The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-05-10
CONGRESSIONAL.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WsHINoT0N, May 1.-THE follow
ing bills were introduced and re
ferred.
BY Edmunds, bill to place u. 8
Gtrant, late general of the army O
the United States, upon the retire.
llst or the army. In moving q ref
erence of the bill to the committee OF
military affairs. Edmunds commend
ed It's :early consideration to tina
cominltiee for reasons which he salt
everybody understood.
ingalls, introduced q bill creatiaI
the Quillfnce land district, Washing
ton Territory.
By Blair to provide for the adjust
ment Of the accounts of iaborers
workmen and mechanics arising un,
der the eight hour law.
Hill addressed the Senate in rela
tt0n to the bill to declare q forfeiture
of the land grant of toe New Orleans
Baton Rouge 4 Vicksburg r. r. Co
He said it was fatal objection to th,
pretensions of the New Orleans Pa
c,flc Railway. 1t had not yet com.
pi~ted its line and 80 far as known
didn't intend to complete its line tl
the eastern terminus of the Texas
Pacific railway which was fixed by
act of March Sd, III. This attempted
transfer was the first case of the kind
the legality of which re
ceived the favorable opinion
of the attorney general. The Opin.
ion of Attorney General Brewster
In Its favor was not binding on the
Interior Department.. and not only
80 but an executive officer could not
shield himself from responsibility fol
his own acts by taking refuge behind
the opinion of the attorney general
No law or prs ctice compelled the
Secretary of the Interior TO accept
the opinion of the attorney general.
Heads of departments had the right
to ask opinions of the attorney gen.
eral but were not bound to accept
them, and had no right to accept
them unless satisfied of the correct
ness of the reasons on which they
were based. They were no more
bound to accept them than clients to
accept the views Of lawyers whose
advice they sought and paid for.
There was nothing judicial in the
function of giving opinions which
the Attorney General possessed and
nothing judicial in the manner in
which the function was exercised
He generally heard only one side
and always acted upon the case made
up before him to act on. In this
case the claim of the New Orleans
Pacific r. r. Co. was supported by
Argument from experienced and
paid railroad lawyers, Dillon, Greene,
Swayne and Pierrepont, while the
other side which Was that of the gov
ernment and whose lands were the
prize in the controversy, was repre-.
sented by nobody.
Hill said he had some experience
Ia tt at line and there were older
who had a good deal more.
Legal talent stimulated by munii-
cent fees and with ample time to
hunt up all favoring precedents and
authorities appeared on the side of
the corporate interest while the pub
lie interest was not represented at all
on legal points. Executive session.
Adjourned.
WASHINGTON, May 7.-Willls,
from the committee on rivers and
reported the river and har-
Dor appropriation bill. Ordered
printed.
The House proceeded to the consid-
Grafton of business on the Speakers
table.
The Senate amendment to the
House bill amending the iron clad
oath, was cOncurred IN.
The next bill on the table was that
for the relief of Fitz John Porter.
Belford thought the motion for ref
erence was a stealthy attempt to do
injustice to a man who had already
been treated uni ustly according to the
of the greatest of Ameri-
can generals, General Grant.
Keifer opposed the bill. declaring it
unconstitutional.
Cutcheon said three great reputa-
tiOns were on trial-Lincoln, Stanton
and Garfield. He said il the memo
ry of these men were to be blacks
mailed let it be oy those who era wled
10 the dirt to attack their regulations.
Hiscock made constitutional ar
gument against the bill.
Slocum was glad the gentleman
from Ohio (Keifer) had attacked the
bill. General Porter would be glsd}pf
1t, because he would regard what the
gentleman SAID against MIN as 3 COM
(,liment and would be 50 regarded by
he country. He (Slocum) mad only
been surprised that the gentleman
from Ohio has not summoned the
spirit of Garfield to sustain bis course
In this instance as he had done few
days ago Applause on the Democratic
side and Kisses from the Republi-
:ans.
Keifer replied he had supposed the
gentleman would get down to some
hing or other in peculiar emergen-
,ies. The case of Fi,z-John Porter
was beneath the dignity Of anofhcer.
A motion to refer the bill was lost
and the Senate amendments con-
Cured in.
The Senate amendments to the bill
q Bureau of Animal In
iustry were non-concurred In.
The Sen ate bill donating part OF
,he abandoned military reservation
1t Fort Smith, Arkansas, to the CITY
IF Fort Smith for the benefit of pub
lie schools was passed. Adjourned.
A Protest.
WASHINGTON, May 6.-The Otto
man minister at Washington has
protested against the bill before Con-
xress which claims that American
sonsuls in the Turkish Empire have
|uri .dictiOn over all cases to which
Americans are parties. Other ma
lions, ne pointed out, claim consular