St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-02-04
Washington News.

The free ship question occupied the
attention of the Senate Friday. Sena-
tor Beck made long speech in advoca-
cy of free ships as the best way to re-
vive American commerce, and Senator
Blaine took the opposite ground in a
very able and energetic speech.-The
Senate passed the Naval Appropriation
bill, and the bill to authorize the con-
struction of railway bridge across the
Niagara River.
A REBEL CLAIM BEFORE TIE House.
One hundred and thirty-six dollars
and eighty-five cents. That was the
text upon which an all days debate
upon rebel claims was hung in the
house to-day. Before the debate ended
the Democrats had made public and
private admission which showed that
the claim, on account of the small sum
involved, and because of the sentiment
tally which surrounded it, had been Sc
lected in order that it might be used, if
passed, as precedent for the payment
of large class of similar claims in
which the same conditions might not
exist. One Democrat, also, in his haste,
| plainly intimated that if the Republi-
cans were disposed not to pay such
claims as this, it was an act of repudia-
ton, and that the North would do we'll
to see to it that hereafter other obliga-
tiOns of the United States were not re-
pudiated. This latter threat was not
made in exact words, but it was, how
ever, broadly intimated in words which
could leave little doubt as to the speak
er's meaning.
But the Republicans and one Demo-
crat we're not to be misled int estab-
fishing a dangerous precedent by what
Gen. Bragg subsequently called "glit-
tering generalities supported by poe
try" The bill was plainly in violation
of section 34S of the Revised Statutes,
which fOrbids the payment of any ante
war claim which was due to any per-
son who promoted or encouraged the
Rebellion. This statute, with the four
teenth amendment, is one of the bar
riers between the Treasury and the
countless millions of rebel claims. The
republicans made their stand upon ii
and were not to be turned aside by
gush, glitter, melodrama, by loud APP
/ plause for justice, by eloquent sketches
of The struggle for magma charter, by
/ declarations as to the fate of Emmett,
or by threats of the possible repudia-
ton by some future ex-Confederate
administration of the Federal debt,
incurred in suppressing the Rebellion.
The DISCUSSES of rhetoric and the tricks
of pathos were soon stripped from the
bill by Conger, Bragg, Hawley and
Reed
The ELECTORAL COUNT.-The ninth
of February is the day when the cleo
tOral votes are to be counted, and, as
yet, there is no agreement between the
parties as to the form of proceeding
In spite of the unseemly performances
on that occasion in recent years,
| Congress cannot be brought to adopt
any rule by consent of both parties for
doing the work this time, and what the
course of proceeding will be no one
now can tell. Whether the democrats
will make another attempt to carry
their pet measure through the house
is not certain, but it is expected they
will, and will probably do so or Tues
day. There is not much probability,
however, that the democrats will have
quorum of their own party to vote
for it, and their success will not surpass
that of former occasions. Senator
Ingalls's resolution has been referred to
a committee by which it is not likely
to be reported in time for action, and
so Congress is drifting on to the impor-
tant day without providing any guide
for itself or any check upon the be-
! havior of the members who care least