Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-25
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
PLEASANT PROMISED ALIyELY
TIME.

Marshal LOngstreet's AccOunts-Rishop
Payne's Case to be Revived-Saturday
in COngress-A Quiet Day in the
senate-Fun in the HOuse-An ''Irregu-
lar' Collector of Customs.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.-In the Senate,
the President submitted a communication
from the Secretary of the Navy, transmit
ting report Of the negotiations for the
purchase Of certain land adjacent to the
Norfolk Navy Yard. Referred to the Com
mittee on Naval Affairs.
At the close of the morning session the
civil service bill came up as unfinished
business.
Mr.. PendletOn, in charge of the bill,
yielded the floor temporarily for the trans
action of some miscellaneous business,
after which the Senate resumed cOnsid-
Grafton of the civil service bill, the ques-
tion being on Mr.. Pugh's amendment
providing that the present force in the
departments, except soldiers, etc.. shall
be subjected to competitive examination
like persons outside, and to facilitate such
examinations shall be divided into three
classes. Rejected-23 yeas to 10 nays.
Mr. Van Wyck's amendment, pending
since yesterday, was agreed to striking
out the words ''as far as practicable" so
do " At'luilt Aidl dpIDOIllOUIlcnL Oh OUlCtS
among the States and Territories shall be
made absolutely on the basis of pOpula-
ton, and on motion of Mr.. Morgan the
first section of the bill was amended so as
TO provide three commissioners instead of
five, and that they shall hold no other Off
cial places under the United States.
At 1O:3O p. m. the Senate is still in ses-
sion on the civil service bill.
AT IL :35 p. m. the Senate adjourned until
Wednesday, and the civil service bill
went over.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
The House, in the absence of the
Speaker, was called to order by Mr.. Page,
of California. After the approval of the
journal, Mr.. White, of Kentucky, made
the point of order that the journal could
not be approved in the absence of quo
rum, but the Speaker pro TEN held that
the point was made too late.
Mr.. Peelle, of Indiana, moved that the
House adjourn, pending which the Speaker
pro TEN. submitted five requests for leaves
of absence, but they were objected to
amid much noise and confusion.
The House refused to adjOurn-yeas Sc,
nays 5S. The roll call was several times
interrupted by Mr.. White, of Kentucky,
with points of order, which created much
merriment, until the Speaker pro tenn. at
last fatty refused to recognize the gentle
and the House at 1850 adjourned until
Wednesday next.
LONGsTREET's ACCOUNTS.
A man named Fitzpatrick has been tes-
tifying before the Department of Justice
about LOngstreets accounts. He went
to Albany as a guard of prisoners with
Clarke, LOngstreet's deputy. Return
ing, he stopped here, not going back to
Atlanta. Clarke charged for Fitzpatrick
expenses for the whole trip. Longstreet
allowed the account, no doubt unwitting-
ly. Other cases of this kind are what
make LOngstreets accounts so mixed.
An effort will be made under Cheney,
the new District Attorney for Florida, to
reopen the old Bishop Payne case. Payne,
it will be remembered, is the cOlOred
Bishop who was put off the cars in that
State some months ago.
PLEASANT IN PICKLE.
Pleasant will not only be bounced, but
Attorney General Brewster told me to-day
that he would be vigorously prosecuted.
AN ''IRREGULAR" COLLECTOR OF Gus
TOMS.
Inquiry at the Treasury concerning the
case of Haynes, Collector Of Customs at
Brownsville, Texas, develops the follow
ing: Charges were made of irregulari-
ties in his administration of the office af-
fecting both his official and private char
acter. The Solicitor of the Treasury re-
ported that the charges should be invest-
gated, but he has not made any report.
Upon the facts shown an investigation
was made by a special agent of the Treas
ury who reports nothing to show
that Haynes took pecuniary personal ben
eft from his acts or omissions or
that he was in completely with viOlatOrs
of law. He finds, however, that there
were Irregularities in the administration
of his office, some Of which appeared
IN Haynes own report to the de-
partment in former years, and were
cOndoned. The charges range from 1876
to 1880. and relate to acts and omissions
induced by the condition of the country in
Haynes collection district, the office be-
ing on the boundary line between Mexico
and the United States and amid a peculiar
population. Haynes term of Office
does not expire until March Il, 1884.
The exaggerated accounts of this
matter have been based, apparently,
on his conception of the nature of the re-
port of the Solicitor of the Treasury,
which, as intimated above, was made
upon the charges and Haynes first reply,
and not upon the results of the investiga-
tiOn.'
NOMINATIONS.
Among the nominations sent to the
Senate to-day were Chas. T. Scott, as Post
master at Parkersburg, W. Va, and j.
Allen Myers, at Bryan, Texas.