Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-07-15
House of Representatives.

WASHINGTON, July 1.-The house pro-
ceeded to the consideration OF the remaining
senate amendments to the general deficiency
appropriation bill which had not been non.
concurred in yesterday. A large majority of
them were nOn.coucurred in. Few of them
gave rise to any discussion, except that appro.
priating $3S, 600 for the payment of mileage
to senator's who attended the special session
of the senate convened on the 10th of October
1881.
Mr.. Townsend characterized this amend
mont as a little salary grab and hoped the
house confeIees when appointed would not
yield to the senate on that point. The
amendment was concurred in. The last
amendment in the bill was that constituting
q board Of audit, consisting of the first and
second comptrollers of the treasury OF the
United States, to whom shall be referred all
claims and determine all allowances to be
made growing out of the illness and burial of
the late President James A. Garfield, Debate
followed.
Mr.. Blackburn (Ky.) opposed the senate
amendment. He argued the senate had no
proper jurisdiction of the matter. He would
not cay that the course of the senate was in
decorous, but he would be warranted in say
ing it yerged close on the insolent He Cd
posed the senate amendment, first, because it
was an infringement on the dignity of the
hOASSs Az WoS nOb oAuSNlC3 VI uiIcCty VI ludQly
legislation. It was an effort by surreptition
to accomplish what the advocates of the
amendments in the house had never asked the
house to do. From the relations in which he
(Blackburn). had served in the house
with both of them, he (Blackbu-n) would not,
even by indirection or Implication, have dared
to be upfriendly to his memory; for his great.
ness Of brain, he admired him; for his gen.
erosity Of soul, he loved him; for his patience
in Snffpripn and for his in
death, he honored him. But that was not the
question before the house. The question was
an appropriation to pay exorbtant fees to
surgeons. There was no scintilla of proof
before the select committee that there was any
business in the claim.
He denounced the claims of these doctors
as frauds and he asked the house to instruct
its conferces committee to insist on striking
out the amendment and never allow it to 90
through, SO as to do justice to all parties
who rendered aid and assistance in the matter
Mr.. Taylor, (Ohio) chairman of the select
committee and representing President Gar
fields congressional district, defended himself
from the intimations made against him in
Blackburn's speech. He declared that ever
since the report of the committee had been
made he had been anxious to have it consid-
cred. There has heeu no. bill against
the government or against anybody
presented by any OF the physicians. There
was no question of steal about the matter.
The question was how the matter should be
taken out of the issue between the estate and
claimants. The object was to save the estate
from annoyance and injury. The representa-
tives OF the estate would not allow the matter
to be litigated. He declared on behalf of
Mrs. Garfield that she would never litigate q
bill of any physician who attended her hus.
band. These claims had never been submitted
TO the Select committee. He knew the senate
amendment would not receive the assent of
the parties who held these claims. The adop-
ton of the amendment would therefore be
no settlement. They were putting them
selves in the ridiculous attitude of dickerIng
over settlement which these surgeons might
refuse. II any gentleman wished to put himself
in that attitude be might do SO, but he (Tay-
lor) would not. This attempt of the senate to
adjust the matter was not only absurd but
Was unjust and improper. 1t ought 70 be ad-
justeG by the house.
Mr.. Springer TIL. said if only $35, 900 were
allotted to the doctors there would be more
unseemly quarrel over the division than there
had been over Guiteau's body. There was no
evidence of extraordinary skill on their part.
On the contrary, it had been stated that the
pus cavity had been treated for seventy nine
days as the track of the bullet, which cavity
was itself the result tot malpractice. It had
also been charged. that certain Wall street
brokers had been kept advised by cipher tele-
grams of the condition OF the president, the
information being different from that in the
public bulletins. 1t had also been stated that
the chief physician vas volunteer, and had
been crowded out by other physicians, and
this same doctor now asked for that NAL
practice 5000. He. closed with the quota
ton: Pardon me, thou bleeding piece of
earth. that I am geek and gentle with these
butchers"
Mr.. Hiscock advocated concurrence in the
senate amendment. He was opposed to the
discussion of this matter. The country
should not be treated to such a scene.
Mr.. Dunnell, mimi thought the settle
ment Of the matter ought to originate in the
house OF which Garfield had been so long q
member. They ought to have respect for the
memory of the dead president and put an end