The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-01-31
CONGRESSIONAL Summary.


| CONGRESSIONAL Sc IA ARx
SENATE
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. S5.-Blair
introduced q bill 20 provide free trans
portation 10 the M .lls for circulars, news
papers and other periodical publications
within the state where published. Re-
ferred.
Bayard from the committee On finance
reported fayorably the bill providing
for the issue Of circulating notes by the
national banking association. Placed
On calendar.
The house having disagreed with the
senate amendment to the Greeley relief
bill, the senate insisted on its amend
meat and conference committee was
appointed.
The AIasks bill was then taken mp.
Harrison moved to amend SO as to pay
the travelling expenses OF the maIsnal
and salary of s., 500. besides vouchers
to be approved by judge. Agreed 70.
The consideration OF the bill having been
completed, and adopted 10 the commit
tee of the whole, IL was reported 10 the
senate, the only reservation be ng on the
prohibition clause. That clause prohIb-
lis the impoItlon, manufacture or sale of
intoxicating liquors in Alaska, except
for medical and scieatlfic purposes, and
led to quite a long debate, but the bill
passed with The prohibition clause re-
tanned.
Hoar then called up his bill providing
for the performance of the duties OF
president in case of the removal, death,
resignation or inability of the president
and vice president, aud was read the
third time and passed.
In the contingency referred 10 the bill
vests the right 10 pelfurm tie presidents
duties in The secretary of stale, or in
case there be none, then in the secretary
of the treasury, then in the secre airy OF
war, and so on through the cabinet. Tie
executive session adjourned.
HOUSE
The morning hour beiog dispensed
with, the houss went into committee OF
he whole, with Springer in the chair,
on the F.tz John Porter bill
Bayne, q member of the committee on
military affairs, spoke III sappoR of the
bill. He said this was not Political
question. No man could make 1t one.
He reviewed the testimony taken by the
court martial and board of revision and
quoted at length evidence going to show
In disregarding Pope's orders While
quoting from Gen. Longstreet's testi-
mony, ID show the position of his
troops, he was interrupted by Herbert
who stated that he belonged TO Long
streets corps; served in Wllcox's divIs-
ion. He knew that the divis-
ION doployed and was in line before
I2 o'clock. HIS Impression was that it
was much earlier. They waited iu line
but were not carried into the fight, and
he never understood the reason for this
idleness until he examined the testi-I
moDy In this case He did not believe,
and he thanked God for 1t, that either
the union army or the confederate army
during the late war furnIshe1 Ben dict
Arnold. He did not believe that Fitz
John Porter was traitor 10 his cause;
If he did believe it, he would be the
very last man to excuse him from the
consequences ct his treason.
Bayne-I think any honorable soldier
would say that.
Proc eding with his argument, Blyne
said if Potter had advanced from his
position at the time he received the A 30
order" II would only have led TO the
sacrifice ot more men. 1t would not
have served to save the life of man
who fell that day. The order C ntem-
plated an attack on Jobnson's flank. AT
the time Pope wrote the order he did
not know that the prIsen of Long
streets forces made obedience to the
order obviously impossible. II would
have been ins aaity - have attempted TO
carry 1t out.
Al the conclusion of Bayne's speech,
the committee rose informally TO permit
the speaker To appoint a conference
committee on the Greeley relief bill
The committee having resumed its
session, Keiter spoke IN opposition to
the bill. Alttr citing the charges aud
specifications upon which Porter was
| tried and sentenced by the court m rial,
| he said the action OF the house was try
ing in strange and singular way 10
heap condemnation upon all men that
comp sed the court martial, for the pur
pose OF v'ndicating men condemned alter
fair trial, fairly conducted not only by
the Judge advocate gent raj bl; by Rsv-
| erdy Johns n. He dcfeLd d the mcm-
| bers OF the court, declaring them p' ers
and Judging from the record, more
than the peers Of the members com
| posing the b lard of REVIEW, aud
criticized the action of the board 10
| admitting or REJECTING evidence i'll the
proceedings He read the dispatches
| sent by Porter to Burnside, dtduced
| from language, thIt Port did not in
ttn1 to fight under Pope. He wanted
to get away. His disloyalty to Pope
was SO great that he wanted Gen. Nc
Clellan to be informed of it, that he
might know he was right He also
quotes from McClellan's letter to Por-
ter. appealing to him to observe strict
obedience to Gen. Pope's orders, there
| by showing that he knew Porter was
hot loyal to his commanding officer.
Maginnis-DId not Gen Mcclellan
write that letter at the request of Presi-
dent Lincoln, at the same time assuring
the preside ut that no letter was needed
Keifer-Then he had the concurrence
of the immortal Lincoln that Porter was
disobeying orders. He did not believe
congress hal power to reverse any part
| OF the sentence of the court; in so far as
the sentence was executed it must stand
forever. Congress might authorize Por.
ter's appointment to the army, but he
would be branded with the guilty max
of Cain forever and ever.
Ray, of New York supported the bill
He asst rted that the charges had not
been preferred against Porter until long
after the alleged disObedience of orders,
an assertion which was vigorously de-
MED by several Republican members.
and as vigorously reiterated by Ray. He
commented on this as showing that the
charges emanated in prejudice and pas
sion. When Pope came to Washing tOn
he filled the public mind with whisper
| ings and talsehoods Porter, noble,
| true. brave and patriotic, went to the
president and implort that there should
be board appointed to inquire int his
conduct. While clamoring for hear
ing, Pope and his satellites, trying to
conceal their blunders, were poisoning
the minds of the secretary of war and
the president. The result was that when
they thought they had sufficiently pois-
oned their minds, when they found the
COVE rnment determined to remove Nc
| Clellan, then, and not till then, were
charges preferred, and a court-martial
ordered.
Miller (Pa.) inquired what authority
the gentleman had for saying that Pope
poisoned the mind of the president.
Ray replied he could prove 1t beyond
controversy, from the records of the
house and senate and from Pope's re-
port
Before the conclusion of Rays speech
the committee rose.
The senate bill was passed providing
! for the removal of the remains of Gen.
Ord from Havana to Washington.
EmbezzeIment and Suicide.
ST. LOUIS, Jan. &c Hiram II. Post,