Morning journal and courier., 1882-06-09
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. The Tariff Question. The Democrats Opposed to
 the Commission. WHEELER NOT TO SERVE. l His Health Unequal to the
 Task.
IN IRELAND.
Under Secretary Burke's Cousin Shot
 Dead.
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

THE NATIONAL CAPITAL. The Star Route Trials-Some of the Evi- deuce Got In-Democratic Opposition to the Tariff Commissioner Probability that They will not be Confirmeu-Othe CT Matters at the Capital.
 WASHINGTON, June S.-Judge Wylie at the opening of court to- day referred to newspa- per articles refecting upon the jury, which he was convinced contained unjust charges. He thought it the duty of the District attor- ney to take official notice of these newspaper articles which tended to smbarrass the ad ministration of justice. He cautioned the jury to avoid even the appearance of collu- sion with persons outside, to keep their own counsel and keep themselves uncontaminated by the outside world. Mir. McSweeney then took up the thread of his argument and pro ceeded to defend ex-Senator Dorsey from the charges made against him by Mir. Bliss. Of the operations of Peck and J. w. Dorsey, he asserted that Senator Dorsey's prediction of their failure had been verified, and they had come to him (Dorsey) for assistance and for advice Both were given freely; for they were his brother and friend. But this assis- tance had been rendered in an entirely legiti- mate way. An overshadowing debt of over $50 GOO had stared them in the face as the result of their first operations. Mir. Me Sweeney then depicted the hardships and anxieties undergone by the contractors, and said they were compelled to lose large sums of money through unexpected emergencies. Turning to the jury, he said: "And they accuse Vaile of conspiring with Senator Dor sey, when they have never met" Miner and J. W. Dorsey had engaged together in business and they had the right to do so Vaile had come to them and demanded that be be given the sub contracts on their route Senator Dorsey had assumed responsibility
 or all of their enormous debt, and 1t was absolutely necessary that the contracts be faithfully carried out or everything would have been lost Therefore he had performed them himself. In 1879 Peck's health had become so bad that Senator Dorsey had gone, as he supposed, to his brother-in laws death. bed, and upon his return had again advised his brother John and Mir. Miner to clear up their business, agreeing to take an interest in it Che had gone out of the Senate), pay them $9, GOO cash and pension Peok's widow, and the pension had been faithfully paid ever since. The firm could not have survived without Peck's master mind, and Stephen Dorsey had seen this. He did not want these little scraggy stage routes; he was up to his eyes in other business but he saw that the only way to get ort was in real ty to get in The feeling between Senat or Dorsey and 'Vaile had been about as bad as it was possible for it to be and yet allow them Tbar, ko1tr trol nI4 addition, division and silence" but it had been ''subtraction, abstraction and distrac- tion," said Mir. McSweeney- Lies, Munchau- sen-like in their magnitude and in their char acter, had been circulated about this thing If there were any such rnormous profits, however, they wanted ther share, said the speaker, and they had not seen it yet. With all of the bad feeling and friction between Dorsey and Vaile the prosecution had tried to make the jury believe they were bosom companions and friends in villainy of the deepest dye; s'that they rushed into each others arms like the long lost brothers on the stage," said MT. McSweeny in the drollest manner, striking dramatic attitude. Where was the conspiracy, inquired he? What did all this stuff the indictment] boot them without 8 conspiracy? We have reached the month of May and it has not shown up. Now they jump 1t ahead again and put it on the 23rd of May, 1879, just in time, by one day, to save it from the statute sof limitations Ex Senator Dorsey now controls the business. In 1879 s. w. Dorseys other business called him out West, and MT. Bosley, living in Carlisle, Pa,, was invited to take a half interest in re- turn for his services 8 manager. Now the government did not dare to charge anything criminal against that gentleman, yet was he not of that famous criminal combination Colonel Bliss had spoken of the great crimes concealed within the books of the firm. MT. McSweeney called upon his old friend, Mir. Merrick, and his newfriend, Mir. Kerr, to take these books, inspect them thoroughly, and report to the court anything that they might consider indicated a conspiracy. MT. Me- Sweeney concluded his address with an elo- quent peroration and he charged the jury to obey the injunction of the court, and be true to themselves. This address closed the open ing arguments, and a recess was taken.
 In the Star route cases this afternoon the appointment of Reyes, James, Maynard and Brady were placed in evidence. Several clerks were examined as to the rules of the Postoffice department and their observance and the statistician began to give the figures of the Star route service. Other statistics by way of comparison are to be presented to morrow.
 The caucus of Democratic Senators lasted an hour and half. The object was to unite
 
 tariff commissioners sent in. It is believed that Mir. Van Wyck would vote with them. There were twenty four present and the dis cussion was animated. Owing to the fact that some of the members of the commission were appointed on the recommendation of the Senators present it was found to be i'm possible to unite the party on the entire list, and the caucus adjourned without any action. Each Senator will vote in executive ses- sion as he sees fit on the indi- vidual names of the commission. Mir. Bayard made speech in which he de- clared that the design of the bill establishing tariff commission was sure to be defeated by the plan evinced in the nominations. The understood idea was to take the whole ques- tion out of politics, but it might as we'll be left alone as to form commission from the opponents of specific interests. The original purpose was to appoint experts on the lues- tion, while not one of the appOlntees ap- peared to know anything but what related to his own speciality. MT. Beck made speech of the same tenor. It is known that some Republicans are dissatisfied and it is expected that several of the names will be rejected.
 It was newspaper day in the Whiskey in- Yestigating committee hearing this morniug. Mr. Hill, the reporter Of the Louisville C0al- naeyci0l, who interviewed Mr. Atherton, sus tained his story. MT. Buell., of the Critic, who had made several insinuations as to cor ruptlon on the part ot journalists and public men, and said that he had no evidence to sustain his charges tney were written as 6 ioke he was not writing under oath. He was severely examined by Mir. Hawley and by MT. Nordhoff. but only reiterated that in making the most serious charges against prominent journalists he was only joking Mir. Hawley expressed severe disapproval of this kind of journalism, but he again repeat ed that he had not been approached corrupt Jvrh The committee will not be able to find so large an expenditure of money in connection with the legislation as was reported, but it has already been testified that g,000 was expended for that purpose, part of which was for dinners at Welcker's, and part of which was used in mysterious visits to New York.