Morning journal and courier., 1886-02-17
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
WAsH1NeroN, Feb. 16, 1886.

repeal of the coinage act.
 Senator Morrill,, from the Finance com mittee reported favorablv the House bill | providing for the designation by the United States treasurer of person to act during his absence. He explained that the passage of the bill was urgently needed at this time as the assistant treasurer was ill and the treas
 urer disabled from hard work, and it was with great difficulty that he signed papers. After debate the bill was recommended to the Committee on Finance that defect in regard to the official bond provided for might be remedied.
 The education bill was taken up and MT. Jackson took the floor in favor of the meas ure. MT. Jackson said the chief objection
 made to the Blair educational bill was that it was unconstitutional. If this was we'll founded that ended the discussion. The bill did not compel the States to take money.
 The action of each State was voluntary. He contended taat Congress had the power to appropriate funds for educational purposes. He showed that millions of dollars had been appropriated for that purpose in the States and declared that none of the great authorities of this great government had seen any distinction between funds derived from the sales of public lands and those which come from other sources of revenue. He cited the action of President Jefferson in signing the act appropriating money for the purchase of Louisiana, and of Madison in recommending the establishment of great national univer- sity to be supported out of the public funds
 MT, Maxey followed, opposing the bill as unconstitutional. He yielded to no man In regard for education, but he would never consent to transfer to the general govern
 ment the duty of a State, especially as there was no warrant In the constitution for this departure in government policy.
 Discussion of the bin for the day then ended and after fixing o'clock next Monday for the consideration of Mir. Frye's fishery commission the Senate at 5i30 adjourned
 HousH.-The bill to compel all American vessels to carry mails to aud from foreign ports was reported favorably and placed on the calendar. An adverse report was made on the bills granting pensions to employees of the postal service after twenty years SCI vices laid on table.
 The 1fitz John Porter bill came up as the regular order, sif, Wheeler, of Alabama, made long speech i'll favor of the bill de- elafiag that Porter by his skill and intrepidi= ty had won more distinction than any other officer of the army of the Potomac, Portsr knew from actual contact with the foe that every presumption of his commander was er- reneous and he was fully justified in using tho discretion insepaI able from his position to preserve his command the only means of averting the irreparable catastrophe which he was probably impending as the re- suit of his commanding generals erroneous impressions. Mir Wheeler ran over briefly the constitution and findings of the court martial and board of review, and spoke in terms of the warmest commendation of the action of President Lincoln and Governors Grant and Schofeld, Terry and Gilty, who, having examined the case intel lectually, had been convinced of their error and had immediately proceeded to do Porter justice. MT. Wheeler reviewed the ground taken by President Arthur in his veto and declared that the objections of the President had been satisfactorily desposed of to all unprejudiced people by General Grant, who had characterized the veto message as the "merest sophistry." In conclusion MT. Wheeler, speaking of the attitude of himself and other ex-Confederates who supported the bill, said: GAS gentlemen we are obliged to do frankly and fearlessly what we conceive to be honor able and right, as servants of the people we must strive to secure this tardy justice to one who so ably served them, and as citlzens of this great republic it is our duty and our pride to cherish and defend it's honor, and we therefore seek to eface this blot upon the fair fame of our country"
 MT. Cutcheon, of Michigan, began his speech in opposition to the bill by saying. ''Mr. Chairman, or perhaps I should say if the court please, the supreme court mar tial of the army is now in session. We are now engaged in rewriting history If history has been written enormously it should be rewritten at time and under cir cumstances ensuring greater accuracy" MT Cutcheon did not believe that Congress had the constitutional power to revise the find ing of general court martial when con- frmed by the President snd executed by his order, and was opposed to the bill for the additional reason that he was convinced that the court martial had arrived at just conclusion at the time when the facts had been justly presented; that the verdict had been righteous. He then reviewed the oper- ations of the federal and confederate forces on August 29-30, and argued that Por- ter had been guilty of disobedience of orders. He then proceeded to sketch the various efforts of General Porter to secure a reversal of the sentence either by executive or legislative action. The advo- cates of the bill laid great stress upon the fact that General. Grant had changed his judgment upon the and upon November g, 1882. had written to Porter completely exonerating him from blame. He was con vinced that the change in Grants opinion was due to errors and that the arguments in 1881 were substantial ly the same as made to Garfield as member of the court who was sworn to try the case in 1S63 Grant gave to the case three days; Garfield gave forty-fve days. Grant had only one side presented to him. Garfield had both. Garfield had all the living witnesses before him. He looked in their eyes. He heard the tones of their voices. He heard them un- der the fire of cross-examination Grant had none of these advantages In conclusion MT. Cutcheon said: "When the roll shall be called to say whether the word 'approved' written by Lincoln shall be sponged out my answer shall be no.'
 The committee rose and the House took recess until o'clock, the evening session to be for the further consideration of the Porter bill.
 When the House met at o'clock Messrs Springer and Eden, of Illinois, were the only gentlemen who were called to order by the Speakers gavel and was taken At 7:3O a dozen members had put in an appear ance and the House went into Committee of the Whole on the Fitz John Porter bill.
 Mir. Brady, of Virginia, took the floor and devoted his time to a review of the political situation in Virginia.
 Messrs Brown of Pennsylvania, Peters and Perkins followed with short speeches in op- position to the bill, and the House at 10:1o adjourned.