The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-01-31

ond time, referred to the Committee on Inya-
lid Pensions, and ordered to be printed.
Mr.. Hewitt Ala. from the Committee on
Pensions, reported, as a substitute for House
bill 26, bill III. II. 1862 granting pensions to
certain soldiers and sailors Of the Mexican and
other wars therein named, and for other pur-
poses; which was read first and second time,
referred to the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union, and, with the accom-
panying report ordered to be printed.
Mr.. Blount (Ga.), from the Committe on
Ways and Means, reported resolution calling
on the Secretary of the Treasury for informa-
ton as to the number of customs and internal
revenue collection districts and the cost of coll
lecting the internal revenue tax. Adopted.
The House then went into the Committee of
the Whole on the bill making appropriations
for The payment Of the rebate on the tax on
tobacco.
The bill passed by vote of go to l. THE
bin appropriates S3.750,0o0 for the payment of
rebate on tobacco
On motion of Mr.. Randall (Pa.) the House
non-concurred in the Senate amendment to the
bill providing for the relief of Lieutenant
Greedy and party.
Mr. Matson Ind) introduced joint resolu-
ton authorizing the Secretary of the Interior
to detail a clerk from his Department to act as
assistant clerk to the Committees on Pensions
and Invalid Pensions.
then adjourned.
FRIDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
In the House. on Friday, the session was de-
voted chiefly TO the discussion of the Fitz-John
Porter bill.
On motion of Mr. Rosecrans, Senate bill was
passed providing for the removal of the re-
mains of the late General Z. o. c. Ord from Ha-
vana to Washington.
The Speaker laid before the House a response
from the Secretary of the Navy to the House
resolution on the subject, stating that he has
! no knowledge Of any service rendered by Amer
lean officers or men to the British navy at the
commandment of Alexandria.
Also, a letter from the Postmaster General
in response to House resolution in regard to ex-
penditures on accout of the star-route frauds,
and requesting the names of persons indebted
TO the Government and of witnesses on whom
the Government expected to rely on the prose-
cution of such persons. Referred.
lThe Postmaster General informs the House
that an itemized list of expenditures is being
prepared, but that it would be detrimental to
| the public interests to give the names Of per-
sons indebted to the Government and the pro-
posed Witnesses
SATURDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, on Saturday, Mr. Hatch NO.,
1 from the Committee on Agriculture, reported a
! bill for the establishment of d bureau of ami
NAL industry, to prevent the expectation OF
/ diseased cattle and to provide means for the
/ suppression and extirpation of pleuro- pneumo-
MIA and other contagious diseases among do
nestle animals. Printed and recommitted.
The House then went into Committee of the
Whole ON the Fitz-John Porter bill.
Mr.. Ray n. H. continued his speech in ia
yor Of the bill, being followed by Mr.. Thomas,
who defended Pope and denounced Porter as a
traitor.
Mr. Bedford Col said he should follow the
1 judgment of General Grant and vote for the
/ bill
/ Mr.. Horr Mich made long argument
against the bill, saying that General Grants
/ Endorsement of it was the one mistake in the
/ life Of grand old man.
The most interesting speech Of the day was
! that Of Mr.. John S. Wise (Na.), to whom Mr..
Horr yielded a few minutes Of his time. Mr.
| Wise said that he placed himself on record in
regard TO this controversy. He spoke for him
self and himself alone not as a Confederate
general, but as a boy who at seventeen years Of
age loved the Confederate cause and saw nc
faint on her banner, and followed it and shed
his blood for it, and thought that he was right
He spoke, so help him God, without one taini
/ of treason and loving the flag that was ovel
the Speakers chair as truly as ever Daniel
Webster loved it. He spoke, however, as one
/ who, as he had listened TO this discussion, had
] lE4t IIaG his LDlT1 MdlsIeIcQ away from Inc
question and was back with the graves of the
Confederate dead He appealed to Confeder.
ate soldiers here to know whether, as this dis
cussion had progressed, instead of following
the triuTnphs Of Grant and the troubles Of
Porter. their minds were not carried back tx
the graves Of their brethren and thousands o.
friends, and whether they did not realize tha
this was the most anomalous scene ever wit
messed in the history of any land, where tht
vanquished were called upon to cast the decis
i've weight in the contested balance Of the vic
tors. For himself. he accepted the issue pre-
sented He turned from this scene He saw
the perils Of the past once more come troopin;
before him. He felt once more as if he wer'
back in the bloody angle of the Wilderness
and while the Union men were deciding VIII
was their Ajax. who their Achilles and wht
their Diomede, he stepped aside, and his min,
would wander off TO where soldier sentrie
kept watch across the river and the Confed
crate dead were sleeping among the trees.
MONDAYS PROCEEDINGS
In the House, on Monday, the Chaplain feel
ingly referred 20 the death of E. w. II. Mackey
Of South Carolina, and invoked Divine protcc
ton on his bereayed family. After the read
ing of the journal the announcement of th
death was made by Mr. o Hara, OF North Caro-
lima, who offered resolutions, which were unan
imously adopted, expressing the sincere regre
I
Of lis members, and authorizing the Speaker t
appoint committee TO take charge of tn
funeral arrangements.
The Speaker subsequently, announced as sue
committee Messrs Pettibone, Bisbee, OHarf
Willis, Davis of Missouri, CalIlins, and Hemp
hill
The House then, as a mark of respect to tn
, memory Of the deceased, at 1910 adjourned.
TUESDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
In the House. on Tuesday the Speaker lai
before the House the following executive com
munications, which were appropriately refer
, red:
letter from the Secretary Of War in re
spouse TO House resolution calling on him fo
; information IN regard 20 the compilation G
Union and Confederate naval records.
, The Secretary states that, owing to the al
! sence Of any provision for clerk hire, the CEN
, piIation Of the records has been desultory an
} imperfect, and recommends that he be author
: lied TO prepare the records for publication, al
2 10 employ the necessary clerical force
4 letter from the Secretary of War, in rt
Spouse 10 a resolution calling for information
10 the average number Of commissioned officer
9 in the army between March A. 1857, and Marc
) A, 1851, and between March 4, 1877, and Marc
4, ISL, states that during the first period tli
average number Of commissioned officers we
e 1,eJ6, Of whom sixty-seven were tried by cour
q martial and thirty-nine convicted; and thu
during the second period the average humble
was 2,474, Of whom 100 were tried by conr
S martial and I22 convicted.
Among the new bills introduced were I'll
4 following:
a. D. - 4 VI