Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-09
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
YESTERDAY IN CONGRESS.
The Star Route Trials-The Whisky
King DquIry-JOurnalIstIc EthIcs
The Tariff mIssiOn-Iadsan
and Mexican Invasion Claims.

The Tariff Comm mIssiOu-Iadlan
and Mexican Invasion Claims.
WASHINGTON, June SIN the Senate. Mr..
BlaIr's resolution calling for information as
to the granting of lands embraced in land
grants to certain railroads, with the quantity
patented and the amounts accruing for
roads constructed, etc, was adopted. The
list OF the roads mentioned, as farther en-
larged on the suggestion OF Mr. Blair, is as
follows; Sioux City and st. Paul, St. Paul
and Pacific, first division of the Winona and
st. Peter, Cedar Rapids and Missouri River,
Mobile and Girsrd, Pensacola and Georgia,
Iowa Falls and Sioux City, North Louisiana
ana Texas, West Wisconsin, Lake Superior
and Mississippi, and Alabama and Chatta-
noogss
| The Senate, soon after one O'Clock, dis
| pensed with the calendar, and resumed con-
sideration of the District appropriation bill.
A numoer OF the committees amendments
were ruled out on points of order and the
Dill was finally reported from the committee.
votes were taken upon the several amend
ments, and the committee was sustained In
each instance and no further change made.
The bill was then passed.
MIR. Hawley reported from the Military
Committee joint resolution appropriatiug
100000, or so much thereof as may be
| needed, to furnish food to the people made
destitute by the fl Jods in the State of Mis-
sissippi. He said the planters there had for
a long time been paying field hands in ex
pectation of being remunerated by the
coming crop, but the new food had dissp-
po'nfeNF sc expectations and necessitated
this ~ss>- provision. The joint resolu
tion was passed.
Adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, on motion of Mr.. Curtin
| Of Pennsylvania, the bill was passed in
cressing TO forty dollars per month the pen
sion of anV person who in the late war lost
an arm, leg, hand or foot, or received dis
abilities equal thereto.
The House then at lilo o'clock went into
committee OF the whole, Mr.. Updegrsff, of
| Iowa, IN the chair, and resumed considera-
ton Of the general deficiency appropriation
bill.
AT 3:10 consideration of the bill was com
pleted, and the committee rose and reported
it back to the House. Motions to strike out
the appropriations for the payment of
amounts due land grant railroads for army
transportation and for bureaus in the Navy
Department were lost. A motion to strike
out the clause appropriating $l12, 600 for
the payment of special deputy marshals &C
Congressional elections in 1881 and prior
| years was lost.
In speaking to this proposition Mr.. Cox,
| of New York, said "Iuasmuch as the men
selected for these positions at our elections
performed the work and are not in any
sense responsible for the law under which
they acted, and the mOneYis their due. we
/ desire to say that in voting for this proposi-
tion we do not yield our well considered
judgment as to the invaldity of the Federal
law"
The bill then passed-yeas 116, nays 81.
The House Immediately thereafter went
| into committee OF the whole on the legisa-
tive, executive and Judicial appropriation
bill.
In explaining the bill, Mr.. Cannon, of
Illinois, said the bill provided for an increase
of employees in the Pension Office at an ex-
pense of $1,742 600, but outside of
that item appropriated only 100000 more
than the bill for the current year. If this
| increase OF force in the Pension Office was
agreed to, during the next four years there
would be required $42J, 900 600 TO pay for
pensions, but 1t wss better to exppnd the
surplus revenue in that manner than to have
it remain in the Treasury a standing temp
tation to those who desired to promote
schemes at the cost of the government.
The committee then rose.
Adjourned.
THE STAR ROUTE TRIALS.
When the star route trial opened to-day
1
called to articles printed in the newspapers
in this District and in New York, assailing
the jury before which these cases are being
tried, and which do great injustice to
the jury. After expressing his entire
confidence In the jury, the Judge said
+ it was a cruel injustice on the part of the
writer's for papers to assail juror, who has
been regularly selected, without knowing
any facts on which to base their charges
"I have seen so much injustice done to
Jurors and TO litigants and to the courts who
are engaged In the administration OF justice,
that feel called upon in this case to declare
that these charges, In my opinion, are with
out foundation. These fving rumors are cal
culated to do great harm. Teere is law
which subjects parties to prosecution for
libel 10 consequence Of articles published,
the effect Of which is to obstruct the ad-
ministratiOn OF justice, and l do think It
will be the duty Of the District Attorney to
call the attention of the grand jury to some
Of these newspapers and see IL we
cannot have justice administered fairly
according to the law without having jurors
disparsged and misrepresented upon mere
conjecture or fancy, and l trust that the
Jurors in this case will see the propriety of
guarding their own conduct while this case
| is pending so as not to subject themselves
to good grounds OF suspicion, or
even to the appearance OF improper
conduct. l will only lose faith in
this Jury when driven to it by something
more than newspaper articles. Gentlemen
of the juIy. your position Is one Of much
| delicacy. Do not allow any person to az
prosch you or to suggest their own views, or
make any intimstfon whatever, whether
they are connected with the trial of this
cause or appear to be uncOnnected with f..
You do not know what motives may infuerce
suggestions from persons outside. Keep
your own counsel, Follow your own judg-
/ nd KoQn II
contaminated by the world outs de.
Mr.. McSweeny then concluded his open
ing address for the defense, occupying the
time to the recess. After the recess the ex-
animation OF witnesses began, the witnesses
to-day being present or former clerks in the
department, who testified to the methods Of
keeping the records of the star routes.
THE ALLEGED WHISKY RING.
The Window committee resumed this
morning It's investigation of the charges of
corruption In connection with the passage
through the House of the bonded spir-
its bill. Mr. Hawthorne Hill, OF the
Louisville Commercial, A. T.. Buell.,
| of the Washington Critic, and Charles
Nordhotf, of the New York Herald,
were examined by the committee. Mr.. BID,
the first witness, related incidents Of his in
terview with Mr. Atherton at his (Ather-
ton's) residence, and stated the substance
| Of the conversation which ensued, and de-
clared that the interview published In the
| Commercial, OF April 2Sth, was a substau-
tally correct recital of that conversation,
that the only errors we're OF verbiage. not OF
| fact; that the statements were correct,
| though the language was not verbatim.
Mr.. Atherton. who was present, asked
| permission to question the witness and
| was allowed to do so, but failed to secure
| any admission other than those contained In
| his direct statement.
Mr.. Buell. was examined at some length
| as to what information he had on which to
base the charges which had from time to
appe ared in his paper. Witness stated that
| his information was entirely general and
kcumulatiYe, derived from great
| number of conversations with diaerent
| people, from current gossip, from news
parer articles, and from the manner in
! which the specific matter Of legislation bad
| been accomplished. He had been inclined
| to regard the bonded spirit bill from the
| start as Job, and. therefore was not inalip-
| ed to give it the benefit of any doubt. He
l had no specific information apart from that
| In the possession Of other people. The gen.
/ eral run and tenor of the public discussion OF
| the matter were the ouly means Of informa
1 tion which he possessed. He was asked why
| he had In various articles IL the Critic men
| toned the names of General BoyntoU; Mr..
| Nordhoff, Major Carson and others as tnfiu-
entail journalists, who were under suspicion
of being corruptly Influenced. Witness did
1 not remember having ever mentioned the
name Of General Roynton. He had alluded
4 TO Others only In & spirit OF chs Re bad
Il charpe that fu1unntfaI lOur-