Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-13
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY
BILL TO RETIRE GEN. GRANT,
THE AVISSHERMAN DEBATE IN
THE SENATE.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION IN THE HOUSE.
The Senate.

The Senate.
Mr. Hale, from the committee on appropriations,
reported back the naval appropriation bill with
| amendments He said he would call 1t up to.
morrow.
Mr. Dolph, from the committee on public lands
reported favOraby the House bill repeating all laws
providing for the pre-emption of public lanus and
al laws allowing entries for timber culture.
THE CASE OF GEN. GRANT.
Mr. Edmunds Introduced bill authorizing the
PRESIDENT to appoint and place the retired list
tne S army one person from among those who had
Tn9o peen generals commanding the armies Of the
Mr Edmunds expressed the hope that unani-
nous consent would be given for the Immediate
consideration OF the bill. Every Senator, he said,
t' YOU'D see the object, purpose and application OF
Che Dill. 1t would authorize the President to ap-
pont Gen. Grant to the retired list In its form 1t
o6viated the difficulty observed in the Fitz John
Porter case.
Mr.. CockreI asked that it should lie over till to-
morrow.
THE JEFFERSON DAVIS CoNTRovERsY-DHNIALs BY
SENATOR VANCE.
AT i've minutes before one o'clock, upon motion
OF MI Hawley, the Senate took up the Sherman
Davis resolution, and Senator Vance began q
speech upon it.
Senator Vance quoted from General Sherman's
ietter the illusions to finding Governor Vauce's
Official correspondence in the executive mansion.
he said that no part Of the official correspondence
sion. The letter referred to by Gen Sherman was
not found In the copy book referred for the
mat no such there He asserted on the
nonOr OF gentleman that no letter making the
threats Gen. Sherman alleges was ever received b.,
the speaker from Jefferson Davis. Men who fougi it
On the northern and victorious side seemed to
think it shame that those who fought for the
south and lost did not join in the attempt to heap
oolquy upon the head OF Jefferson Davis The
speaker had, 1t was well known, been drawn into
secession unwllngy; but once In, there was not a
oay, nor an hour, that he had not done his best to
m MAKE IL successful Gen. sherman would rob him
OF tnls satisfactory reflection. 1t was true the
speaker had sent an embassy to Gen. Sherman to
asa protection for his people; but the confederacy
was then at an end. Gen. Sherman had found In
the fact that he did not await the return OF his
embassy evidence that he was AFRAID OF Jefferson
Davis. AFRAID of Davis, then fugitive! Was ever
not await the return WAS because it was reported
that the commissioners had been captured by Kill
patrcks cavalry promptly robbed Of their personal
possessions, and taken to Gen. Shermans headolar-
ters Thereupon he Joined the line OF the retreat
Ing army.
MR.. HAwLEY REPLIES.
MT Hawley said the purpose OF his resolution was
Simply to make accessible Information of historic
value. He had no disposition to wantony assail or
exult over the men who had lost, but whenever the
issue was presented he must maintain the standard
Which ne had maintained in the war, and charac-
terlze as conSpirators and traitors those who
engaged In conspiracy and treason. HIS principle
was that we must judge OF men by the light they
nave, out or measures by the light we have He
then briefly reviewed some correspondence that
passed between Gov. Vance and President Davis,
ana read letter Of Vance protesting against the
proposed suspension OF the writ OF habeaS corpus,
and threatening that the people Of North Carolina
1 would resist it. He also referred to refusal by
dent Davis, as justiIying Gen. Sherman's remarks
about the opposition In the confederacy to Davis
adnlnistratfOn.
MR.. BROWNS REMARKS.
Mr.. Brown (Ga-) said he would briefly reply to
one or two assertions that had been made in re-
gard to his alleged obstruction to President Davis
administration He differed with Nr. Davis very
materially on several questions, and disclosed the
obstacle In the way OF military operations nor
did he ever disobey any legal order which the
president or the cOnfedcracy had right to make
When Gen. Sherman Invaded Georgia he gov
BROWN had organized military force OF old men
and boys who were not liable to conservation or
military duty under the law OF the confederacy. A
requisiton was made by President Davis to turn
this body OF troops over to the regular confederate
commander, and he refused TO obey it, because the
PRESIDENT mad no right TO issue the Order and un-
dOubtediy had issued 1t under misunderstanding
OF the nature OF the case.
In closing. Senator Brown repeated that he stood
upon the record made In the COrreSDOndence and
declined TO reopen the Old controversy.
THE RESOLUTION PASSED.
The resolution was then passed, by vote OF So
to 10.
House Of Representatives.
hR. sToCKsLAGER's REPLY TO A CHARGE OF Log
ROLLING
Mr.. Stockslager. rising to question OF personal
privilege, sent to the clerks desk and had read an
article in yesterdays New York San charging the
committee on public buildings with log-rolling to
pass bills for the erection OF public buildings, in
Volvlng si5,O0GO and giving Mir. Randall great
credit for fghting and exposing the lob The state
ments in the article, said Hr. Stockslager, were
reckless; but considering that statements almost
as reckless had been made on the floor and In inter-
views. especially Dy the gentleman from Ohio (Nr
Warner, 1t was not strange that newspaper report
ers should repeat them The amount involved
In the bills was not sl5,O0O,OOO. but sS,227, ,co9
The assertion that there was any combination, any
birding together Of these bills far as it referred
to him or to his committee, was wholly gratuitous,
entirely uncaled for and entirely false. He de-
tended the order under which the public building
measures were to be considered.
Mr.. RANDALL REPLIES.
Mr.. Randall tPa) said he had never known OF the
article In the Sun until 1t shown to him yester-
day. The material point in controversy between
was {and he proposed to take the bull
by the horns). whether there was combination.
lie did not now, and never had, charged that gen.
tlemen were guilty OF forming an improper coflbi-
nation, but he did say now that the very effect OF
the resolution is a combination, and naturally So
tions to the consideration OF these bills, he had
been appealed to on all sides TO withdraw that
opposition He had stated that If the
select a dozen or fifteen meritorious bills
which should be passed, the House could proceed
ment dozen or fifteen bills were picked out, the
gentlemen interested in the bills not selected would
oppose the proposition. He was willing that the
country should judge whether there was q combi-
nation or not. The order for the consideration OF
the public building bills was an extraordinary one
and IL executed would consume three or four weeks
OF the time OF the House.
The matter was then dropped
THE CASE OF CADET sTRAN0.
The Speaker laid before the House communica-
tion from the Secretary OF the Navy in response
House resolution calling for information as to the
cause OF the death of Cadet NJ 8. Strang The COM
municatlon states that Cadet Strang died from
peritonis, and that there is no reason TO believe
that he died from cruelty.
The communication was ordered printed.
Mr. Cox said that when he reported the resOlu-
ton he had obtained leave to have printed in the
Record statement showing the nature of the
charges on which the resolution was based. BY
mistake the statement was printed the report OF
the committee on naval affairs. He had written to
the Secretary, notifying him of the mistake, and
yet the Secretary sent IN this report upon what he
mittee. Mr. Cox then dwelt on the necessity Of
putting stop to hazing at the naval academy.
The communication was referred to the commit
tee on naval affairs.
UDder special order the House proceeded to the
consideration OF business reported from the COM
mlttee on the judiciary, aud bills were passed re-
moving the political disabilities OF various persons
The District i'm Congress.
PROTECTION OF FISH IN THE POTOMAC.
When the bill for the protection of flsh in the
Potomac was reported back in the Senate, to-day,
with the House amendment striking out the Senate
provision forbidding the refuse Of gas companies.
ETC., TO be turned into the Potomac, Mr. Lapham
said that amendment was inserted at the request