Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-04
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
ATKINS NAME SENT IN AT LAST.
His Chances for COnfirmatfon-COn-
gress Yesterday-The Gar field Doc
tOrs' BiIls-Internal Revenue Re-
duetiOn-mOre Grabs for Public
Buildings.

to-day nominated a Judge for the new
Judicial district in Georgia. The nominee
was, as has been repeatedly stated in this
he would be, Mr.. James
Atkins. TIE President was slow In carry
ing out his intention, but he to-day did
what was known all along to the we'll in
he would do in regard TO this sp-
pointment.
Atkins win have some trouble in get
ting through the Senate, but he will finally
be confirmed. Senator Brown will oppose,
it is understood, bis confirmation. Senators
Window and Sherman and the Blaine in
fuence will fight Atkins. l have it from
good authority that Arthur knew of the
which would be made and only
held back the nomination until he was salts
fed that it would be confirmed. No nomi-
nation he has made yet has been rejected
a fact upon which he prides himself.
In daY or two bulk of charges against
Atkins VIII be fled before the Senate Judi
ciary Committee, to which the nomination
has been referred, but they will be about
the same that were filed before the Presi-
dent before the nomination was made. 1t
would seem that the only chance to defeat
Atkins is to hang off his nomination until
Congress djourns sine die.
SENATE PRocEE DINGs.
In the Senate, the Chair submitted a petit
tion from the President and Secretary Of
the Independent Labor party of the city of
n York praying Congress to raise the
capitation tax on immigrants from so cents
to 500 per head. Referred to the Commit
tee on Commerce.
The Senate bill appropriating fifty thou
sand dollars for public building at Ashe-
vile. n. c., was called up by Mr.. Ransom,
and passed.
Mr.. German called up the Senate bill to
encourage and promote telegraphiP COM
munication between America and Europe.
1t constitutes Robert Jarrett, Willem +.
Burns aud Willsm F. Frck, of MARYLAND,
aud their associates as a company TO lay an
ocean cable from any point on the Ameri-
can side to some point on the European
coast.
The bill was passed with an amendment
extending the time within which the COM
pany shall begin laying the cable to two
yesrs from the passage OF the act.
The general deficiency appropriation bill
was proceeded with, and the committee
amendments agreed TO as read.
The Senate Co mmittee reported an amend
ment, constituting the First and Second
Comptroller of the Treasury and the Trea-
surer of the United States a board OF audit
to hesr and determine sll questions arising
out If claims and proposed allowances
growing cut of the illness and burial of
the late President Garfield, providing
a method Of auditing them, appropriating
S75 600 for the payment OF awards, and
limiting the amount to be certified and paid
for medical services to $50, 500. 1t is fur
theI provided that all claims shall be con-
sidered and allowances made before Jan
usIy l, 1893, and that the aggregate of
awards shall rot exceed the amount appro-
prlsted.
Mr.. Vest raised several points of order
against the amendment, but the Senate, by
a strictly party vote OF 20 to 10, held that IL
could be entertained under the rules. Mr.
Davis, OF Illinois, voted no with the Demo-
Gratis.
Mr.. Vest then opposed the proposition
with much earuestness. He said 1t was we'll
known that the late President, if not
butchered, was ur questionably a victim OF
malpractice In bis last Illness for eighty
aud lanced, while tue bullet that was eating
away his life never for a moment came
under the attention of the physicians. From
a medical or scientific point Of view alone
the fees were grossly enormous and would
not be allowed Dy a court in any ordinary
case. If President Garfield's life had been
saved there would have been some
reason for a liberal outlay on the
part of the government for medical
services, but none existed. Mr.. Vest then
referred TO newspaper charges made during
the Presidents illness that while the public
bulletins were giving favorable re p )rts the
Presidents physicians were telegraphing In
cypher to Wall street brokers information
exactly the reverse of that which was be-
ing published. He thought it due to
the country that an investigation into that
charge should even yet be made. He re-
garded the charges of DR.. Bliss of $50 600
for the eighty days attendance as exorbi-
tant, and had read at the Clerks de a
statement by DR.. BoYnton TO the effect that
on or about August Sth, 1881, he was in
formed by the late President that
DR.. Bliss was volunteer lin
the case. In that connection the testimony
given by DIR. Bliss: that he was sent for by
the Secretary OF War, was also read.
Mr.. Hale said be Yves unable to appreci-
ate the force of Mr. Vests criticism upon
the medical treatment of the late President
as fraud. He would not follow that Sena-
tors example in setting up his
own judgment against that Of ex-
perienced medical practitioners. He be
lieved that the earnest and patient lsbors of
the physicians we're known to the country.
and that the fact was universally admit
ted that the Presidents wound was neces.
sarily fatal. He deprecated the introduc -
tion of the squabblings of dissatisfied
physicians, and said the amendment had
originated with the Appropriation Commit
tee without suggestion or intimation from
aIy quarteR and afforded the means OF re-
moving the matter from the debates Of Con-
gress for settle ment by a competent tri-
bunal.
Some discussion followed as to the
grounds on which the Senate Committee
had based its reduction from the aggregate
reported 10 the House, namely, $l20 COO
which it was now proposed to make SIS, =
600. and Mr.. Hale explained that the com
mittee had adopted the House basis as their
own, but had substituted lower scale.
In reply to Mr.. Garland he added that the
proposition was intended 10 be a quietus
upon the whole matter, and II its language
was not sufficiently guarded to that end, he
would accept any modification which would
better express It's meaning.
MIR. Garland said he would waive the
point that army surgeons were obliged to
attend the President as the Commander in
Chief without pay, and that no law warrant
ed msnt for medical attendance in this
case He wanted to be satisfied OF the
reasonabeness of the charges, but
be would pay every man who
contributed to ameliorate the suffering or
to prolong the life of the lamented Garfield
all that he was entitled to. He commented
upon the disparity between the high scale
of the House Committee and the low scale
now reported as showing the NJ cessity for
further investigations OF the claims,
and advocated proposition
requiring the charges as fixed by the
board of audit to be reported to Congress
at the short session. He said that, IL public
repute was to govern as to the physicians,
he would not vote to pay them one dollar,
and referred to the' sutopfy to show that
the bullet extracted from the patients body
was found eighteen inches from the place
at which It hsd teen located.
Mr.. Hswley said that the discussion would
be an indescribablY painful one to the coun-
try. The surgeons IN charge OF the dying
President had received the prayerful sym
pathY of the profession and of all good
people, and were Untitled in common charity
TO kind and courteous treatment here
There was no justification here
or elsewhere for reflection upon their per-
sonal character or motives. Never were
human beings more seriously, painfully and
awfully anxious to do their duty than were
those who gathered at the bedside of Gar
field. Replying 10 the illusions OF DR..
Bliss, whom lie had known for twenty
years, he taid that gentleman bad been
sent for, and urged to remain in the case
by those in authority, aud had devoted him
self to bis patient with so much zeal and
hdelitv that he had impaired his strength.