Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-04
THE NATION 7 CAPITAL.
Yesterdays WORK IN CON-
GRESS.

Inc DonAEA NIatAAs AfAAA - III
POrter's Case Blast From " Richie
lieu" RObinson-A sharp SquabbIe in
the House as to Deficiencies.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.-In the Senate
the bill for the relief Of the owners Of the
steamer Jackson was passed at the close
Of the morning hour, when Mr.. Logan
continued his argument against the bill
for the relief OF General Fitz John Por-
ter.
Petitions asking for the immediate pas
sage of the pending whisky bill were laid
before the Senate by Mf. Davis. Of Illinois.
from the Peoria Board of Trade; BY Mr.
Sherman, from ne Chamber of Commerce
OF Cincinnati; by Mr.. Jonas, from numer-
Ous merchants and liquor dealers of New
Orleans, and by Mr.. COckreH, from the
Board Of Directors Of the Merchants Ex-
change of st. Louis. Laid on the table.
Mr.. Logan finished his speech on the
Fitz John Porter case at 2:O5.
Mr.. sherman tried to have the bonded
whisky bill taken up, but Mr.. Sewell said
he wished o. occupy about half an hour
reading testimony IN rhe Porter case in
reply to Mr. LOgan's statements. At the
conclusion Of Mr.. SeWelPs reading aud a
short speech by Mr.. Mcpherson in favor
Of the bill, Mr.. Hale moved to postpone il
indefinitely.
Mr.. SeWell called for the ayes and nays
and the motion was lOst-ayes 20, nays ..
The bill was then reported to the Senate.
Mr. HOar moved to postpone il for one
week and spoke in favor Of the motion.
Mr. HOar's motion to postpone the bill
was lOst-24 to %. The debate was con-
tiuued by Messrs. Hawley, Conger and
Brown, and became strongly political in
character. The bill finally went over and
the senate adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
The House at 11:15 a. m. went into COM
mittee Of the whole, Mr.. Townsend, of
Ohio. in the chair, and resumed the dis
cussiOn on the army appropriation bill,
the pending amendment being that Of
fered by Mr.. Browne, of Indiana, for the
gradual abolition of the pay corps Of the
army.
Mr.. Epson, of Texas, offered a substi-
tute for that amendment, but il was ruled
out on a point of order, when Mr.. Brownies
amendment was adopted by vote Of Ill
10 56.
In concluding a speech to a formal
amendment, Mr.. UpsOn, of Texas, called
attention to the high degree of efficiency
of the English army. This brought Mr.
Robinson, of New York, to his feet with
the statement that he could not tell
whether the gentleman's speech was a
euiOgv Of the American or English armv
admiration of the American army, but he
did not want to see its officers trOtting
around after representatives of mon
archv. whether dressed in the
Uniform of an American soldier or dressed
in the kit Of Argyle. Laughter. He
was alarmed at the spread of English
feeling that had invaded Texas.
The glory of the English drum beat was
the sound of despOtism and the death
knell Of liberty. lApplause.l He did not
want to increase the army or initiate any
thing English. He wanted to blot out all
that abOminable feeling that was getting
into the heads Of snObs and flunkies to
initiate monarchy, without having the
brains that surrounded it.
Mr.. Ryan. of Kansas. offered an amend
ment striking out the prOvisO that all re-
tired officers shall receive the pay now
provided by law as of the rank they actu-
ally held in the army at the date of their
retirement. and inserting another prOyisO
70 this amendment. 4 number of others
were offered, but, after some debate, all
amendments were Withdrawn and the
original prOyisO in the bill was struck out
by rirG COce vote.
Mr.. Hewitt, of New York, called at-en-
ton to the fact that in various items of
the bill there was a reduction in apprO-
priatiOns, and inquired whether the re-
ductiOn was for the purpose Of making a
good showing. or whether the amounts
appropriated were sufficient for the needs
Of the service. Ii the latter he was glad
Of it, but he took no stock in trying to
make record of economy which would
necessitate a deficiency appropriation in
the future.
Mr.. ButterwOrth. Of Ohio, replied that
the appropriations were sufficient, de-
clariug that. like the gentleman from New
York. he took no stock in what was called
10 10 mt
man that the Republican party would not
turn over to the next Congress as many
OpnOrtuuities for making up deficiencies
as it had encountered when it came into
power.
Mr.. Hiscock, of New York, denied that
there existed any precOnceiyed plan TO
create deficiencies to be provided for by
the next Congress. The last Congress
had Intentionally thrown a large amount
Of deficiency upon the FOrty-seYenth Con-
gress.
Mr.. Blount, of GeOrgia-Give us the
items.
Mr.. Hiscock replied that the gentleman
would find the items if he referred TO the
speech delivered by him HiscOck) at the
last session. The deficiencies to be pro-
vided TOR amounted to S2I, 100000.
G,r. Atkins. of Tennessee, Chairman OF
the Appropriations Committee in the
Fortv-siEth Congress. asked Mr.. HiscOck
% give something more than his bare un-
supported statement, which reflected upon
that committee.
Mr. HiscOck-I will give evidence here
and now. The Committee on ApprOpria-
ti0ns over which the gentleman had the
honor to preside failed to make apprOpria-
tions i'm the sum of 24,0OO,OOO. Now /
say % him and the committee, and i say
Co. the country, that a fact as startling as
that either proves the incompetency OF
shat Committee on Appropriations, or its
dishonesty. Either that for a political
purpose it struck down the appropriations
or else that it did not give to the service
for which il was apprOpriating that IN
yestigltiOn which that service demanded
on two occasions.
Mr. Atkins replied that Mr.. HiscOck
himself was a member Of the committee
which ha now attacked, but had never be-
fore uttered such opinions. Mr.. HiscOck's
charge of dishonesty or incompetency
against the cOmulittee, MIR. Atkins hurled
back as "a SANDER,
Mr.. Blouut. Of Georgia, said that he
hardly knew how TO answer pOltely tine
speech of the gentleman from New
York. That gentleman could account
for the deficiencies only on the
idea OF dishonesty or the Ignorance
OF the gentlemen on the Appropriations
Committee in the fOrty-siNth Congress
He had sat silent until the result of the
last election. but now he charged the
Democratic party of the House with the
crime Of stupidity. The country would
know no honest economy until the Demo
cratic party and its principles should
- take possession of the executive as well
as the legislative branch Of the govern
ment
Mr.. Hiscoek said that he had insinu-
ated at the last session all that he had
plainly said to-day. The gentleman had
said that he had never protested agar
the practice of the Appropriations Com
mittee Of the FOrty-sixth Congress. There
was no man Oh the floor for whom he en-
tertained more respect than he did for the
gentleman from Georgia Mr.. Blountl.
Mr. O'Neill, OF PennsylTania-Ihis IS
affecting iLaughter.i
Mr.. HiscOck SAID the gentleman from
tennessee Mr.. Atkins had declared that
ne Ar. Hiscock had reflected upon the
Appropriations Committee of the Forty
sixth Congress, and had hurled back
something or other. Laughter. He
didn't mean to say that the committee had
been dishonest in that way that il should
De indicted and punished, Jut he had
meant that the Democratic Congress had
neen accustomed 10 shove deficiency
over year after wear
Mr. Randall. Of Pennsylvania said that