Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-22
nae Congresslonal sltuatlon

L
bill, as passed by the Senate, was reported to
the House to-day and laid upon the Speak
er's table. When it will be called mp, and
in what form it may be presented for con-
sieeratiop, is unknown. The Republican
leaeeEs have formed no programme fof future
action, and the members of both parties sp-
pear utterly in the dark as TO the wisest
course to pmsue. The bill, as it passed. has
not besn printed, and members refuse to ex.
press an opinion Of the bill until they have
had time to carefully examine its provisions 5.
Appearances to-day indicate considerable
msj sjority in favor OF the passage OF the bill,
with minority CT sufficient proportions to
either send it TO conferences or defeat it. The
first and greatest difficulty in the
way Of passing the measure is the rules
Of the House. These must be
amended or no bill can pass. The
Senate bill lays on the Speaker ) table under
meath about 100 other bills having precedence
of it. The msjorit3 can reach it By layir g
aside seriatin the numerous measures that
precede it. but when the bill is thus got be-
fore the House o single point Of order will
send it TO the Committee of the Whole,
where the House tariff bill now reposes.
Once IN Committee of the Whole, it is dead.
Another OF sction that will undoubtedly be
offered is tnat the Senate has no right to
originate revenue bills, ard that its action in
Attempting to revise the tariff on the House
internal revenue bill is unconstitutional. The
Speaker may overiule this point and the
House sustain mis- ruliug, but legislative his
tory shows that the House has ever been in.
tolerant Of the slightest Infringement Of its
prerogatiyes. If TIE Speaker and the House
agree that the Senate bill is unconstitutional,
tie bill is dead. A new rule must be adopted,
either of the character proposed by MIR. KaE-
son some time ago, OF by Burrows yesterday.
TIE new rule must be Of q character TO allow
the majority to do st any time what two
thirds can now only accomplish on spsci.
fed days. The opponents Of the Senate bill
suggest that conferences committee may not
make it satisfactory. II, for example, the
conferses we're appointed, and they should at
first have q disagreement. the majority OF
the House could overrule the request OF the
ms jority Of the Horse c0ufsrees for new con.
fer. nee, accept toe Sena:es dictum and pass
TIE BILL Twenty fJur hou-s' time. at les1t.
will be equired 20 bling anything ike oTdss
ous Of the chaos and confusion.
The Star Route Trial.
WAsHIsGros, February 21st. - Rerdell
continued his testimony in the star route
case to-day. He Identified paper presented
him by IDgersoll as being in bis hand
writing, except the words " and others y
had signed and sworn to it.
Ingersoll then read the paper. Il WAS an
affidavit by Rerdell, dated July l3, 1892 in
which be sweaFs that S. W. Dorsey, J. w.
BasleT and Brady Aad never, by verbal or
written direction or inference, committed any
wrong; there was never AZ improper act or
suggestion by Dorsey or Basler. The state
ment that be lRerdslll bad books AID papers
showing that they had been engaged in a
scheme to defraud the people was false. No
such books or papers ever existed. The
statement that Dorsey and Basler paid fifty
per cent. Of their RENTED fines, or any per.
centage, to Brady, was pure fabrication.
Neither Dorsey nor Baslsr ever secured IL =
creased service by corrupt means. In short,
sll the stories told Of unlawful operations on
the part Of Dorsey and Basler were malicious
fabricstions, gotten up for newspapsr puT-
plses, and tliI statement was made Y0iur-
tarily to yiLdicste them.
Witness said be desired to explain the cir-
oumstantes under which the affidavit was
made A few dayi before iis date be bad
30 idsd Dorsey shs ha inian5ed 70 GO ovae
20 the Government and make full state
ment Dorsey then called him into Willar3's
Hotel and threatened TO prosecute him for
PEI Jury il lie did this. Dorsey alao pro-
duced two letters which Rsrdell was foolish
said he would break up his family re lations if
he did not make this affidavit. Witness was
very much frightened, as be supposed thsse
letters had heen destroyed. YieldiRg to thssa
threats, witness consented 70 make the affi
davit. Dorsey wrote is. Witness copied it,
and carried it TO Dorsey and Basler. Wit
ness acknowledged that the affidavit was
false in every particular.
The question Of entries to Smith and Sam
Jones came up again. and witness said there
was another entry from his check.book Of
s., 600 TO the credit Of James B. Bslford.
member Of Congress. This was charged to
the msil account, and was il the summer Of
1879. The check wss drawn on Middleton &
Co.. bankers Of this city.
Witness dill rot recoilect 70 whose order il
vas drawn.
Iagersuii asked what it WIS written On.
MeTrick obi csed TO the question, unless
the d, fense produced the book.
An Argument followed st some length, and
Ingersoll resumed his crCss-sxamination. He
said from The sfEiSyis the statement that
D,raey and J. w. Bsslsr paid Brady fftv or
any other per cent. was pure fabrication.
Witness said it was not pure fabrication,
for he inferrtd that such was the case.
IngeTsoll Then The statement that Is WAS
pure fabrication is a lalsehcods
WitHess-Yes; that sfidayiL generally was
fslsehoed.
Adjourned until Friday.