The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-01-29
WHEELING WEST VA. SATURDAY MORNING. JANUARY 49, 1881

, TO place Major Walker on the retired lis
OF the army, This officer was discharged
for drunkenness on the evening OF his re
tirement, and the report Of the COMMITTEES
states that he was at the time suffering
from acute rheumatism.
The bill was opposed by Messrs, Sparks
and Dibbrell, and supported by Messrs,
Stephens .and 0'Nell, the last Of whom
gave credit to Major Walker for mRniully
] pleading guilty instead OF making an ex'
cuse ot malaria, In the course Of the dis
cussioE Fitz John Porter's case was alluded
to, though Mr.. Sparks contsndsd that
there was no similarity between the tive
cases inasmuCh as Gen. Porter had denied
that he had violated orders, and commits
sion had declared that by his conduct be
had saved the Union army from
disaster, while in the pending case
Mr., Walker had acknowledged his guilt,
Mr.. Mills opposed the bill on the ground
that 1t was doubtful whether Congress
had the constitutional power TO interfere
with and disturb the decision Of Q court
martial.
Mr.. MCGinnis thought the great mlslor.
tune about this case was that the tindings
OF the court martial had reached the ad.
ministTation during one Of it's spAams Of
reform, The administration had come to
the Capital
WITH THE sANcTITY OF TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL
AROUND 1T
and had promised to make up for the
ways by which 1t had gotten into
power by reforming the civil
and military service of the country.
Everyone remembered the first civil scr.
vice order and the weak outcome OF 1t,
The army was also to be reformed In the
same Sunday School and PiCkwiCkian
way. An order had been Issued, for the
discharge OF any army officer convicted
OF drunkenness, and II was the misfortune
OF Walker that his case had come up while
the President was in virtuous and indig.
nant mood. Since that time the preCe.
dent had not been followed.
lie criticised the action OF the President
In granting an appointment to General
Mcdowell, who had gone into war under
the most favorable opportunities and had
come out without command, and retiring
with the rank OF Brigsdier General the
grizzled old veteran ORD, who had always
been In the hardest service and had never
been on carpet duty about the Capitol,
The discipline OF the service was injured
by violation OF all the rules and regula.
tions for promotion. The bill was finally
laid aside for favorable recommendation.
The next bill was one for the relief OF
Mrs. j. P. Page, widow Of Capt. Page, Of
the U. S. Navy. The amount involved is
one hundred and thirty.sx dollars, which
was due Capt. Page upon his lesignatiOn
from the navy In 1851, the reason OF the
regignation being that bis State had
sEcEDRD FROM TIE UNION.
Mr.. Conger opposed the bill and drew
a picture Of Capt. Page raising the sword
which had been given him by bis country
to strike down that country. Laughter
on the Democratic slde.l Mr.. Conger-
The gentlemen laugh and sneer. ! do not
envy the smile that gathers over the faces
Of some oi the gentlemen on the other
side-the smile OF derision at the picture
have drawn. It Is becoming exhibition
Of the Contortions which the human face
is capable OF under adverse circumstances.
Laughter on the Republican side.
Mr.. Conger, continuing, said he had
never heard Of proposition to repeal
the statute which prevented the payment
oil the pending claim except the remarks
the gentleman from Kentucky Black.
burn1 had made, inadvertently, he be.
lieved, that when the Democrats obtained
control OF both houses and the Presi.
denCy they would repeal the laws, which,
and which, and which, etc., ETC., etc.
Mr.. Blackburn asked the gentleman not
to garble the record as come lesser lights
Of the Republican party had done before
him.
A long and amusing colloquy ensued
between Conger and Blackburn as To the
precise words used by Blackburn, at the
conclusion OF which C0nger finished his
speech In opposition 10 the bill.
Mr.. Good said he desired 10 make a cor.
rection Of the report. submitted by the
Naval Committee, That report stated
Captain Page had entered the Confeder-
ale service. He had not done so, but be
[Good had no doubt he would have done
so but for his advanced age. Capt. Page
would not thank him for representing 10
the American Congress that he [Page]
would not have gone into that struggle
with his native State.
Mr.. Oonger replied that he would do
Justice TO the boy who had done gallant
service on the waters OF Lake Erie, and
10 the man who had been loved and re.
speCted until the fatal hour had come.
He believed II that man were alive now
the recollection Of his association with
the beloved flag of his country would pre-.
vent him from ever coming here and ask.
Ing for pitiful spm-less than 5000,
Mr.. House supported the bill. II was
not the first time the gentleman from
Michigan [Conger] had
BAwLED HlMsRLp HoARSE AND HAD wAvRD
THE BLOODY SHIFT
In order TO cover the cause OF injustice.
Mr.. Cox IN. " said he had hoped that
after the election Of Garfield there might
have been some amnesty shown by the
other side, something better than his rag.
Ing fight over little appropriation. 1t
was a modification 10 the American people
that alter fifteen years had elapsed since
tho end Of the war Congress WAS now de-
batting bill for the relief oil q widow
whose husband had served with Com.
tnodore Perry In 1911, In an un.
christian = spirit. EOr shamel There
vap no a christian idea connected
with tits sort of debating, not an idea
connected with iorgvlhgneaS, nothing
that related 10 genuine manhood or Chlv.
airy. A great writer had said that "Whie
you put down rebellion, you should en-.
deavor 10 bring about good feeling" and
yet his friend [Congerl came here and bit.
erly opposed this bill like sort Of Tsnar.
leyow" We're these unChristIan utter.
snces 10 last iorever2 The Republicans
had, he knew, man who would turn out
LeLIar Ia the Presidency than their repre-.
SentatiyeS did on this floor.
GENERAL aARFiRLg
had said that the man who would utter
the kind OF sentiment uttered here to-day