Morning journal and courier., 1880-01-09
Forty-Sixth Congress.
WASHINGTON, Jal

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5. SENArE.-The Sergeant at Arms brought to l the bar of the Senate l.. T. Smith, Levi Will son and O. B. Purcell, to answer the charge of contempt in not obeying the summons to testify in the Ingalls, case. MT. Smith made statement to the effect that he sent dis patch to the committee saying he knew noth- ing about the election of MT. Ingalls,. A discussion took place as to accepting the witness explanation. - MT. Saulsbury (Del. chairman of the com mittee, was in favor of discharging the wit ness upon his appearing before the commit tee and testifying. MT. McMillan (Minn. ) and others objected to keeping the witness in custody, saying that no lawful summons had been served on him. The three witnesses were finally discharged.
 MT. Wallace, of Pennsylvania, presented the petition of Drexei & Go. and others of Pennsylvania, for the withdrawal of the legal tender quality of the Treasury notes. In doing so he desired to say that the gentle men signing the petition represented the leading commercial, banking and shipping in- terests of Pennsylvania, and their opinions on the subject were entitled to attention by the Senate.
 After an executive session the Senate ad- journed until Monday.
 The Senate in executive session confirmed 8 number of postmasters, including D. Blin- ger of Washington, also Thomas Ireland as collector at Annapolis.
 HoUsE.-The Committee on Rules did not want to enter upon general discussion. MT. Reagan, of Texas, wanted to discuss especial ly that point which proposed that the Com merce Committee should prepare the River and Rarbor bill and then turn it over to the Appropriation Committee. He thought the Commerce Committee was the proper one to the details of the bill. He thought the propo- sition degraded the Committee on Commerce and made it's members clerks and ananuenses of the Appropriation Committee.
 Mir. McLane, of Maryland, also opposed the amendment proposed, as did all the members of the Commerce Committee.
 MT. Garfield thought the new rule good one. but he was more concerned for the whole codifcation than for any special item. He called attention to the fact that there had been appropriated $125, 900, 900 for river and harbor improvements, and he favored the system, try could not be safely administered unless one of the committees had charge of all the appropriations. Tho River and Harbor bill stood on 8 different footing from other appro- priation bills because the appropriations forit were not made in pursuance of existing law
 MT. Hooker, of Mississippi, wanted the River and Harbor bill to remain under the present control. The Appropriation Com mittee was arrogating to itself all the money of the House. He advocated the amendment to which he would propose that the army sp- propriation be turned over to the Military Committee, the naval appropriation to the Naval Committee, and each appropriation to the committee having charge of the special subjects.
 Speaker Randall who is co, o65cio chairman of the Committee on Rules, said it was not the intention of the committee to deprive the Commerce Committee of any of its power, much less degrade it. as has been charged. The committee had given the Commerce Committee authority to report the bill to which it did not object. He read statement showing that since the Forty first Congress $54, ,00o, 900 had been appropriated for rivers and harbors.
 MT. O'Neill, of Pennsylvania, and MT. Ran dall had 8 little controversy about these ap- propriations, and MT. O'Neill said MT. Ran dall did not represent his people when he op- posed the construction of these works. MT. Randall insisted that he did, and as proof called attention to the fact of his repeated re- turns to Congress.
 MT. Kenna, of West Virginia, also member of the Commerce Committee, opposed the committees report and said he was willing to vote for $50, ,OOO, 900 a year for river improve ments and would stand on that record.
 The tone of the debate was in opposition to that feature of the committees report. With out disposing of the subject the House, at 4:4O p. m.. adjourned.