Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-16

Treasury contingent fund investigation.
The report and testimony were tabled tenn
porarilv and ordered printed.
Mr.. Kellogg offered a resolution, direct
ing the Secretary of War to transmit any
information in his department showing what
improvements have been made Of Bayou
Constsbleu from Port Barre to AtchsfalsYa.
Also of Bayou Teche, from st. Martiusvllle
to Port Barre, and of Bayou Terreb0nne,
Louisiana, and what further appropriations,
If any, are necessary. Adopted.
After an executive session the Senate ad-
journed.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, Mr.. Houck, Chairman of
the Committee on War Claims, reported
back the bill for the allowance OF certain
Tennessee claims reported allowed by the
accounting officer Of the Treasury Depart
ment.
Mr.. Springer commented on the fact that
of the 11S pages OF the bill, IS we're devoted
to the payment of claims to citizens Of
Tennessee.
This was explained by Messrs. Houck and
Mcmillan. by the statement that more prop
erty of Union citizens had been taken for
the United States Ia Tennessee than In any
other State.
Mr. Updegraff, member of the commit
tee, stated that he did not know what to do
with regard to this bill. The committee
had received ten huge bags of claims which
had been adju1icsted by the Treasury Off
cials, and it had been a physical impossi
bility for the members of the committee to
examine them. 1t appropriated 1921, 900
for the payment of 300 claims.
Mr.. Miller, Of Pennsylvania, said that it
struck him that Congress ought to know
what it was doing when it appropriated
1921 900.
Messrs. White, of Kentucky, Holman, of
Indiana, Atkins, of Tennessee, and Blount,
of Georgia, advocated the passage of the
bill contending to do otherwise would be
unjust to the claimants and would be vir
tual repeal of the lsw under which the
claims were authorized to be adjudicated.
Out OF the total number OF claims in the
bill 1859 the State of Tennessee has 75S.
The total amount Of money required to
meet the same is $166,817 l3.
The hill was passed without division.
Mr.. Rice, of Ohio, offered a resolution
directing the Committee on the Judiciary
to inquire whether the conviction OF Ser
geaut Mason by military court, and the
proceedings Hereunder, are not in violation
of the laws and Constitution of the nited
States, and report their determination to the
House, and giving the committee leave to
send for persons and papers. Referred.
Mr.. Hiscock, of New York, Chairman OF
the Committee on Appropriations, reported
back the Senate bill, making further apprO-
priatious to relieve the sufferers by the over
flow of the MississipI river. The committee
recommended the adoption Of an amend
ment increasing the amount appropriated
from $1,000 20 $3.50, 900, and authorizing
the Secretary of War to eXpend such part
thereof as is proper for labor in strengthen
ing the levees of the Mississippi river, but
providing that he shall only employ persons
to whom he is issuing rations on account of
destitutiou.
The clause in the amendment, referring to
repairing the levees gave rise to warm de-
bate, some members seeing 10 1t the be-
ginning OF a movement upon the United
States Treasury for a general system of
levee building at the expense Of the coun
try at large. In the course of the debate
the action of the Governors OF Illinois and
Kentucky, in asking for aid for over1owed
sufferers in their States, was criticized,
as it was held that these States
were abundantly able to care for
their own distressed citizens. Finally,
Mr. Hiscock modified the amendment so as
to read as follows: "And the Secretary Of
War is hereby authorized to expend such
part thereof as he may deem advisable for
labor only in strengthening levees of the
Mississippi, where there is danger of imme-
diate breaks, at points in his discretion, but
he shall only employ persons TO whom he is
issuing rations on account OF destitutton
caused by the overflow Of the said river and
its tributaries"
This amendment was adopted, as was also
that increasing the appropriation.
On motion of Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois, an
amendment was adopted providing that
nothing therein contained shall commit the
United States to the improvement or main
tenance of Mississippi river levees. The
bin was then passed as amended, and the
House resumed consideration OF the Chi
nese bill.
Mr.. Money, of Mississippi, sent to the
Clerks desk and had read the official notes
of the Speakers remarks when he Mr..
Money! was attempting to get the floor this
afternoon to speak on the bill for the relief
of the sufferers from the Mississippi over
flow. He was proceeding to comment upon
what he called 'this very remarkable decla-
ration by the Speaker" when he was called
to order by the Chair upon the ground that
he rose to question Of privilege and had no
right under that cover to criticise the ac-
tions or rulings of the Speaker.
An excited and at times somewhat acri-
monious debate followed with regard to the
right of the Speaker to reprimand a MEM
Der of the House.
Mr.. Money contended that this was the
right of the House itself and not of the
Speaker, and declared that he would not
submit to it.
The Speaker said he had the right
to preserve order, aud, when a mem
Der persistently and fagrantly vio-
lated the order OF the House, it was his right
and his duty to call him to order.
M. Money rejoined that there was no rule
which permitted member of the House to
be reprimanded, except by order of the
House, and that no Speaker had the right to
arrogate to himself and usurp the powers Of
the House.
After some further discussion the subject
was dropped and the House adjourned.
JOHN SHERMAN wHITEwAsHED.
The report of the committee investi-
eating the expenditures of the contingent
fund of the Treasury Department, submitted
to the Senate to-day, Is very vOluminoue,
and is largely made up of extracts from the
testimony taken, Of which the following is
an examples:
At the instance of o. L. Pitney, the Gus
todian in the Treasury Department, J. Brad
ley Adams, in the winter and spring of 1880,
furnished stationery, etc, to the Sherman
campaign committee, political committee
for the advancemnt of the candidacy OF
Hon. John Sherman for the Presidential
nomination in 1880, whose headquarters
we're in the Corcoran building, opposite the
Treasury building. For this stationery, etc.,
sundry vouchers or accounts against the
Treasury Department, aggregating $502, are
made out calling upon their face for
''file-holders' as articles actually purchased
and were paid out of the Treasury. The
s'file-holders' so named in such vouchers
were never purchased or received in the
Treasury Department, nor was any other ar
ticle furnished to the Treasury Department
under such vouchers
About June 14th, 1881, after the Meline
investigation began, Adams paid back
in'o the Treasury this sum of
$5O2. In the spring and summer
of 1880, at the instance OF o. l.. Pitney, the
custodian, or his subordinates, sugar, lem
ons, etc, were purchased of B. W. Reeds
Sons and used in the Treasury Department,
and were paid for out OF appropriations for
"gas, etc, !" on vouchers, calling upon their
face for Candles" The candles named in
the vouchers were never delivered to the
Treasury, but covered the value of sugar,
lemons, etc, so received.
In January or February, 1880, at the in
stance of the said Pitney, Messrs. Robert
Leitch 81 Son furnished to the rooms in
the Corcoran building used by the Sherman
Campaign Committee, certain gas fixtures
and the work in putting them in place for
use, and were paid for the same ont
of the Treasury on vouchers, calling upon
their face for repairs, etc."
In NAV, 1881, after the Meline commit
tee investigation began, Robert Leitch
81 Sons paid back into the Treasury $l10,
as the amount so paid to them out of the
Treasury for those gas fixtures and works.
Another item for repairing a carriage was
also paid by Pitney cut Of the contingent
fund of the department, while the bill was
rendered against Secretary Sherman IN
dividually.