Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-02-17

Tor, Wakefield, Ward, and Riggs voted
IN the Affirmative; Messrs. Peters,
burrows, and Miller in the negative.
Mr.. Burrows will submit the minority
report.
In the morning hour the House re-
sumed the consideration Of the bill
authorizing the various executive de-
partmen,s Of the Government TO exhibit
certain articles 1t the New Orleans Ex-
position.
Mr.. Cannon, Of Illinois, opposed the
bill, though the strongest provision
might be put in relieving the Govern
ment from any responsibility in con.
nection with the exposition. II the
exhibit of the United States went to
New Orleans the projectors Of the en-
terprise would hold that it had received
the endorsement Of the Government,
and that the honor of the nation required
that an appropriation should be made
by Congress.
Mr.. Rowell, Of Illinois, did not think
that the Government could have any,
thing TO do with the Exposition without
disgracing itself.
Mr.. Hepburn, Of Iowa, announced
his opposition to the Government aiding
purely private enterprise.
Mr.. Hahn, of Louisiana, supported
the bill, and pointed out that the Ex-
position referred to was an entirely diff
ferent one from the Cotton Centennial
Exposition.
Mr.. Negley, of Pennsylvania, hoped
that there world be no hesitancy to
support so proper a resolution.
Messrs. 0'Neill, Of Pennsylvania, and
Durham, Of Illinois, favored the policy
Of Government aid to State and ns-
tionsl expositions, and Mr.. Butterworth,
of Ohio, pointed out that the object Of
the resolution in no sense committed
the Government to the payment Of
farthing.
Mr.. Cannon moved to lay the joint
resolution on the table.
Pending q yea-and.nay vote--a divi-
sion standing 81 to g. in favor Of the
motion--the morning hour expired.
The House then went into committee
Of the whole on the Fitz John Porter
bill.
Mr.. Wheeler, of Alabama, speaking
in support of the measure, said that
when the last Congress adjourned it
seemed that the members were tho
roughly informed regarding the eyentful
campaign Of August, 1862; not they
alone, but the reading public had be-
come very familiar with these historical
events. Since that time much official
correspondence, orders, reports, ETC.,
relating to the campaign had been pub
lished by the Government, and every
new fact developed added strength to
the now almost universal conclusion
that the sentence Of the court-martial by
which Major General Fitz John Porter
was dismissed from the army was one
of those atrocities which at long in
tervals disgrace the records Of even the
most honorable and chivalric nations.
lie then proceeded to give detailed
history Of the military operations in
Virginia during the summer Of 1862,
and, referring to the battles Of Mechan-
icsville, Chickahominy, Savage Sta
ton, Peach Orchard, and Malvern
Hill, described General Porter as
the principal actor in most Of
these engagements, and declared that
by his skill and intrepidity he had won
more distinction than any other officer
Of the Army Of the Potomac. Hepro-
ceeded at considerable length to defend
General P0pe's action in connection
with the famous "4:30 order" the
alleged noncompliance with which had
for twenty -four years been relied upon
by the supporters of General Pope as
the grand central fact which supported
and verified all the reckless charges
against the honor and patriotism of
General Porter, and to which they now
appealed to prevent the tardy justice
to a gallant soldier which is contem.
plated ny this bill.
In conclusion, Mr.. Wheeler said
Do not misunderstood the attitude Of
myself and other ex.Confederate sol
diers who vote for this bill. Do not
misinterpret our interest in this case.
Necessity for our action would not ex-
list were it not that some of the oppo-
Dents of the bill still appeal to the
character Of party passion, which has
long since been repudiated by Republic
cans who are most esteemed by their
political adherents. | regret and de-
plore the efforts to degrade judicial
question to party conflict, but
we are free from the response
bility Of the position these gentlemen
have voluntarily assumed, and no
taunts from mistaken zealots can drive
US from plain and unqueStiOned duty.
We advocate and support this bill be-
cause we see in it the only means to re-
pair a cruel wrong; to atone for a
gross though perhaps unintentional in
justice to relieve gallant soldier and
honorable gentleman from a grievous
martyrdom long and nobly endured.
As soldiers we are bound to spare no
effort to relieve this brave commander
from unmorited disgrace. AS men we
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