Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-05-28

copies of the report of the commissioners of fis
and fisheries, was agreed to. The mornIn
! hour was dispensed with and the house wen
into the committee of the whole. MIR. Simontol
of Tennessee, in the chair, on the sundry civi
appropriation bill. An amount of $4,000 TO
printing and binding, under direction of tn
secretary of the war, the record of the uniol
and the confederate armies of the war of th'
rebellion, SO far as may be ready.
An amendment offered by Mr.. powney
of Wyoming for expanding the balancc.o of the
Geneva award fund in the erection of public
buildings throughout the country, was ruled
cut of order amid good deal of laughter on all
sides of the House.
Mr.. Keifer offered an amendment appropri.
ating $75, 900 for the geographical and topo-
| graphical survey of the territory west OF the
| Mississippi river, which was ruled out on the
| point of;order.
Mr. Warner offered an amendment striking
| out the clause authorizing the secretary of war
| to negotiate with the legal representative of
Confederate Generals Bragg and Polk. for the
purchase of their private papers rele-
ting to the late war, and directing him, to re-
port thereon at the next session of Congress.
Mr.. Blackman said the government has made
the honest and earnest endeavOr to collect the
materials which would be of use in writing
truthful history of the war. The record of the
western army of the South could not be COM
plete without every solitary paper belonging to
the man who for three years OF Its existence
commanded it.
A discussion here arose between Blackburn,
Bragg and Keifer as to whether the commission
in charge of compiling the records was IN favor
of seizing private papers of officers rather than
buying them.
Mr.. Warner inquired how it was that if the
L I'LL
resented them to be, the heirs and legal repre-
sentatives of Generals Bragg and Polk had not
sufficient interest in having them made part
of history to present them to the government.
Mr. Blackburn-"Why did not the legal
representatives of Washington and Jefferson
and Madison do the same thing?"
Senator Bragg said he had the greatest adj
miration for the memory of Bishop Polk. who
served so bravely in the war. He bad the
greatest respect for the memory of his name-
sake, and believed both these Generals would
have secuted the idea that their legal representa-
tives would appear before Congress peddling
out those papers as hawkers peddle out cab
bages. He was sick and tired of this talk
about securing an honest and impartial his
tory of the war, and at the same time reaching
out with both hands to get money.
Mr.. Whitthorne denied that the representa-
tives of those generals were hucksters trading
upon regulations. 1t was his good fortune
early in life to know Bishop Polk. He had the
honor to-day, to represent some of the Folk
family. God Almighty had never made bet
ter or purer man than Bishop Polk. The family
now charged with being hucksters, had once
rolled in affluence and wealth and luxury. To-
day, there were few so poor in this country.
The private papers which had belonged to
General Polk, were part of the Polk estate.
The family was jealous of his reputation as an
American, and being so jealous were unwilling
that any hucksters should write his history.
1t was in this spirit that it appealed to Con-
gres, if it appealed at all. It was with desire
that when the history of the most magnificent
war that the world had ever known was writ
ten, Justice should be done alike to the victor
and vanauished, and that the great and he
roic deeds of that war ehould form heritage
to the republic, which he trusted Ged In his
wisdom would perpetuate forever and forever.
Mr. Robertson said be understood the papeEs
in question to be private duplic ate press COPIES
duplicate order books and semi official letters,
which were in the hands of representatives of
these generals and were part of their estate.
MIR. Keifer inquired how he knew those
papers were mere copies OF official papers. and
whether, even if they weIe they were not still
official papers.
Mr.. Robeson thought not, and said he had
present knowledge as to some of them.
Mr.. Blount-We will know before we have to
pay for them.
MIR. Warmers amendment was rejected.
Attempts were made to insert in the clause
the names of Generals Hood, Jarney and Reno,
but they. were all unsuccessful.
Mr. Van Voorhees, raised the point OF order
against the clause in the bill appointing man
ayers of the national home for disabled volun-
teers, to fill vacancies which occurred the 2lst
of April, 1878, and .21st of April, 1880.
long discussion ensued upon this point, the
Republicans, with the exception of Robinson,
contending that the clause was not In order.
and the Democrats adhering to the opposite
opinion. The object of the Republicans IN
opposing the clause, was to prevent what they
contended to be the legislating of Gen. Martin
dale, New York. out of office. They hold that
Gen. Martindale's term had not expired, while
Mr. Sparks stated the contrary, declaring that
eyery LAWYER who read the law, and who was
not demagogue, or something worse, must
know that the terms of Office had expired.
Finally the chair overruled the point OF or
der and from this decision Van Voorhees, ap-
pealed. He said the manifest object of this
provision was to turn good Republican officers
out and replace them with Democrats, and
stated his opinion that the remarks OF the gen.
tleman from Massachusetts (Robinson), had
been made for the purpose of toadylpg to the
other side. This brought Robinson to his feet,
but before he had made any reply VanVoorhees
stated that if he had done the gentlemen an IN
Justice he was sorry for it, but that he had SIM
ply expressed his opinion.
Mr. ROBINSON will submit whether the
gentleman has not done himself a greater in
Justice than he has done me?
MIR. VanVoorhees-I will submit it to the
House.
Mr.. Robinson-I am content to leave it there.
have no feeling about the matter
The decision of the chair was then sustained.
Mr.. Keifer moved to insert the name OF b.
F. Butler. A large number of Republicans
voted against this amendment, one of them re-
marking that Butler was not only demagogue
but Democrat. This did not appear to be
concurred in by the Democrats, as they voted
solldly against the amendment, which was re-
iected, yeas 133, nays 116
Mr.. Van Voorhees, moved to strike out the
entire clause. Rejected.
Mr.. Harris, under instructions from the
committee on naval affairs, submitted an
amendment appropriating $2,S74, 600 for COM
pletion of the double turreted monitors Terror,
Puritan, Monadanock and Amphitile, and ST.
$50, 900 for constructing engines and machinery
for the same. Ruled out on the point OF order.
Mr.. Ward submitted an amendment appro-
priating $4,000 to reconstruct and strengthen
the roof of the patent Office. Ruled out on the
point of order.
The committee rose and Mr.. Cobb from the
committee on appropriations reported the lu-
dietary deficiency appropriation bill. Ordered
printed and recommitted. It appropriates
about 81, 4,000,0 600.
Several leaves of absence were submitted, to