The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-03-17
M! aRANr,s nETIREAIENT.. .
70 Whom Honor Is Due for tho Passage Of.
y Tho BIN for. the Relief OF Grant. N

AuMnoul ubuuTit 10 t1ut .iuE lnu EhAhAku "
= the Bill FOR. the Relief OF Grant.
wAsHt3dToS; March 1G.-An interest
ling story is going the rounds Of the press,
telling how Representative Neece, Of I'LL,
hois, wasinstrumental in getting the Grant
bill thronghiin the last hour Of the expir-
ing Congress, because he believed the
country wanted II to become a Law, though
he himself was opposed TO the measure,
and voted against 1t, even while doing
what he could to expedite 1t should the
vote be fayogablea The story Is that when
lhe thought the vote would be In the aft
firmative he, as chairman Of the Commit
tee on Enrolled Bills OF the House, caused
two copies Of the measure to beUmade,
and rushed around and got the signature
to II, Of Speaker Carlisle, and then, in
rapid snccessioni the sign manuals
of President pro tem Edmunds of the
Senate and President Arthur, thus get
ting everything doneiin time to make the
act legal before the expiration Of the
session, Representative Neece had no
more ID do with the passage Of the Grant
bill than anyone else who opposed It. He
issaid To have been q topperllead during
the war, and opposed to eyerythingithat
General Grant did e save die Union, and
now. when be, had q chance to make
amends for the past by voting for Q bill
icalculatedlto benefit the defender Of their
common country, this Illinois copperhead
still opposed the old soldier. The true
story, however, lis even more interesting
than the fictitious one In which Neece
cuts 80 notsblela figure. When, Mr.. Ran
dali finally succeeded in getting up the
Grant bill, and it was evident that it,wopld.
pass the. House, Represents tative Perkins, Of
Kansas hurried ovet,to the office ofthe
Secretary Of the Senate, and gave Hinior-,
nation OF what was going on. Antici-
pating some such thing at the,
Last moments, Secretary McCook had
already enrolled q copy Of I the
bill, forit originated in the Senate, and
the enrolling would have to be done there
instead Of by Representative Necce's
clerk and going to the desk on (which II
had been deposited for sale keeping, he
drew out the document and signed it, GER
tifying thatit wasa duly, enrolled copy-oi
the bill that had passed the two Houses,
and without delay had 1t taken TO the
House for Speaker Carlisle's signature,
back sgain TO the Senate Chamber, where
Mr.. Edmunds affixed his name, and then
twas delivered TO Senator sewell, OF New
jersey who took it to2the President's
room adjoining the, chamber. The presi!
dent had Just arrived with the President
elect from the White House and promptly
settled the business by approving the
bill, and indorsing IL in the usual
form. Mean while another part OF The story
was being enacted. aecfetarY Lincoln
had,pfepeded the Presidential party To the
Capitol. Asking FOR copy Of the bill,
when 1t became known to him that it was
onear to becoming a Law, he iwre.e out d
rough DRAFT Of the message for The FFeai.
dent nominating Grant Which was soon
after apnnnneed in the Senate, and read
III open session to tho astonishment OF all
Who looked op. What followed is known
10 the world. The ptMo hasts WAS rieees;
sary to1lsye all these details attended To
befage the hour j 2 o'clock shopld come,
and as it was, old Captain Bassett had to
turn the clock back eight minutes. What
credit attaches TO those w,ho, saved the bill
by.hurrying II belonss utthe clerks in
the otlEeo fSeeFetary Aiceoo ass'tas