National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-03-21
OFFENSIVE COMPARISONS.
COMMITTEES AND nMIssIONs-JUNKET-
ING EXCURSIONS.
A Somewhat Spicy Domestic Discussion IN the
Senate Growing Out Of Proposed lnvestl'
cation Of Matters Relating to the Govern
ment Of Alaska Territory.

The chair laid before tho Senate yesterday
several memorials, among them one from the
legislature Of Maine relating to the settlement
ofinternational differences by q high court OF
arbitration. Also memorial Of the Montana
legislature stating that nearly oil the public
domain in Montana il desert land and pro.
testing against tho repeal Of tho desert land
act
The resolution offered last Thursday by Mr.
henderson providing for the appointment OF
committee of Ave senators TO proceed 70
Alaska to investigate matters relating 70 the
government of the territory, was laid before
the Senate.
Mr.. Mandorson moved that it be referred
to the committee on territories.
Mr.. Van Wyck asked why II was proposed
that this committee should BIO appointed by
( the committee on territories
Mr.. Manderson said the resolution was IN,
troduced In compliance with the suggestions
Of q number OF gentlemen, some Of thom
members OF the Senate. He had but recently
become member Of the Senate, and was not
sure that the resolution was worded In accord.
ance with usual precedents. He said that
when the bill providing for a civil government
Of Alaska was passed By former Congress
gard to the condition Of things IN Alaska, and
the gentleman to whom he referred thought
1t important that information should now BIO
obtained. The purpose Of the proposition 10
have the committee appointed by the commit
tee on Territories was 10 have Il made OF mem.
bers of that Committee, If so many could be
found, who were willing to devote several
weeks TO this arduous duty.
Mr.. Van Wyck said that lamentable igno-
rance was usually found TO exist With regard
to bills which passed the Senate, AFTER tho
bills had passed. He did not know whether
the committee on territories was aware OF the
expense which this committee would entail
upon the government The Senate had re.
Gently been passing resolutions to authorize
committees which had nothing TO do, 10 sit
during the recess, and now We were asked to
send committee to Alaska-the remotest
place In which we had any interest except
perhaps the north pole.
The expedition would probably not be any
more expensive than the Commission TO Cen
trail and South America. He referred TO this
so that the Senate might not in this matter be
subjected to the criticism of lamentable igno-
rance The commission wasappointed on the
in 0ctober-this commission to Central and
Bouth Amorlca-and the first thing they did
was TO 20 to San Francisco, thon to New Mex
leo, then TO New Orleans to SEQ the Exposition.
The commission consisted OF two men aud a
I boy--for its chairman remained In Albany.
The first thing these two men and o boy did
was to hire palace car aiSS day, FOR which |,
New Orleans. Then they furnished them
selves with supplies. The Utah commission
boldly charged for lager beer and wine Thii
commission charged only for supplies, which,
doubtless included liquids aud solids From
Oct. to Jan. their expenses were $1,000 The
men who robbed safes were comparatively
honorable. II cost the government about
$4,000 for this commission before the two men
and boy got ready 20 leave New Orleans
Mr.. Henderson said he would be the las
man in the body 10 attempt TO defend raiC
upon the treasury. He did not understand
from his colleagues remarks that any com
mittee Of the senate or the senate itself wa
responsible for tho action OF the South Ameri
can commission. The resolution that he hat
introduced was not of general character bu
was specific in It's purposes, and senator's wht
might be aP2onled a. men mem6ors s OF the CON
was not ready to condemn everything of thi
kind, not even the action of his colleague (N1r
Van Wyckl when he introduced a resolution
an annual clerk for the committee Of which
he was chairman.
Under that resolution, Mr.. Mqnderson sale
his colleague might bo able to make n junket
Ing excursion from the headwaters 10 thu
mouth of the Mississippi river. He did no
suppose that his friend would make such al
excursion, and he submitted that 1t was dis
courteous to his colleagues in the Senate Il
suppose that because they introduced resolu
tions of this character that they proposed t
treasury. He ala not believe that any mem
Der of the Senate would be guilty of such nc
ton. The resolution OF his colleague wa
passed by the Senate, Notwithstanding a
avowal that Its purpose was 10 provide an or
nunl cerkship for the committee.
Mr. Van Wyck maintained the propriety o
his action, stating that his position had been
that all standing committees should have an
nual clerks or that annual clerks should b
employed only by committees which had wor
to do. One policy or the other should BIO dc
cided upon.
Mr.. Henderson asked If Mr.. Van Wyck mean
to say now that his resolution was a;mere sui
terluge to secure an annual clerk.
Mr.. Van Wyck said that every Territorial
officer OF Alaska was now in Washington Tn
governor of that territory had performed tn
duties of his office all winter from Washing
ton.
Mr.. Harrison thought that amer what tn
Senate had listened to from the senator fror
n Nebraska mir. Van Wyck) in the interest
economy II would b0 well 10 save the govern
ment the 81 500 or 81, 500 salary of the clerk {
the committee ON the Improvement of the Mi
sissippi river, and to that end he introduced
resolution Of he Senate when authorized t6 b
committee TO sit during the vacation OF tn
Senate.
Mr., Vest said 1t was not his purpose to b.
come participant In the very interestin
domestic discussion on the Republican side
the chamber. For twenty-five years he IN
Vest had been an intimate personal friend {
one of the members of the South America
commission, and his record public and pr
vate was us stainless and without reproach a
that OF any, public man could possibly be, Tn
man who charged In his (Mr, Vests) presenC
that Thomas Q. Reynolds had ever, by eI
travagance or otherwise, wrongfully taken
cent Of the peoples money made s!atemeL
which he (Mr, Vest contradlcted absolutel
and unqualihedly. II he went to the City
Mexico In palace car he went as he thougl
the representative OF this government shoul
60 He went there under orders of the Seer
tary of State, and came back to Il
city of New Orleans under orders
the department for the purpose
interviewing the representatives oil .Centr
performed his duties honestly and faithful,
He was now in Costa RIGA, aud was perform
ing his functions In manner 80 satlslactol
that the new Secretary of State had said he r
garded him as one Of the best officers In ia
service OF the government Two men and
boy, the senator from Nebraska had said. III
boy was nearly 50 years old, had been M ed
tor of one Of the leading papers in Chicag
and had rendered valuable political service
Gov. Reynolds would be compelled soon
return to this country by reason Of the illne
of near relative, aud he (Mr, Vest cha
lenged the senator from Nebraska TO 80 in
these questions after his return,
|H Mr.. Van Wyek regretted that the senate
from Missouri should construe his remarks
personalities, He had made h Is remarks vii
respect 10 the commission and not respectil
\ its members. OF whom he knew nothing, l
y Interpreted Mr., Vests challenge as thTea
and said substantially he would be ready
} repeat his statements,
Mr. Hawley asked whether the senator fro
~ Nebraska had groVeled, or he would sHy Q
IN amiDed, so fur into these questions ms to kno
M whether this amount covered commissa
W bills railroad fares, &c. Did the senator kno
enough about the details Of these transuctiO
wa 10 Justify him In attacking the honor OF gent
.I3 men who had always stood as high as he (h
M Van Wyckl gould ever hope TO stnnd2
81 Mr. Van Wyck would say to his friend Tia
W he had groyeled, Here Qeadng from n me
n orandum) was this palace car iOrty-liye da
t at sS5 day. And, IN addition, here was pj
~ Tor supplies and for cook and for the ticke
H They were all there ana he would say TO
+ friend from Connecticut that the expenses
the commission for one quarter, from UclOh
10 January, amounted 70 over $1,000, and Ill
"a before they had lCtt this country.
H. The resolution was roiorre4to the comm
|I@| tee Oh territories,
Mr.. sherman offered the following:
"ResO'itd, That 40 much Of the several re
W lutions Of the Senate passed since the LIST d
of March AZ provide for q clerk for any stan
tj# ingcomnltlte of the Senate during the rec