National Republican., 1883-02-22
THE HOUSE.
On motion of Mr.. o'Neill, the senat,
amendments to the pension appropriation bill
were concurred in.

On motion OF Mr.. ONeill the senate
amendments TO the pension appropriation bill
were concurred in.
THE PosToFFIcE BILL.
Mr.. Caswell submitted the conference re-
port on the postofiice appropriation bill, stat
ing that the confrerees had been unable TO
agree. Mr.. Caswell explained that the chief
p oints of difference were the items appropria-
ting S1s5,000 for special mail facilities, and
relating to the compensation allowed to land
grant railways for mail transportation. A
further conference was ordered and Messrs.
Caswell, Cannon, and Ellis appointed as con-
fire. rees
THE REARE EASGEMENT OF SEATS.
Mr.. Blackburn called up the resolution re-
ported some days ago from the committee on
| rules, providing for q Encouragement of the
desks of the house. so rs to accommodate the
additional membership of the next congress.
Mr.. Cox of New York, advocated the adop-
| tion of plan whereby smallerdcsks and chairs
should be procured, so as to bring the members
closer together in the interests of business.
| lie had noticed that his interest in the public
| business depended somewhat upon the loca-
! tion of his seat. If he had his choice of seats
he would take the speakers chair. Laugh
| ter.
Mr.. White offered a su bstitute providing for
the removal of the desks.
Mr.. Reed expressed his individual prefer
ence for dividing this ten acre lot " in two,
| so that every member could be heard. Until
! that were done there would be no advantage
in removing the desks.
The substitute was lost and the original
resolution adopted.
The house then at 1905, went into commit
| tee of the whole Mr.. Kasson in the chair) on
THE sUNDRY CIVIL APPROPRIATION BILL.
The pending amendment was that offered
| by Mr. McCOOk, Of New York, under direction
Of the military committee, as follows:
| That all lands reserved for military purposes
| which, in the opinion of the President may be
no longer desirable for such purposes or SO much
thereofas he may designate shall be placed un.
der the control OF the secretary Of the Interior TO
be disposed Of: Provided, That said lands shall
not be placed under the control of the secretary
Of the Interior until the direction of the President
therefor shall have been filed In the Interior de.
pArtment: PrOridcd also. That said lands shall
amv v Dg 70 ST % SS S sS
ompuon laws of the United States dnd provided
further That said lands shall not be sold until
they shall have been surveyed and plated under
the direction of the secretary of the interior. and
appraised by three competent men to be ap.
RSnSdp by him Snd their SPgaa'
lands shall be sold at public sale to the highest
bidder for cash. and shall not be sold at less than
| their appraised value, and In such subdivisions
MS may be most advantageous to the government,
no subdivision to exceed l60 acres.
| Mr.. Washburn offered an amendment sub
| jecting such lands to homestead entry. Lost.
On motion of Mr.. Washburn, Mr.. McCook g
amendment was amended by providing that
the land shall not be sold at less than $1.25 an
acre.
On motion of Mr.. Carpenter the amendment
was further amended so as to provide that
any settlers who were in actual occupation of
% portion of any of the reservations prior to
! the location of the reservation and continued
] cnoI nj ohnn ho
entitled to locate on the land on which they
| live under the homestead laws. The amend
ment as amended was then adopted.
Mr.. Beltzhoover raised q point Of order
! against the paragraph making appropriation
of S235000 for the pay of the officers of the
signal service. After discussion the point
was withdrawn.
Mr.. Beltzhoover then moved to amend by
striking out the clause authorizing the secre-
tary of war to detail for the service in the
signal corps not to exceed eight commissioned
officers, exclusive of the second lieutenants of
the signal corps authorized by law. In advo-
eating this amendment Mr.. Beltzhoover made
an attack upon the administration of Che sig
nal service under Gen. Hazen. He believed
that this bureau was purely civil institution
and wholly unmilitary, and that it should be
transferred to some civil department of the
govern ment, and especially that it should be
placed under the charge Of head who had
some scientific knowledge and some standing
and reputation among the responsible scientists
of the country. The speech which he had
printed sometime ago in the Record had been
criticised because ii had not been delivered on
| the floor of the house. In order to avoid any
misunderstanding he had formulated his
statements in q brief form as follows:
/, The administration of the signal service
bureau under II. W. HowgRte was the most cor.
rupt, profligate, and dishonest which had ever ex-
| listed In the annals ofthe government.
2. Howgate's methods were characterized by
| the employment of the whole signal service force
who had logrolled to influence congress to pass
| legislation for the bureaus.
8. While apparently extending the null appro-
priation, and keeping up the efficiency of the SER
vice. Howgate was stealing hundreds OF thousands
Of dollars. The amount of his larcenies reached
4. While this corrupt and felonious corporation
was in progress, Howgate was surrounded by a
number of educated and well paid employees,
who were either rmaryellousy stupid or crminally
culpabe.
made to ascertain the character and extent OF
tn frauds nor had the perpetrator been brought
to trial. There where some reasons for this,
which some persons around the signal bureau
knew better than anybody else.
g. Gen. w; D. Hazen had never brought How
gate to trial, but had left every employe OF How.
gates In control of the bureau.
At this point Mr.. Beltzhoover asked to print
some of Howgate's letters in the Record, but
L. B. Taylor, of Ohio, objected, and Mr..
Beltzhoover continued with the presentation
of his charges.
7. That Hazen not only failed to bring Howgate
TO Justice, but adopted precisely the methods of
Howgate in using the employees of the bureau to
influence congress through boards Of trade and
| newspapers.
s. That Hazen had made false pretcnses to the
War department to secure details Of regular off,
GERS to DO used for that purpose.
Mr.. L. b. Taylor in reply defended Gen.
Hazen's integrity, and criticised Mr. Beltz-
hoover's action in making an assault upon
| that officer in q speech which was not openly
delivered, but was printed in the Record.
That whole speech was founded on incorrect
information. The gentleman again made an
assault ON Gen, Hazen, the burden of his
speech being that that officer did not prose-
cute Howgate. What had he to do with that
prosecution? 1t was an unjust charge; 1t
was an unreasonable charge; it was without
foundation and, like the whole Of the TRADE,
| il was based on false information. The gem
tleman had charged Gen. HaZen with being
general without q battle, a commander with
out u history. Had he known the slightest
rudiments of his country's history he would
have known that Gen Hazen had been under
fire as many times as any officer in the SER
vice. In connection with this charge the
gentleman said that Gen. HaZen strutted on
the stage and wore the muniments of war
shorn of all that makes it honorable" He
(NIr. Taylor did not know what Gen. Ha2en
wore. If he wore the "muniments of war;
he wore something no other gentleman did.
"The munments of war" and the muniments
which make it honorable And for the gem
tleman who spoke that kind of English TO in
struct this committee what to do about any
thing
Mr. CaIl,ins of Indiana bore testin,onv IN