The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-26
VERDICTS TO ORDER
SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN THE RESULI 7
IN THE SWAIN CASE.
The Matter Discussed in the Senate
Dudley Says There Has Been Pre-
yarication-The National SoIOns-~
Cleveland Declines Arthur's
Hospitality.

WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. 26.-Tuesday
the senate did very little business, the day
being taken up with discussion on numer-
Gus points of no general interest. The
amendments to the agricultural appropria
tion bill were insisted on, and a conference
committee appointed.
Wednesday the report of the conference
committee on the army bill gave rise to
discussion on the Swain case. Ingalls, char
acterized the proceedings in the Swain
court-martial as disgrace TO civilization
The pressure that had been brought
to bear on the officers of the
court after the trial seemed to have
been not for the purpose of securing Justice,
but for the purpose OF compelling Il NOR
violent verdict against him. He repeate,
that the whole proceedings were outrageous
and Unwarranted
Sherman inclined to think Ingalls, hyper
critical in some of his censures, but he con.
CURED in thinking that the tendency to
make the Judge advocate prosecuting Of
ticer simply was an evil In the Swain case
the judge advocate had been most vigor-
Gus and aggressive prosecuting officer and
he IShermanl prayed God to deliver him
from falling into the hands of - court mar
tial under such circumstances.
Conger denounced tie proceedings against
Gen. Swain as IL conspiracy by hook OF by
crook, by law or by influence, to destroy
this man, the chosen friend of President
Garfield
Hawley suggested that the appearance
Of counsel specially retained to defend
Gen Swain had wholly released the
judge advocate of the court from his
duty to look after the interests of the ac-
cusad. For his own part he would he would
as soon trust his life or his honor to court
of thirteen army officers as to any tribunal
in the world.
Hoar asked if the senator from
Connecticut dIawley} would justify,
in case where the court
had given a Judgment the urging upon them
of severer sentence without having the ac-
cused heard
IIawlcy replied that be was not called
upon to revise the laws with respect to
courts-marti.l those laws were not before
the st nate But with the imperfect iufor-
nation before them he protested against
he would not say the abuse-Gut the severe
| language which mad beel INDUCED in by
senator's
1He SubjtCI WIS bubH dlIONett 10 LTbIl ana
the senate proceeded to con sider the legisla-
tive executive and judicial apprO-
priation bin as reported by the COM
mittee on appropriations with amendments
The house on Tuesday made a number
of important changes in the river and harbor
bill The Galveston harbor item was cut
out, the Mississippi rivor commission placed
under control of the secretary of
war by giving him the power
of authorizing the expenditure of
money by the commission, or withhold
ing his consent He was also authorized to
withhold final payment Of contractors until
satisfied that the laboreTs have been paid.
| The bill was completed i'll committee, re
! ported to the house and the previous
| question ordered.
On Wednesday an Intellectual attempt
was made to refer the postofiice bill with the
senate subsidy amendment to the appropria-
ton committee, and the rules were sus-
! pended and the deficiency appropriation
| bill passed A hill was passed for a 100000
| public building at La Crosse, Wis, and then
the river and harbor bill came up as un-
| finished busuaS.