The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-03-02

complained was based upon q mshpprehensioh. ono
duke having bocn named for another. hasten.
that the matter has left the courts OF law to
that having had the geneaogy Of the Duke looked into
BY an independent expert have convinced myself that
his family ancient and that his dukciom Is an
authentic title which has como down to him through
number OF nncestora"
It Is probable that this statement will
appease both the spirit OF tho present Duke
and the angry ghost OF his grandfather. and
that the controversy, while it will DO pre-
served in tho law books us q celebrated case
involving important questions OF law, will
cease to be subject OF litigation.
The Fiery Orator from Gilpin County.
Although tho Hon. JAMES BUCEpHALUs
BEDFORD has represented tho whole State
OF Colorado in Congress over since Colorado
was admitted to the Union, 1t is only re-
Gently that he has become o conspicuous
figure on tho floor OF the House, Either his
modesty or circumstances beyond his control
have kept him In the background until tho
present session. Now no is on his foot about
as often as any other member. AS col
league recently expressed 1t. he Is continually
quitting his oar In" He Is not regarded as
bore, for his wild Western humor, his
amazing figures Of speech, and o frankness
OF utteranoe unrestrained by any sense OF
the conventional parliamentary proprieties
have gained for him the good-natured toll
Grafton Of the House. He is always clipper,
always outspoken, always amusing; and tho
peculiar oratory In which his emotional ma
ture finds expression makes the Hon. JAMES
BUcEPHALUs BELFoRD. on the whole. rather
an interesting subject for study.
.,R nrrru 70 hn
bound down by the rules Of the House or the
accepted customs OF procedure. He do
nounces tho rules and despises the conven-
tions. Here Is an extract from one OF his
many speeches In favor Of emptying tho
Treasury into the Mississippi river:
~ gratned that this discussion has occurred 1t
shows the dnmnAhe and Internal character Of the Rules
under which oct and by which We arc governed. We
have . committee called the Committee Of Ways and
Means composed Of the brains Of this House. We have
another committee known as the Committee Appro-
prstions whose members might properly be designated
the white.buttoned mandarns Of this House. The re-
mAindsr Of the committees menias and slaves,
and although they the Of the sover
eign people Of this nation. compelled to bow on their
knees and ask the Speaker to recognize them"
On another occasion he astonished the
House with this metaphor:
Tho rules are formulated In the interest Of an
olgarchy OF blackhorse brigade who propose to
ride the majority Of this House."
Again, he broke forth with this impassloned
protest:
what IL this but the representative council OF this
great and mighty nationt Aud yet two m"n-and you
know it-control this House. In the first place, tho
Speaker. who agrees or disagrees to recognize
Der; and the second Is the gentleman from Indiana mr.
HoLxANL who exercises tho veto power by way of
objection, re be herded like n
corral like cattle in Held to be governed by two
msnt"
Mr.. BELFORD recently referred to the dig
nifled branch OF the national Legislature at
the other end OF the Capitol in this shocking
language:
Look over to tho scnatel Look at tho seventysix
members Of that body--the magnificent Aladdns who
reign In supreme power at the other end OF the Capitol
Fifty Of them millionaires There twenty six
poor devis who got into the Senate their inertia"
The Colorado orator maniicsts the same
freedom In discussing tho opinions Of his fel.
low members In the House. Poor CALAMITY
WELLER drew down upon himself the other
| day In debate this rebuke from BELFORD:
1T appears that tho gentleman from
| Iowa has not tho sense to comprehend O bill
| when 1t IL reported to this House." It was
| also In debate that BELFoRD remarked
"That ia, the exact position occupied by
PADDY CURTIN OF Pennsylvania and PADDY
DoRsHEIMER Of New York" One day Mr..
REAGAN OF Texas opposed ON cOnstitu-
tional grounds the appointment OF special
Committee on Woman Suffrage. The fiery
BELrORD sprang to his Gilpin county feet:
"Ihavs no doubt that this House will DO gratinsd with
the respect which the gentleman from Texas has ex
pressed for the Constitution Of this country. The last
distinguished with which no connected its
| attempted overthrow aud man who Ia engaged in an
enterprise of that kind light class to which his
| mother belonged"
personal history Ia to the Hon. WILLIAM NJ.
SPRINGER, q member Of the Committee on
Elections In the Forty-fourth Congress-:
In the Forty. fourth Congress came to this House
bringing In my hands certificate under tho brosd seal
| Of Colorado which, although not as populous Penn
| sylvHna, wears diamond bright any In the cor
ost Of the nation. For two months OF that short
sion compelled " cool my shins In the corridors
the Capitol. There nobody contosting my sest
body objecng; but the political wet nurse Of Illinois
distinguished for his partisan zeaosry for objects will
not state kept me bsttening on the moor who he wal
feeding on the Congressional cabbage himself"
In BELFORD's vocabulary Mr.. REED Of
Maine Is my vigorous aud robustious
friend, who unquestiOnably enjoys the pos
session OF bushel OF brains" Mr.. Towns
HKND is the "excitable and distinguished
gentleman from Illinois," Mr.. EATON doubted
the power Of Congress to appropriate money
for the relief Of the sufferers by the Ohio
floods. BELroRD pranced to the front with
the following remarkable contribution Il
Biblical chronology and topography:
"suppose my friend from Connecticut had lived In tn
days Of NOAH, and had found himself perchsd upon tn
top Of Mount Ararat looking down the submerged
plains the people fleeing from Nineveh. some drowning
and children lifting up their hands to him to render
sistancs suppose he would hss referred that drown
Ing crowd to the City Council Of Nineveh. and told then
to make an appropriation % stop the ram"
From Mr.. BELFoRD's recent speeches, GOV
ering wide variety Of topics, We select al
most at random a few specimen passages
as showing both his humor and his wonder
full command Of f9urative language: