St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-29
The House of Representatives,

The House of Representatives..
WASHINGTON, April ga joint resolution
was passed for the appointment of VIM. B.
Franklin, John C. Black and f. W. Hyde to
fill vacancies on the board of managers OF
the National Home for Disabled volunteers.
bill was passed for the sale of part of the
military reservation at Ft. Hayes, Kansas.
The senate joint resolution was passed pro-
viding for the attendance of the two houses
at the ceremonies of unveiling the statue of
Chief Justice Marshall, May 10th.
The following bills were introduced and
referred:
BY Mr.. Taylor, of Tennessee, for the en-
argement of the court house at jackson,
Tenn.
By Mr. Ermentrout, by request, providing
that the tax imposed on circulating notes of
the National banks shall hereafter be de-
voted to payments incurred by the United
States under title 62, revised statutes, and
the surplus remaining to be set apart and to
be known as the contingent redemption
fund.- and to be used for the redemption of
any circulating notes of any insolvent asso-
citation.
By Mr.. Cosgrove, authorizing the lighting
of the navigable rivers of theUnited States by
electricity.
By Mr.. Guenther, to prohibit the importa-
ton of articles of foreign manufacture, bear
ing the mark, conveying the impression that
such articles are of American manufacture.
Mr.. Ellis, from the committee on appro-
priations reported bill to provide for the
celebration of world industrial and cotton
centennial exposition. To the committee of
the whole.
Mr.. Hewitt, Of New York, rising to ques
ton Of privilege, said, on Friday last he made
a statement that the secretary of the navy
had not complied with the law which required
him to cover into the treasury the net pro-
ceeds of the sale of condemned vessels. The
statement had been controverted and he
subjected to very considerable criticism. He
read the section of the law which contained
the requirement, and the letter from the
treasurer stating that the money had been
deposited by the secretary of the navy to the
credit of his special account, but not covered
into the treasury, though 100000 deposited
on April 1Sth 1884, was now being covered
in. The money had not been covered
into the treasury, but deposited with the
treasurer to the credit of the secretary of the
navy, and subject to his check He could
have taken the whole Of it at any time on his
mere check, without voucher. The secre-
tary had exerciseda wise discretion by de-
posting the money with the treasurer, rather
than with private banker, yet it was not in
the treasury as the law intended, He had
felt somewhat Inundated when the gentle
man from Illinois, Cannon, had brought to
is notice the fact that in the appendix to
the secretary's report, there was statement
that the money had been deposited with the
treasurer. He had gone to every officer of
the treasury, who had accounts covered into
the treasury, and they told him it had not
been covered in. He had not gone to
the treasurer, for the reason that that officer
did not keep such accounts. If he were at
fault, that he had not gone to the treasurer it
was because the treasurer was not the per-
son to go to. A few days ago 5000, 600 had
been directed to be covered into the treas
ury, but the secretary Of the treasury wrote
him on Saturday last it had not yet been
done, SO that up to the present moment not
one dollar had been covered in. He charged
that the law had not been complied with. He
imputed no intention on the part of the
secretary to do a dishonest or dishonorable
thing. So far as he had observed the admin
istraton of the secretary of the navy had
been most creditable, the whole tone of the
service been raised, but the issue was,
whether great officer of the government
had obeyed clear command Of the law. He
asserted the secretary had not.
Mr. Calkins defended the secretary's ac-
ton, and argued that the provisions of the
la, had not been violated, that the law re-
CURED that tina net proceeds of the sale
should be covered into the treasury. The net
proceeds of the sale could not be obtained
until all the expenses had been paid for, and
this had not yet been done. His judgment
was, and every candid man would say, that
Hewitt's performance this morning was mere
subterfuge. 1t was shifting Of his position
of last Friday. The gentleman had given the
house and country to understand that the
secretary of the navy was dishonest and cor
rupt, for what could be more corrupt than
that great public officer should take the
peoples money and not turn it into
the treasury until after the political election.
1t was against that sort Of inuendo that he
raised his voice. He knew some gentlemen
were so constituted that instead of walking
up and attacking man fairly, they sprang
from an alley on dark night with the assas-
sins dagger in hand. He did not like that
kind of warfare, and no man who held the
position that this gentlemen from New York
occupied, ought to attack man indirectly.
If be did not make direct charge, common
decency and common honesty ought to in
duce him to keep his mouth closed.
Mr. Hewitt declined to reply to Calkins'
personal remarks. That was not in his line.
He had made no imputation, either byway of
indirection OF subterfpge, or by any blow of