Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-12

Htm-The Star Route Gang-A Plea
of Not Guilty FnIered-CODgress
YesteTdaY-The FraRking PFiVI-
Iege Defeated In the HOuse-The
Indian Territory Railway Bill
Tariff RevisIOn-NOmInatIO and
COnfiFmaGiOnss
WASHINGTON, D. G., April 11.-In the
Shipherd investigation to-day, Mr..
Blount continued the cross-examinstion,
quoting from the printed correspondence,
and endeavoring to extract categorical an
swers, but Shipherd always replied evasive-
ly, or bluntly refused to answer. The pal
psble drift Of the morning examination was
to bring out and define exactly how far
witness had gone In a direct attempt
to influence official action oy an official
of the United States. Witness was
asked IL Senator Blair, as counsel, was con-
feTed with in relation to the letter to Hurl-
but in which he (Shipherd) rendered him
$250,0O0 Of stock, and replied that Blair did
not see the letter. Witness told him about
it some time after it was sent; it was dis
CuooOh W AhCAlNou NO0noCAs ANOhN VI bnEAn
ever found fault with it on it's face, but the
remark was frequently made: "shipherd,
that letter will bear double construction,
and it may get you into trouble"
Mr.. Belmont succeeded Mr.. Blount as
cross examiner, and very soon developed
the probability that the committee has ex-
trscted from the witness about all the in
formation he proposed to give them.
-
viduals whom you represented or still repre-
sent seemed to give direction to or expected
to exert an influence upon the policy of this
government at the time when the President
was disabled. Were you advised by Bout
well that the Secretary of State was au-
thOrizad to act I'm this matter without re-
quiring any advice or authority from the
President?"
Witness declined to enter into a discus
sion of the question. He declined to state
the name of his clients, and said he did so
by advise of counsel.
Mr.. Belmont-"Did you not have cores
pondepce with Senator Blair touching the
Peruvian Company"
Al did"
OWN you produce it?'
81 have been advised that the scope of
this examination does not compel the dis
closure of purely personal matters, and l
consider my correspondence with Senator
Blair purely Of that character"
To the question, "Will you state whether
those clients suffered an injury from the
Peruvian Government, which entitled them
to seek redress from the Peruvian Govern
ment, or had they purchased claims which
they deemed equitable and for che enforce
ment of which they sought to obtain the
good offices of this governments" witness
declined to answer catetgoricallY and was
finally permitted to make his usual state
ment.
Mr.. Belmont, however, pressed his ques-
tioD, when witness regarded his questioner
in silence, with an angry furry upon his
face.
Mr.. Belmont-"Then you decline to ans
wer?"
Witness (angrily)-"I have as many rights
here as the examiner, and l have come here
prepared 10 defend them"
Mr. Belmont said there was no desire to
deprive witness of any right he might pos
sess, but the committee had also some rights
and duties to perform. Shipherd then asked
to be excused for the day.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
10 the Senate, Mr.. Grover, from the Mil
tsry Committee, reported an original bill (as
a substitute for pending measUres) author
Izing the Secretary Of the Treasury
to examine aud report to Congress
Texas, Oregon and Nevada and Washington
and Idaho Territories for moneys expended
and Indebtedness assumed by said States
and Territories because of Indian hostilities
Plsced on the calendar.
The Senate took up the calendar aud
passed number of private bills.
The Indian Territory railroad bill, grant
ing the right of way to the st. Louis and
San Francisco Rsilroad Company, coming
up as unfinished business. Mr.. HaWley de-
nOuuced it in the amended form In which #
came from the Railroad Committee as
an attempt 70 violate the treaty
rights Of the Indians upon the pretext
of rati'ylng an act OF the Choctaw
council. He said the bill proposed to seize
their lands without providing any system
for adjusting a rate of compensation there
for. He could conceive of emergencies ia
which the United States would have the
right, 10 the proper legal sense Of that term,
to pass legislation in contravention OF a
treaty, but duty required it 70 exhaust
all other remedies before going
10 that extremity. He denied that
remedies had been exhausted in this in
stance, and asserted that in setting apart q
strip of the Indian country for railroad pur-
poses the government was overriding its
uniform practice heretofore. "My chief
concern" he added, sis not because | see
the Indians wronged, but that my govern
ltul, uuAcf a treaty Win bW6ut1 VI thirty
thousand Indians, will do that which It
would not dare to do under q treaty with
Great Britain. / want Uncle Sam to be a
gentleman, and that is all -
The discussion then turned upon the
pending amendment of Mr. Ingalls, requir-
log the consentO, the Choctaws aud Chicka-
saws to the act, to be obtained before It
shall take effect.
Mr.. Jonas, of Louisiana, opposed the
ananIppDt q UfrfT1al dpfpat Of the hill
as the Chickasaws had announced that they
would never grant the right of way, being
opposed to the road. He maintained the
validity of the assent alleged to have been
already given by the ChOctaws, aud that
that tribe had declared in favor Of the pro-
posed road by electing public officers friend
lY to the grant. The rights of the Chicka-
saws were not affected, as the road would
not reach their lands.
The bill finally went over without action.
A bill was introduced by Mr. Vest to au-
thOTiZe the construction OF bridges across
the Missouri river, between its mouth and
the mouth of the Dakota river, across the
Missouri river between St. Paul Mimi, and
NatcheZ, Mo-, and across the Illinois river
between its mouth aud Peoria, Ill. The bill |
was drafted last month by the st. Louis |
Merchants Exchange as a general bridge |
law, and is intended to secure reasonable |
protection to navigation, aud to authorize |
bridge companies to construct bridges OF
varying dimensions at points on the Missis-
sippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers without |
further legislation. The conditions are
deliberately specified in the bill, which fur
ther requires that all designs aud plans for |
the contemplated structures shall be sub
mitted to aud approved by the Secretary of |
War prior to the beginning OF the work Of
construction.
After an executive session the Senate ad- |
iourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, the morning hour having |
been dispensed with, Mr. Ryan, OF Kan
sas, from the Committee on Appropriations,
reported back the Senate bill appropriating |
$50 600 to provide for a deficiency in the
appropriation for the subsistence and care
of Indians in charge of the Cheyenne and
Arapahoe agencies in the Indian Territory.
Mr.. Randall, of Pennsylvania, held that
this was a bill in the line Of the general ap-
propristions for the support of the govern
ment, and as such could not be originated
By the Senate.
The Senate bill was accordingly with
drawn, and an original bill to the same
effect introduced in the House and passed.
The House went into committee of the |
whole on the post Office appropriation bill
with the Senate amendments. The follow
ing Senate amendments were con-
Cured in: APpropriating $35, 900 for
furnishing fourth-class postmasters with
necessary implements for cancellin0 stamps,
etc increasing the appropriation for COM
pensation to clerks in post offices by S15,-
900, increasing by $5O0000 the appropris-