Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-04-07

1
branch to refer the bill to the conn
mittee on foreign relations, re-
suited; ayes 1s, nays 80;
a party vote, except that Sen-
tors Cameron of Wisconsin, ingalls,,
Jones of Nevada, Miller of Cali
fornia, Plumb, ,Sewell and Teller,voted
with the Democrats, in the negative.
Senator Davis, of Illinois, also voted
no. The second branch, to refer
the message and papers, was also neg
atived yeas l9, nays 20.
On the question, shall the bill pass
notwithstanding the objections of
the President, the vote was, yeas
20, noes q; so the bill failed, twos
thirds not having voted IN the
affirmative. The vote, in detail, is
as follows ::
Yeas-Bayard, Beck, Call, Cams
eron (Wis.), Cockrell, Coke, Davis
| (W. Va.), Fair, Farley, Gorman,
Grover, Hampton, Harris, Hill
(Col), Johnston, Jones New, La
mar, Mcpherson, Maxey, Miller (Cal. },
Miller On. y, Morgan, Pendieton.
Pugh, Slater, Teller, Vest, Voor-
hees sn Walker-total, 90
~Nays-Aldrich, Anthony, Blair,
Davis Illinois,) Dawes, Frye, Hsrri-
son, Hawley, Hoar, Ingalls,, Kellogg,
Mcmillan, Mitchell, Morrill,, Platt,
Plumb, Rollins, Sawyer, Sewell,
Sherman and Window; total, 81.
Senators Garland, jackson, Jonas,
Ransom, Salisbury, Williams and
Vance, in the affirmative, were paired
with Edmunds, McDill, Allison, Los
| gan, Ferry, Saunders and Conger, in
the negative.
Adjourned.
WASHINGTON, April 5.-The morn
ing hour having been dispensed with,
the House, at 1925, went into com
mittee of the whole on the army ap-
preparation bill The pending ques-
ton was on appeals taken yesterday
from the decision of the Chair, ruling
in order that portion of the clause
under consideration which provides
| for the transfer of claims pending
in the Quartermaster Generals de
partment to the Court of Claims,
and out of order that portion which
regulates the manner in which that
court shall proceed to the adjudiea-
ton of the claims.
The Chair stated that he had not,
yesterday, decided on the point of
order as an entirety, but had merely
indicated what portions of the text
would be, and what would not be, in
order, had separate points been
raised against them. There were,
therefore, he said, no appeals pend,
ing, and he proceeded to render his
decision, sustaining tie point of or
der and holding that, as the transfer
feature was, in part, obnoxious to the
rules, the whole clause must be elm
mated.
Mr.. Hiscock, of New York, then
offered an amendment providing that
no money appropriated in the bill
shall be used IN the investigation of
claims by the Quarter Master Gene.
rails Department.
Mr.. Thompson, of Kentucky,
moved to amend the amendment by
transferring the claims to the Court
of Claims when the Democrats may
so desire.
Mr.. Blackburn, of Kentucky, in
opposing the amendment, said that
grave accusations had ibeen made
against the officials in the Quarter
masters Generals and CommIssary
Generals Departments There were
practices existing in those depart
ments in the matter of adjudicating
claims which no honest man could
defend and no legislator could per-
NIT to continue. He had evidence
in his desk to that effect, which he
would not read, because if
those practices had prevailed and
the officials were guilty, as there
was ground to suspect that they
were, parties paying blackmall
money were as guilty as the receiv-
ers. That the evidence of improper
practices was correct he had taken
occasion to satisfy himself by SUBJ
mitting them to various members of
the House to whom the claimants
were known. Some of the criminal
parties were to-day employed in two
departments of the government.
Some had passed out of employ
ment during the past five years, but
had left behind them evidences of
their official misconduct In their
own hand writing. The investiga-
ton of this matter would come a t
the proper time, and that soon, but
he was seeking to warn the House
against allowing to continue for
another day system of adjudica-
ton that WAS rotten to the core.
He was willing that any member
should examinethe papers which he
had in his desk tending to show the
corruption which had been charged.
Mr., Reed, of Main chopped that the
gentlemen, instead of having side
show at his desk would make his
charges openly and directly.
Mr.. Blackburn replied that the
charges, as the papers in his possess
sion seemed to present them, were,
that men employed as important
clerks in the two departments,
had been in the habit of
levylng blackmail to the extent of
50 per cent. commission
on claims which they recommend.
He meant to say more, that they
wrote receipts in this fashion:
Received of - five per cent.
of the fees in the cases OF George
James, J. G. Smith and Lucinda
Cowgill-S6O95.
(Signed,) J. L. MCFARLAND"
"McFarland was then, MIR. Blacks
| l, - ooI 4