The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-21
TOOK A LIVELY TURN.
DISCUSSION IN THE SENATE OF SPEC.
iAL COMMISSION EXPENSES.
Van Wyek Makes a Vigorous Onslaught
Upon the South American PARTY, and
Vest Comes to the Defense More
NOmiHati0ns-Ne News Items

WASHINGTON CITY, Marcn 2I.-In the
senate, Friday. after the reading of the
JOURNAL the chair presented a memorial
from the state legislature OF Maine, advo-
eating the adjustment of the differences in
International laws by high court of ar
biration; referred to the committee on
foreign relations.
Tho resolution offered Thursday by Man
dersoA, auth'rzng the appointment of a
co an lt,ee Of I've senator's TO be selected by
the 90 nmltte' un territories 10 proceed to
Alaska during the Recess of congress to make
certain Investigations was then laiI baf, re
the senate, and Van Wyck proceeded to
speak to the resolution. He did not know
how far this matter was to go. He did not
know whether or not the mover Of the re,o-
lntioa had specuiated upon the expen Of
thi' propo ition There had been provisions
made for clerks of committees; now
1T was proposed to go further and
send a committe to Alaska, Just "A
little this side of the north pole.
He supposed this commission would not be
less expensive than the commission to Cen
tral and South America. He then reviewed
the action of the commission in hiring
Pullman palace car 10 cross the continent
which cost SO per day, and aggregated
81, 40 This proposed commission would
probably neei hay rum and FIoriia water
20 perfume the concern Why continued
the senator, the expenses Of the Central
and South American commission up TO July
| amounted 10 ST, 0JJ. The account for their
services in Central America has not yet
been received. OF course it will be
enormous Bef ore leaving New Orleans the
xi,eniiture, including salaries, On account
OF this commission was about $4,000, ana
the president of the commission never left
the country, but resigned and drew more
than $4,O00 out If the UGited State
treasury. Ih9 commission through TO Cali
fOrnia consisted OF two men and boy"
Laughter He denounced most emphatic
ally the practices of what he termed "whol.-
sale robbery OF tue government, and sai9
that he thought his party colleagues should
80 slow on su b extrava saGco, a> the senate
was all they Gad l'iG
Manierson thou At that it wa Gnbec IN
ing ia his colleague b. charge that pretaXts
were made by taase resolution for janGcJ-
ing trips, and referred to tao resolution
offered By Van Nyck, which was aIaptet
providing for certain inquiry respecting the
improvement of the Mississippi river, said
that prosSbly his colleague would find it
convenient under his resolution tn take n
trip to the mouth Of tho Mississippi river.
Harrison Offering a resolution providing
that the resolution passed by tie senate on
March 4, 1855, authorizing the committee on
improvement of the Mississippi river to
make certain Investigations diIT1ng tue re-
cess and employ clerk, be rescinded AT
the proyer timeshe woah ask the reference
| of tAe resolution to the Mississippi river
| committee Of which the senator from Ne
braSka is chairman.
After further debate on the subject, a
lively and somewhat exciting controversy
took place, Vest taking the floor and resent
ing the remarks made by the senator from
Nebraska Van Wyckl rejecting upon the
members of this Central American commis-
sion. He said that the gentleman from
Nebraska had referred 10 the expenditure
on account of this commission as "robbing.
He would not stand by and hear such
| charges made against his friend, Thomas C.
Reynolds, who was very honorable gentle
man, and if he Travelled in Pullman palace
| ear il was because he considered 1t the
| propsr way which to travel as G representa-
i've OF a ui5nllle1 OHlleu States COnlHlls-
| sion He would not submit to such remarks
| about his friend, and challenged the sen
ator from Nebraska when the gentleman
returned to the United States, to reiterate
or substantiate the charge. The senator had
referred TO IA boy" on the commission
| "The boy" continued Vest, 'is nearly 81
! years of age and has edited a prominent
| RepuhAcel~j Journal in the west The
| boy is secretary of the commission Vest,
when Van Wyck replied that he did
not wish to he personal to his friend, called
upon the senate to judge upon the senator's
remarks, t. the effect, thst men who would
squanler the public money, as the commits
sion had done, were not better than robbers.
Van Wyck [empEahcallyL a made the
ramark to which the senator refers, and
repeat that there is no excuse for such ex
| travaEance"
At 1880 p m. the debate ceased The
resolution OF Harrison re,cinding the order
| giving Van Wyck's committee power to in.
vestigate the Mississippi river aud employ {
clerk during recess, was referred to tha
committee, and on motion of Miller o
California the senate went into executiy,
session.