New-York tribune., 1884-01-11
srUvp. SPEECH RESOLUTIONS.

Tn one respect. at least, the House of Repre-
sentatives ought to mend its manners-in tne
adoption without alteration of MIR. koDinsons
absurd and extravagant deliverances on
foreign affairs. That gentleman offered the
other day resolution with regard to the facilities
permitted to an alleged "British spy named
O'Brien in the New-York Post oilce In tneSe
words:
Whereas It has npublcly and repeatedly stated IN
the public press that British spy named h l. y
had been allowed TO tamper with the American malls In
the City OF NewYork aad known as such to the Unted
States Inspector NewcOme, by him permitted 10
Wait his office in the NewYork Post Office where he had
apparently unlimited opportunity to tamper WIN anu
omen the correspondence OF Aperican merchants anu
citizens and where he laid his plans for cnrappg tnose
unfortunate men, some OF them American citzens'
who were recently tried In Liverpool ana senUenoeu
imprisonment for life: Therefore
Resolred That the Postmaster General is hereDy dl-
rected to examine into this matter and communicate W
this House the facts and circumstances connected ther
with together with the correspondence relating tnereo
This resolution was reported by Mr. Money,
who said that he was unanimously dlrectea
by the Committee on Post Offices ana foSC
Roads to report it without amendment. IL was
then passcd. The House thus committed itself
TO the statement that NJ. +. O'Bnen Is
British spy" and that he "entrapped "
certain persons who are described by the
House itself as those unfortunate mon who
were recently tried in Liverpool and sentenced
to Imprisonment for life. This resolution Will
naturally attract the attention of the British
Minister and perhaps of the British Govern
ment. Is it not discreditable thing to ma
the popular branch of Congress oftclaly
designating as unfortunate men inc
dynamite conspiratOrs Of Liverpoolf Inc
whole tone of this resolution, we submit Is
discreditable. 1t would have been easy for the
House to ask for information respecting these
allegations without indorsiDg them, as 1t does
practically.
The resolution which Mr.. Hewitt offered
regarding the case of ODonnell, whlle
thoroughly Objectionable in its substance was
proper and seemly in its form. 1t simply
brought "to the notice of the President the
case of Patrick ODonnell, claiming to be a
, citizen" etc, in the hope that the President
might secure such reasonable delay III the
execution of the sentence" as would enable
him TO ascertain whether, etc. Mr.. Robinson
has half dozen resolutions stacked up in COM
mittee about as useful and pertinent as the one
ouoted. One inquiries whether our Ministers
abroad obey the law which forbids them to
wear any court dress or uniform not previously
sanctioned by Congress. One wants to know
all about the bOmbardment of Alexandra
nnother about the reception Of the American
| Minister to Persia by the Shah another ABOUT
the wicked foreign nOblemen who VIII buy
| American land. 1t is to be hoped that If any
of these are passed by the House. they
| will first be edited into colorless and proper
calls for information, instead of being adopted
| by the House as its own stump speeches
They might be more wisely rejected altogether
A large number Of the calls for information
made by Congress subject the departments to
| q great deal of useless labor, being frivolous
and unnecessary; and these resolutions are
probably among the most frivolous and most
| unnecessary on record.