Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-04-12

Speech-Making Resumed In the
Senate-Mr. Camden ON the Vir-
gfnia Debt-PIain Talk from Mr..
Vest-The Treasury and the Six
Per Cents-A Floral Tribute to
Senator JOhnstOn-Thc Supreme
Court.
WASHINGTON, April lit was stated in
these dispatches some time ago that de-
cision had been reached by the President
not to disturb Collector Andrew Clarke, of
the Atlanta Internal Revenue district. That
statement had coupled with it another that
the decision was not final, and the question
OF superseding Clarke might be reopened at
any day 1t has been reopened. In fact, it
has never been closed SO tightly that there
was not crevice visible to the naked eye.
1t is as definitely settled as anything
can be, without official announcement
that Clarke must 60 He is not a good
man for the place, the President is salts
fed, unless he wants to make Clarke boss
of the whole Federal concern in Georgia.
Clarke has himself to thank for the bounce
that he is In fair way Of receiving. II he
had been content to run his own Office he
might possibly have saved his scalp. But
he wanted to boss everybody in Georgia
that was Republican, and to practically con-
troll every other office holder. Naturally.
he "got himself disliked." One thing more
than another that has operated against him
was the conspiracy which he organized to
secure the removal of Marshal Fitzsimons.
That was shameless piece of work. Clarke
managed to keep the true state Of the case
from the government officers here until the
near close of Hayes administration, then
they became known. President Garfield
knows them. President Garfield has also
seen those nice little affi6avits concerning
the character Of the men employed under
Clarke, which the ever jubilant Farrow
arrayed against him. Clarke will go; his
departure will not be immediate. That he
will walk the plank, however, before many
moons is as certain as fate.
Bryant, J. E., is ever SO unanimous. 1t
would hardly be credited that his agility
and unanimity were so conspicuous, were
not the bald headed facts before the gaze
of all. When the present administration
was brand new, J. E. loomed forth as pos
sible representative of the 'best government
on the face of earth" as Consul In one of
the effete dynasties. Nobody would have
begrudged him such place. The verdict,
''let him go abroad, for heavens sake"
would have been as unanimous as j. E.
himself. For some reason, he did
not seem to enthuse much about
leaving Georgia. He heard something prob
ably about building up the Republican party
in the South which might promise some
thing even better than a consulate in warm
climate. That phase OF j. E. under the new
administration being gotten over, we next
find him butting his head against Postmas-
ter Conley's place in Atlanta. He hurt his
head, but did not move the Atlanta Post
master an inch. Now he appears again on
the green as frisky as a lamb when 1t first
begins to taste the tender shoots of an early
spring. He Is now working against the ap-
pointment of General Longstreet as Marshal
of Georgia. He is lust as unanimous as he
ever was. The way in which he is trying
to head off Longstreet's appointment is by
urging exMarshal Smythe for the place.
He is for Smythe without one dis
senting vote. What sort of an un-
derstanding there is between the
two 1t is not known. II no information
in regard to the probable effect of j. E. IS
latest effort could be had it would be safe
20 predicate, from what his past labors have
resulted iu, that Major SmYth had bet
ter cell off his Jealous friend. But there is
no need for predicating. General Garfield
has, as has been mentioned some time ago,
decided to recall General Longstreet from
Constantinople and to make him Marshal of
Georgia. The nomination is made out and
will be sent to the Senate as soon as Presi-
dent Garfield sees that the Republicans in
the Senate will allow the business for which
they were called together in special session
to be transacted
President Garfield to-day accepted an in
vitation to deliver an Grafton at the York
town Centennial celebration. A United
States man-of-war will be ordered to York
town upon which to entertain the French
representatives who will be there.
Senator Brown, on being asked to-day
what would be the effect in Georgia If any
attempt was made to unite the Independent
and Republican parties, replied: "It would
drive all the Independents into the Demo-
cratic ranks. Speer and FELTON, would be
leading examples Of Independents who
would again join themselves with the Demo
cratic party of the State.''
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
The Vice President laid before the Senate
the unfinished business, being the resolution
for the election of Senate officers. The
usual motion, made by Mr.. Davis, of West
lost; yeas 10, nays 20. After few remarks
exchanged by Messrs. Davis, of West Vir-
ginia, and Dawes, tending to show that each
side OF the chamber was determined In it's
course Of action, Mr.. Call took the floor In
continuance of his speech of Thursday last
Mr.. Camden contradicted the charge made
by Mr.. Malone, that West Virginia had
shown no disposition to make provision for
a settlement of the debt question. He
quoted from various acts passed by the
Legislature of West Virginia for the ap-
pointment of commissioners to adjust the
debt. The last of these acts had
been passed in 1S71, but before
waiting for the action Of the
Virginia passed the funding bill, By which
tWo-thirds of her debt has been funded, and
certificates for the remaining third were is
sued. These latter had been issued without
the knowledge of West Virginia, but had
Improperly came to be known as West Yir-
ginia certificates, The Commissioners had
proceeded to make a report which showed
that West Virginia would not be liable for
one-third of the debt on basis of terrific
ry, population or revenue. This report had
been forwarded to the authorities of Yir-
ginia and there the matter had rested down
to the present time.
Mr. Vest thought that the object of the
present position of the Republicans on this
with its vast patronage, its great influence,
its patronage in the Senate, should throw
itself into the coming contest in Virginia,
and crush out the real and true Democracy
of that glorious old commonwealth; and the
Democrats were called upon, in the name of
the constitutional to sit supinely here and see
this outrage perpetrated. He told the gen
tlemen on the other side, in no spirit OF
bravado, that rather than submit to this
interference of the National Republican
party in that contest, and rather than see
the Democratic party of Virginia stricken
down after that fashion, the Democratic
Senators would stand here, God willing,
until the SHOWS of December covered the
hills in their winding sheets. coalition
OF parties based upon mutually OF opinion
was legitimate, but coalition without that
mutuality was contrary to public morality,
and should be denounced. Where coali
tion was made simply for power and for
offices without community Of opinion 1t
verged upon a corrupt coalition If 1t was
not one actually. The Democratic Senators
had been told that they had grovelled at
the feet of the Senator from Virginia.
1t was not true. He denied it emphatically
and plainly. The Senator from Virginia
had said in bis opening address that he had
been invited to their little tea party" II