The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-21
THE SOUTH AMERICAN COMMISSION.
Senator Van Wyck Denounces It's Members
for Extravaganza and Ineficiency.

WASHINGTON, March 20.-In the Senate the
resolution for appointment of an Alaskan com
mission was laid before the body, and Mr.
Henderson moved its reference to the committee
on Territories.
A debate arose. during which Mr. Van Wyck
attacked the South American Commission in Wig
orous style. He said the first thing they did
was to 60 to San Francisco, and then to New
Mexico, then to see the New Orleans exposition
Each member was presented with 81, 500 for his
expenses. The commission consisted of two
men and boy, for its chairman remained in
Albany. The first thing these two men and q
boy did was to hire palace car at $35 day.
for which the total payment was 81, AT before
they got to New Orleans. Then they furnished
themselves with supplies. The Utah Commission
boldly charged for lager beer and wine; this
commission charged only for supplies, which
doubtless included liquids and solids He
would ask his friends on the Republican side of
the chamber if it was not time to stop this. The
Senate was all the party had left; the Demo
Gratis had possession at the other end of the Cap
itol, and of the administration. About the frst
of January the commission got ready to start
from New Orleans. From the first of October
to the first of January their expenses were
$4,000 Men who robbed safes were compare
lively honorable. This money was taken from
the pockets of taxpayers who were hardly able
to pay 81 night for lodging on Pullman cars
when they travelled In addition to this ex-
pense, they paid for their supplies and their
cook, and were allowed 81, 500 per year each be-
sides. The chairman of the commission. who
never left New York, resigned on the 10Th OF
January and demanded Of the Treasury 81, 6I9.
1t had cost the government about $4O, OO0 Tor
this commission before the two men and the boy
got ready to leave New Orleans. This reckless
waste OF money was a real wrong upon the peo-
pie who paid the taxes What made it worse,
the outrageous kblls of that commission have
been approved and paid. He denounced this as
worse than highway robbery. He said that
man who enters a house at night and robs is
honorable in comparison with those who robbed
the Treasury by such expenditures as he had
described. 1t is worse, he said, than stealing
public lands and here he referred to the shack
bone" patents as robbery of seven millions of
acres at one lick.
Mr.. Henderson referred to the resolution Of
Mr.. Van Wyck, providing for committee to
prepare detailed statement of the expenses for
improvements of the Mississippi river, under
which, Mr. Henderson said, his colleague might
be able to make junketing excursion from the
head-waters to the mouth Of the river.
Mr.. Harrison charged Mr.. Van Wyck with
having offered the resolution merely for tae pur-
pose of obtaining pay for his clerk during the
the ST. 500 ST. 800 salary of the clerk, he offered
a resolution that Mr. Van Wyck's resolution be
rescinded, and asked that it be referred to the
committee on improvement of the Mississippi
river. Laid over.
Mr.. Vest said it was not his purpose to become
a participant in the very interesting domestic
discussion on the Republican side of the cham
Der. Mr. Van Wyck was like the boy who par
ticipated in the murder of his own father. He
saw the old man was about to be beaten to death.
and as he could not help it, thought he would
give him lick to help him out of his misery.
For twenty five years he (Mr. Vest) had been an
intimate personal friend of one OF the members
of the South American Commission, and his
record. public and private, was as stainless and
without reproach as that of any public man
could possibly be. The man who charged in his
(Mr. Vests) presence that Thomas c. Reynolds
had ever, by extravaganza or otherwise, wrong
fully taken one cent Of the peoples
money, made statement which he (Mr
vest) contradicted absolutely and unqualiiedly
He was now in Costa RIGA, and was performing
his functions III a manner that was so satisfac-
tory that the new Secretary of State had said he
regarded him as one OF the best officers in the
service of the government. Two men and boy..
the senator from Nebraska had said. The boy
was nearly fifty years old, had been editor of one
of the leading newspapers in Chicago, and had
rendered valuable political services. Governor
hoynOlQS would De cOmpelleQ soon TO return to
this country. by'reason Of the illness of near
relative and he Mr. Vest) challenged the SON
ator from Nebraska to go into these questions af-
ter his return.
Mr.. VanWyck disclaimed any personal refec
tions. He had made his remarks with respect to
the commission, and not respecting its members
He interpreted Mr.. Vests challenge as threat
and said substantially that he would be ready
to repeat his statements.
Mr.. Hawley inquired whether the senator (Mr
Van Wyck) knew enough about the details of
these transactions to justify him in attacking the
honor of gentlemen who had always stood as
high as he lAr. Van Wyckl could ever hope to
stand.
Mr.. Van Wyck replied by reiterating some of
his previous statements.
Mr.. German offered a resolution directing the
Secretary of the Interior to furnish the Senate
copies of the contract entered into between the
Union Pacific Railroad Company and other rail-
road companies affected by the act approved
July /. 1862, and the Western Union Telegraph
Company, together with all statements now on
file in the Interior Department touching the
same. Adopted.
Mr.. Sherman offered the following:
Resolved, That so much of the several resolutions
clerk for any standing committee of the Senate during
the recess of Congress be rescnded.'
Laid over until tomorrow.
The Senate, in executive session, ratified the
additional article of the Mexican treaty extend
ing until May 20, 1886, the time for the approval
of the laws necessary to carry into operation the
commercial convention between the two gov
ernments concluded at Washington on Jan. 28
1883
The Senate then adjourned.