The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-04-25

whenever some men whose record needed
strengthening came here and invoked tho
! bloody shirt. He protested against NAL
contents in Congress bringing up this
question on such an Insignificant matter a.
the Washington police bill.
| In the further course OF the debate Mr..
Robson, while stating that he would ac-
cord TO every soldier who had served In
the Confederate army his full rights under
the Constitution, declared that when II
came to a question OF favor he wanted to
discriminate In favor OF the man who had
fought for the preservation Of the Union.
Incidentally he inquired OF Mr.. Cook, oil
Georgia, who entered INTO the debate,
whether II he had been wounded In the
Confederate army he would have applied
10 the United States Government for a PEN
sion.
Mfr. Cooke replied somewhat Indignantly
that he would not, and then proceeded to
call attention to the fact that those members
Of Congress who had served in the Coniede-
rate army were never insulted by the men
who had fought against them. The insult
always came from those whose want OF
courage had kept them in the rear, and who
had never seen rebel. When this matter
Of "bloody shirt" was removed from poll
ties some people would have nothing to
bank up0n-certainly not on services rem
dered the country during the war.
Finally the provision in the original bill
touching this question was stricken out,
the substitute recommended by the COM
mittec was rejected, and the bill passed,
leaving the appointments to lie made under
the existing law. The discussion took q
political turn, and involved Messrs. Robe
son, Cox OF New York, McLane, Miller,
Carter, and Randall a Pennsylvania, and
others, and continued for over an hour
amid great noise and confusion, though
without the exhibition Of any ill-feeling.
For the most part it was confined to
the discussion OF the manner in which
the Democratic party had acted du-
ring the war, and it was preciptated
upon the House when. in reply to sarcas-
tic remark from the Republican side, Mr..
McLane asserted that in every northern
State as many Democrats rs Republicans
marched under the Onion flag.
"Ob!" exclaimed Mr.. Miller, OF Penn
sylvania.
Whereupon Mr.. McLane challenged him
10 assert that there were mora Republicans
than Democrats in the army from Pennsyl-
vania.
Mr.. Miller: 81 do assert that without
fear OF contradiction, and know that when
voted on the field they were Republicans
ten TO one. know the fact that when the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Curtin) ran
for Governor in 1868 as a Republican the
soldiers voted for him twenty TO one"
Mr.. Curtin, OF Pennsylvania: "ln 1868
the soldiers of Pennsylvania o. the field
did not have right to vote, and L did not
get one vote from them"
The political status Of the soldiers from
PENNSYLVANIA was then made the subject Of
2 long discussion. when Mr.. TOwnshend,
Of Illinois, suddenly broke in with an in
CURRY rs to the cause OF the Union postmas-
ter at Lynchburg being turned out and Il
Confederate put In his place.
Mr.. Bingham, OF Pennsylvania. replied
that the postmaster resigned his commits
sion.
Mr.. Wise. Of Virginia: GLOW about the
Norfolk post-oflice!"
At this point Mr. McLanc yielded to Mr..
Curtin, who asserted that no people had
ever been more thoroughly united than the
people OF Pennsylvania in support Of the
Government without regard TO religion.
politics, or place of BIRTH
Mr.. Randall, OF Pennsylvania, declared
that there had not been an act Of the Legis-
lature of Pennsylvania providing for the
support OF the Government that had not
received the unanimous support OF both
political parties. lie differed with his col
league (Mr. Miller when he stated that
there was any want OF alacrity on the part
OF the Democratic party in responding TO
the call for aid. He feared that bat for the
Democrats III the army,there might have
been a different result than that which,
thank God, had been reached.
The vote on the passage OF the bill was
yeas. III: nays, C6-the negative vote be-
ing east by the Democrats.
Adjourned