Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-06

| ingS was passed. including $4,000 for Brooklyn,
| N. L., ana $2OO,0O0 for Pensacola, Florida.
CONTESTED ELECTIONS.
| The House committee on elections to-day dis
| posed OF the Alabama contested election case O.
Smith VS.. Shelley by the adoption of a resolution
which declares that Mr. Shelley, the sitting mem
that in consequence the death Of the contestant
| the seat be declared vacant Mr.. Jones, OF Texas,
greenbacker, voted with the republicans on the
THE STAR ROUTE TRIAL.
Mr.. Wilson's Opening for the Defence.
| This morning about IL o'clock the trial on the
| star route Indictment against Brady, the Dorseys
| and others for conspiracy was resumed and Mr..
| Wilson opened for the defence. he said that the
newspapers OF the country had been teeming with
articles denunciatory OF the star routers as they
were called based on ex parte statements, and he
asked the jurors II they had read such articles to
dismiss them from their minds Facts had been
distorted and statements made totally at variance
with the truth. They should consider the state
true In 1876 there were s,oos star routes aggre-
eating 1886 miles, and he gave q comparative
statement OF the raiiroad @ ana Steamboat and star
could form some idea OF the amount of work per-
| formed by the Office of
THE SECOND ASSISTANT P N. GENERAL.
They could begin TO understand that it was i'm
practicable for that officer to scrutnze every peti-
l
member, too, that Congress prepares these routes.
not the Post Office department. The method of
advertising and letting the routes was then de-
| Scrioed The prosecution claimed that Brady was
| gilty OF fraud because he had not advertised for
the full service, and claim that he pGr2osely did
claimed that this was unfair Mr.. Wilson said
that no later than Saturday on 25 routes the SER
| vice had been increased.
| HERE WAS THE SAME THING
| being done over again by this honest administra-
| In n Woo ha hojp rad
to such extent that it necessary to increase
the service on routes. When Congress establishes
post route over road OF which the officials here
| are ignorant how are they to fix the schedule
&C. It was not dificult to determine the number
| OF trips per week and what should be paid but
| when the speed was increased then came diff
| Guilty. He then related that UP to 1879 there had
been
NO REGULAR RULE ON THIS SUBJECT
Congress had then given the necessary author
ity, recognizing additional service and expedition
| ary service. He claimed that Congress had made
the rule-taking the stock and carriers the basis
| OF compensation. Formerly the pro rata rule was
| the. custom for years, but the regulation under
this law the first deviation from this rule-the
basis. How could the Second Assistant Postlnas-
| ter General have done otherwise than he had
| done? How Was be to ascertain whether the Pc
| titiOn or affidavitS were genuine. Telegraph to
| some cowboy down in TexaS7
They would, in the course OF the trial, show in
| Vulnerable cases where additional conversation
had been refused because OF the want of evi-
dence. Mr.: Wilson read from report of MIR.
Brady In 1879, In which he called attention to the
necessity for additional legislation on the subject
OF increasing service and recommending certain
| amendmentS-to relet the contracts after adver-
tiny client. charged with violating the law recon-
| mending the necessary amend mentS to the law"
The very things complained OF have been in ac-
! cOrdance with the practice in the department for
years past, with law and the decisions Of the Su-
preme Court OF the United States.
MR.. WILSON REFERRED TO SPECULATIVE BIDDING
saying that the men often put in proposals for
routes they had never seen, and the consequence
was that while they let out the routes to sub-con-
| tractors sometimes and obtain the difference,
sometimes they are obliged to pay more than the
| amount OF contract to the Sub-contractOr, which
they 90 rather than to ne declared falling eonsrac-
| law on the Second ASSSta MT Postmaster General,
and he claimed that no matter how he exercised it
BILE. 1t must be shown that he has been guilty oi
| WantOn exercise OF power and for O cor
| rupt pu urpOSe before he could be held
AFTER RECESS OF HALF AN HOUR
Mr.. Wilson resumed his opening, saying that had
person heard the address of Mr.. Bliss they would
have supposed that Mr.. Brady was on trial for a
wanton arbitrary act, but they would show that
| he was gulltless. They charge that he made these
| orders when they were not needed, but they would
| show that these orders were issued on the recon-
mendation Of officers OF the army from Gen. Sher-
man down; revenue officers, brokers, boards Of
| trade, Senators and OtherS-men who stood high
and who would be produced on the stand He
| knew not how these petitions were gotten up, nor
| did his client (Mr. Brady but he knew they came
| to &c n. Brady, who was satisfied that the men
who sig ned them did SO honestly.
MR.. WILSON INTERRUPTED
Mr. Wilson having made some structures upon
Mr. Bliss remarks, saying that he split hairs and
| alluding to his speech in some uncOmplimentary
terms Mr.. Merrick interrupted him, and called the
attention of the court to the fact that Mr.. Wilson
was arguing his case, and not making an opening.
l ffnRc diconC in hioh hn dnfnV
claimed that they We're only following the example
of Mr. Bliss the court restricted Mr.. Wilson to the
| usual limits of an opening address.
| Mr.. Wilson having declared that the petitions
were honest and the orders made in accordance
with public needs Mr. Merrick said: "We will
.Wil you bring Secretary Teller9 asked Mr.
Wilson.
sWilI you bring Gen. Sherman" continued Mr.
| Wilson, but the colloquy was Interrupted by Mr.
| Totten protesting against Interruptions tn Mr.
| Wilson'S address.
MI. Wilson continued that he expected to prove
their side OF the case by such men as he had
named to show that these orders were made be-
| cause the public demanded them. In referring to
the Bismarck route, to which MI. Bliss had re-
ferred, Mr. Wilson declared that the order for expe
ditions in that case was made in response to the
urgent demands Of Gen, - Miles, Of bankers m and
The court having asked for some information as
to the allowances for increase and expedition. sew
era OF the counsel got into discussion as to what
increase and expedition are. After awhile Mr.:
Wilson. remarked to the jury 'rll bet there isn't
it alike now. am the only one who understands
"That isn he said, sthe best illustration Of this
Judge Wylie said there was no use to spend time
on that; no one was to be punished in this country
for an error OF Judgment IL was Tor corrupt mo-
tives that men were punished
i Strike OF Laborers.