Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-21
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
j. 5. WISE TO ASK FOR A per
SONAL EXPLANATION


transaction of the routine morning
business the Chair laid before the
Senate a resolution offered yesterday
by Mr.. Van Wyck relating to the
land grant of the New Orleans. Baton
Rouge and Yicksburg Railroad Company,
and on motion of Mr.. Allison, without OBJ
lection by Mr.. VanWyck, the resolution
was referred to the Committee on Public
Lands for its opinion and report as to
the propriety Of the proposed inquiry.
The agricultural appropriation bill was
taken up and proceeded with by sections. One
OF the amendments added to the bill by the SEN
ate committee appropriates 600 for con-
tnuing the location and sinking of artesian
wells on the plains, with view to reclaiming
arid and waste public lands. A good deal Of
objection was raised to this provision. The
discussion was participated in by Messrs.
Wilson. COnger, Call, Hale, Mcmillan. Miller
of California, Plumb, aud Jones of Nevada.
Finally this appropriation was limited to the
construction of two wells and the amendment
was agreed to by % yeas to % nays.
Another addition made to the bill by the
Senate committee was $4,000 for the en-
cOuragement of silk culture.
Mr.. George moved to amend by making the
amount $4,000. The amendment was sup
ported by Messrs. Morgan, Miller, of Califor-
MA, Mitchell and Call, and opposed by Messrs
ingalls, and Allison. 1t was defeated by a vote
Ot y yeas TO u naNS,an1 the amount al
lowed to stand at $4,000. At the close Of the de-
bate the bill was passed without division. The
only changes OF Importance made by the SEN
ate are an increase in the amount appropriated
Tor laboratory from $4,000 to $50,00O the ad-
ditiOn of an item of 800 900 for sinking artesian
wells on arid lands, and the item of Sl5 600 for
the encouragement and development of silk
culture. The Senate then adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House to-day, Mr.. Ellis, of Louis
tnrtsf ffoasa
asked leave to report a joint resolution
making an additional appropriation Of $lO0 600
for the relief of the sufferers from the over
now Of the Mississippi river and Its tribu-
taries. He briefly described the destitute
condition OF thousands Of people in the lower
Mississippi VALLEY, and Mr.. Dunn, of Arkansas.
reinforced his statements by reading tele-
grams and letters asking for aid.
Mr.. Connolly, OF Pennsylvania, objected to
the consideration OF the resolution.
Mr.. Hewitt, of New York, regretted that
he should be compelled to rise to personal
explanation, and said that he only did so af-
ter consultation with his colleagues on the
Committee on Ways and Means. a letter
had appeared in the newspapers addressed TO
the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and
Means and signed by Henry w. Oliver, Jr.,
IN relation TO the tariff bill introduced by
him. He was informed by Mr.. Morrison
that the letter was given to the press
before 1t was delivered to him.
Yesterday there appeared in all the papers
a letter addressed to Mr.. Oliver and signed
by him (Hewtt). The latter letter was a
fabrication. He was totally ignorant of its
authorship until this morning. In his mail
he found the following letter from Pittsburg:
DEAR SIR-Under the guise of letter from
you to Henry w. Oliver, Jr., / publish in the
Sunday Globe tomorrow and by Associated
Press burlesque on Mr.. divers letter to
MIR. Morrison, 1t is considered a complete
take-of on Mr.. Oliver. You can use YOUR
pleasure about disclosing the authorship:
y. w. BREEN,
tEE1ifo- II H.
'Do you indorse the letter." inquired a
member.
Il have no sufficient knowledge of Mr.. Oil
vers business" said Mr.. Hewitt, ''to haveen-
abled me to make this reply 1t may be all
true or all false. | am not in the habit Of
prying into other peoples business, but Mr..
Oliver has been guilty of the indiscretiOn of
prying into mlne.N
Mr.. Hewitt said that it was almost incredi-
bic that any man as familiar with legislation
as Mr.. Oliver ought to be could have written
the letter which it appears he has done. Mr..
divers first statement was that the Hewitt
bill increased the duty on wire.
That was not true. 1t reduced
duty on wire. Mr.. oliver was misled by
mistake. The copyist had made mistake,
and II would have acted as an increase but
for the fact that there was a provision in the
schedule that no duty should be higher than
80 per cent. Secondly, Mr.. Oliver said that
he Mr.. Hewittl doubles the dnty on iron rods
Of which he is the largest manufacturer in
the country. The statement that he was the
larges manufacturer was simply untrue.
That the bill doubled the duty was also un-
true. So far as he was affected it re-
duces the duties on articles which he manu-
factured. 1t was also inferentially
stated by Mr.. Oliver that he was the maker Of
barbed fence wire. He had no relation to that
business, therefore no change of duty could
have any effect whatever upon him. In the
third place, Mr.. Oliver charged that Mr..
Hewitt practically put upon the free list steel
rods, of which he was a large consumer, and
not manufacturer. He was manufacturer
of steel rods and not large consumer. All
he consumed he made. He did not think that
any member would believe that he would
draw up bill for his personal benefit
The Speaker announced the appointment
OF Messrs. Ellis, Holman and Ryan as con-
ferees on the Indian appropriation bill.
On motion Of Mr.. SlOcum, OF New York, the
Senate amendments to the Dingley shipping
bill were non -cOncurred in.
number of reports were submitted by
various committees and placed upon the ap-
pirate calendars, and then at II 80 o'clock the
House proceeded to consideration of the In
Peelle
The majority resolution declares that
William T.. English was duly elected men,
Der of the Forty sixth Congress.
Mr.. Converse, of Ohio, made the opening
speech In support OF the claims OF the contest
ant. He asserted that the constitution of In
diana had been violated by the Republican
managers by the printing OF tickets which
could be distinguished; that a counterfeit
and coercion were practiced upon paupers
from the poor house, and that the votes of
naturalized citizens and others were fraudu-
lently rejected.
Mr.. Hart, of Ohio, presented the grounds on
which contestee Peele bases his claim to the
seat and controverted the assertions made by
the majority, and cOntended that they had no
foundation on which to rest.
IN defending the claims of the contestant
MIR. Lowry, of Indiana alluded to certain
language used by j.. 5. Wise, of Virginia, when
the OFarrell-Paul case was under cOnsidera-
ton to the effect that a Virginia Bour-
bon was riding into Congress on
the back of one of Barnum's Indiana
mules. He supposed that the lemark was
founded upon the legend that Chairman Bar
mum had once telegraphed to Indiana con-
corning some mules. In view of the spectacle
which the gentleman from Virginia presented
on this floor, he apprehended that if Mr.. Bar
mum had been telegraphing to Virginia for an
animal of a lower order he would have tele-
graphed for one more brutal in its instincts
than mule.
Mr.. WISE who had been in one of the cloak
rooms, came into the House and inquired
what case was under considerations his case
or that of English VS.. Peelle.
Mr.. Lowry replied that he was now dis
cussing the English -Peelle case. When he
came to the consideration of the gentIeman's
case he would consider and determine it ac-
cOrdlng to his conscience, Notwithstanding he
understood that the gentleman plumed him
selfon his courage and practice of the rules
Of honor according to the Code.
Mr.. Wise asked that the words be taken
down and the Clerk read Mr.. Lowry's last
words.
The Speaker ruled that they were not un-
parliamentary. Mr.. Wise said that it was
not the language to which he referred. While
in the lobby he had heard the Speaker make
an allusion to Barnum's mule from Indiana
which he appeared to have accepted as de-
scrlptlon OF himself. The gentleman had
spoken OF a member as having instincts lower
than mule. 1t was that language which he
desired to have taken down.
The Speaker said that the proper time for
that request had passed.
MI. Wise-I waive all points and reserve
the privilege of personal explanation here
after.
Mr.. Lowry then proceeded with his argu-
ment. In the course Of his remarks he re-
ferred to ThOWas A. Hendricks. Perhaps
some of his Republican friends had heard of
that gentleman as having been the success
ful candidate for Vice President in 1876.
Mr.. Reed, of Maine, disclaimed anv knowl-
edge of the gentleman in that connection.
MIR. Lowry retOrted by intimating that
Mr.. Hendricks might be heard OF and elected
to the same Office In 1884 in connection with
the great heart of the Democratic party
Samuel. j. Tllden.
Mr.. Hiscock, Of New York, suggested that
this discussion should be carried on in cypher,
which suggestion was received by sundry
CALCULATIONS of ''tattOoedl' from the Demo-
cratic side.
Mr. Pettibone, of Tennessee, spoke in sup
port Of the claims Of the sitting member.
Pending further debate, the House at 4 80
O'Clock adjourned.
nCuTV rDUrUl,c 1DHaT nnNutND