Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-03
CONGRESSIONAL.

"~AshlNSION -. ". blArCn Z,-Sen
ator Wyck presented the creden
tials of Charles F. Henderson, elected
senator from Nebraska, aud the presi
dent presented the csedentials of hi,
successor from Illinois, W. w. Cullen
Read end filed.
The river and harbor bill was re-
ferred to the committee on commerce
The act to exclude public lands In
Alabama from operation Of laws relat.
Ing to mineral lands was taken up.
Senator Morgan explained the bill.
Senators Allison, Hale and Peck
were appointed conteres on the sundry
civil bill.
Senator Logan submitted a confer
ence report on the army appropriation
bill. Agreed to.
(rhe item limiting compensation to
be paid Subsidized railroads for army
transportation was stricken from the
billy
I'm speaking ".of pending business
Senator Van Wyok criticised the large
compensation allowed the special at.
torpey engaged In the star route cases
and the department justice In allow.
Ing such a large amount. He had
hoped the stories told at the street
corners as to the extravaganza OF the
department we're nor true. Taking
up the vou,hers of George Bliss, he
ridiculed the charges made therein,
quoting such articles as fifty cents
for sleeping car porter" and "fve
cents for stamps" The vouchers
showed he was allowed $3.50 a day and
expenses. Merrick, another lawyer,
received even . lsrger1per diem, but
as he lived In Washington the
vouchers did not show he
charged for board. 1t was perfectly
plain why these suits continued
as long as they did. 1t was an Induce.
:nent to these men to continue the
suit six months and a temptation to
ang the jury, If 1t was true they did.
he did not say they did. That the
courts for administration of Justice in
the District of Columbia should be
occupied for six months In a common
case was an outrage which ought not
to be tolerated. No greater disgrace
had been connected with Jurisprudence
Ia any country than that which has
been exhibited In the treatment oil
Gases In the District of Columbia.
He desired that the people should
be protected from such outrages.
1t had always been charged In the
past that the republican party punished
Its " thieves. Only lately he had
discovered why Howgats had the
prison doors opened to him. 1t
seemed Howgste was q democrat, and
as the republican party was only IN.
der obligation to punish republican
thieves, of course Howgate got off
Without any doubt these performances
were equally Infamous as the star
route robberies. There was equally
a conspiracy here to rob the govern.
ment In a suit which ought to be
treated as an ordinary suit. Good
lawyers were gathered together by the
department of justice, allowed to place
their hands In the treasury to any
depth they choose and to any extent
and for any time they choose. There
was nothing to limit them in price or
turn their o~ounteuance. He knew of
another Ease where q member of non.
gress was employed by the district
attorney, M. j. Townsend, as special
attorney, when the department of
justice knew that he should be attend.
ing to his duties at Washington, and
for these special services he received
$4,000. Where was the protection of
the people when the held of the de-.
p~srtment of justice not only tolerated
by Inauguration such Jrooeedings-
Senator Cameron (Fsnn.) Do you
mean to say he got a dollar Of it2
Van Wyck-Oh! NJ.
Senator Cameron-Then you be
careful how you talk Be more care
full how you talk; yon must stop now,
stop here.
Senator Van Wy&-I am glad my
friend comes to thi rescue. 1 tried
to do 1t, but the fsts were against It.
"You are"-begn Cameron, threat
eningly, but stopped.
81 have not SAT- the attorney gene.
raj took any of tbs money" contin-
ued Van Wyck.
"You talk too much; don't talk any
more in that way" replied Cameron.
Senator Var Wock-I don't pre-.
tend that the attorney general took
any of this moiey, but when he put
his sign.manua Of "Brewster" to the
voucher; whenhe allowed $40 a day
for hotel expenses; when he al
one time allowed twenty-five cents fol
a telegram and at another time 8 cents
! when he allowed 81 cents for e mes
senger; when he allows Bliss not onl!
} travelling expenses but a sleeping ca
and 30 cents for a porter, l say b
, does a thing which any nan In hi
T sense knows not to be right l don
pretend he obtained any of this none
, himself, but this mode of extractin
| money from the treasury Ia no bette
, than the star route method. Non
T whatever.
Senator Logan said this proceeding
I; of the senator from Nebraska was i
remarkable, 30 unprecedented, b
r would ask the senator whether til
papers which he was referring to wei
original papers from the attorney gel
n erals office.
Co-..a. W.. Wu.L .olJ H. uo