture
of vessels for a breach of the rev.
enue laws. Passed.
1t is intended to prevent such
forfeiture when smuggling is carried
on without the knowledge or privity
of officers or owners of vessels.
A message was received from the
president In regard to the COR
respondence with foreign powers
about the inter, oceanic canal.
A bill for the relief of homestead
settlers was passed. 1t gives such
settlers the same privileges as to
filing application and perfecting en-
try as now enjoyed by pre-emption
settlers, and in other respects
equalizes homestead and pre-
emption laws. srs.ss -y.e
Senator Bayard advocated Senas
tor Randolph's substitute for the
bill for the relief of Fitz John Por-
ter's appointment as colonel, with
pay from 1868. Bayard regretted
that the Senator from Wisconsin
(Carpenter) had introduced an ap>
peal TO partisan feeling into
his able speech on Saturday.
There was no reason for
making this. q party question.
1t was purely a matter of
public justice. lie denied that the
jurisdiction of the courts~martial is
co-equal with that of civil tribunals.
The military power must in all re-
spects be subordinated to civil power.
Civil courts have authority to inter
fere in case Of irregularity in courts,
martial, but military courts have no
such authority concerning civil
courts. This fact alone would prove
the subordination of courts>martial.
They are creatures of congress, and
under its control, whereas the civil
tribunals are permanent and indie
pendent, and always open for the
repair of wrongs done by courts
martial or otherwise. Congress
cannot be debarred, by the sentence
of court martial, from removing
political disabilities. He cited the
cases of Surgeon General Hammond
and Captain George A. Ames to
show that congress has before an
nulled the findings of courts mar
tial. He said the testimony in the
case showed that Porter's action
was wise and soldierly; that he
obeyed the spirit, if not the letter
Of the orders, and that his gallant
ry on the 30th caused Stonewall
jackson, who was a good judge of
bravery, to make special mention in
his report of the furious assaults of
the federal force under Porter,
which nearly broke Jackson's line.
1t had been said that congress
would hear from the country if it
passed this bill. He hoped so, and
wanted the country to hear from him
first. lie would be an unworthy
representative of the intelligent peo.
pie if he did not dare to
vote on his own conviction Of
right, and he believed justice de-
manded Porter's reinstatement.
After some remarks by Senator
Logan Qll), who reiterated his
view of the evidence, Senator Mc-
Donald (lnd took the floor, but
gave way for an executive session;
after which the senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, d. c., March 8.
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