The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-02-09
WARRINGTON LETTER.


W hbn1RO1OlA A1i AoA'
From our regular correspondent
A long and exciting debate was brought
to close on Friday when the House pas
sed the bill for the reinstatement Of Fitz
John Porter, by vote of one hundred
and eighty-four to seventy-eight. The
deep interest felt in the debate was
evinced by the crowds that thronged the
galleries. The discussion has ranged
through the histories Of all nations and
remote eras have been ransacked; illus
trations have been gathered from all
wars, and military authorities have been
quoted from the annals of antiquity to
the present time. When the house met
on Friday, preliminary business was dis
pensed with, and the bill was taken up in
committee of the whole, the general dis
oussion being limited to three hours, and
forty minutes. Mr.. Waliord, union
veteran, was entitled to the floor, to fin
ish his argument in favor of the measure,
begun the Saturday before he stood in
the main aisle, and spoke in an earnest
manner, without notes. Mr.. Calkins fol-
lowed in opposition, reading his speech
from manuscript, surrounded by a
number of maps, and assisted by a large
chart of the Bull Run battlefield. Mr..
Phelps next spoke effectively in favor of
Gen. Porter, and then there were num-
Der of short speeches in opposition. After
several amendments were voted down,
the committee rose, the bill was ordered
sngrossed, and read third time, and Mr.
Curtin the old war Governor of Pennsyl-
vania, closed the debate in favor of the
bill. He said in the course of his
remarks, that the first persons who asked
for redress of Fitz John Porter's
wrongs, were Horace Greedy, Henry Will
sen, and him self While he was giving n
history of the Army of the Potomac, in
the beginning of the war, many members
stood in circle around him and applaud
ed his remarks. When he concluded, it
wasseveno' clock p. NJ, and the bill was
passed at snce. Ex-Confederate Con-
gressmen voted for reinstatement, and
when Mr.. Poland of Vermont cast his
vote in the affirmative, there was round
of applause on the Democratic side.
Friends Of the measure think it can soon
be crowded through the Senate, as but
little opposition is executed from that
body, then, if the President signs the
bill, possibly, the perennial theme will
cease to vex the ears, and consume the
time of the nation.
The position of the land grant rail
roads was practically attacked by the
House the other day declaring for the
first forfeiture. Mr.. Holman's sweeping
resolutions, adopted more than week
ago, favoring the forfeiture of all unearn-
ed land grants, seemed safe measure to
vote for, when mere generalities were
meant; but, when the House realized
that it was called upon to act in earnest
antagonism to several great railroad cor
porations, wherein members had interests
at stake, considerable excitement prevail
ed upon the floor. When Chairman Cobb
arose to report the bill forfeiting land
granted to Mississippi, Alabama, Louisi-
ana, Arkansas and the Texas Pacific
railroads, members left their seats,
crowded around him, and questioned him
more rapidly than he could answer. The
first bills introduced were those which
had the clearest merits. There could be
no disputing the facts that the roads,
mentioned had not earned the grants
declared forfeited. Railroad members
made but little opposition, and the slight
effort made to stem the tide shows how
completely the railroad interests have
Withdrawn from the House Hobbies. Dur
ing the week the grants of the Northern
Pacific are expected to come up for con
sideration, and then it is thought there
will be vigorous protest in behalf of the
railroads, AS the Senate is more conserva-
tive than the House in dealing with cor
porate interests, it is said the railroads
look to that branch of Congress for mercy,
but it is not probable the Senate will
interfere in their behalf unless in case of
manifest injustice in proposed legislation.