The Portland daily press., 1886-01-23
XLIXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
HOUSE..
WASHINGTON. Jan. @.

| TAIN inscriptions ana tne dismissal Vi onioA oOA
diers at Norfolk navy yard with an amendmen
extending the enquiry to dismissals made at tn'
navy yard and lighthouse district at Norfolk dur
ingthe term of the immediate predecessor OF tht
present Secretary of the Navy.
Mr.. Herbert stated that the resolution was sub
stantially the same as that originally offered by
| Mr.. Boutelle, except that it was somewhat broad
er; He then demanded the previqos question;
The Republicans resisted this, but on dlvlsloI
| were out-voted-87 to 3d. mi,
Tellers were ordered to make count. Inc
body of the Republicans refralned from Young
| and upon the announcement of the result-lll te
| 7-Mr. Perkins of Kansas raised the polnt OF or
| der that no quorum had voted
| "It is evident, then," said Mr.. Herbert, "thal
| the gentlemen do not want their own interroga
| tionS answered. / withdraw the report Gap
| plause on the Democratic side).
! Mr.. Boutelle-If ] may do so, l object to the
! withdrawal of the report
! Mr Reed Of Maine-The report is being acted
| upon and cannot he withdrawn.
The Speaker held that as the report was made
| to the House by order of the committee, it could
| not be withdrawn without leave of the House.
| applause on the Republican Side).
Mr.. Reed-1 suggest that the gentleman from
Alabama allow amendments to be offered by my
| colleague.
Mr.. Herbert-I have no instructions to allow
| any amendments.
Mr.. Reed-The gentleman can allow amend
| ments to be offered.
Mr.. Herbert-I decline to allow any to be offer
ed The resolution embodies substantially all
the inquiries in the resolution, and move
Mr. Boutelle-May 1 inquire whether the gen.
s%a s b % dS staea dr thas @ he brt
ton.
Mr. Boutelle-He was not so instructed.
Mr.. Herbert-I made no such statement.
The Republicans opposed the motion for call
of the House. but it was ordered by vote OF l53
yeas to 123 nays.
The call disclosed the presence of 296 members
there being but 20 abSenteeS; and on motion OF
Mr.. Herbert resolution was adopted alrectlhg &c 11g
fl1A mt T. ar
bar of the House such members as were absent
without leave.
proceedings under the call be dispensed with.
Mr.. Herbert stated that the rules OF the House
presented a reasonable time for debate ON reso-
luton of this character. Thirty minutes were al
lowed, fifteen for each side after the previous
question was ordered. 1t was simply q resolution
of inquiry, and there was nothing TO debate until
the inquiry had been answered.
Mr. Reed suggested that the committee on naval
affairs had added an amendment to the resolution
which debate would show to be mistake and en-
tirely futile.
Mi Herbert replied that this side of the House
was entirely willing to accept the consequences
of any mistake which might have been made by
amending the resolution. If the additional inquiry
made was futile, the answer OF the Secretary OF
the Navy would show it.
Mr. Reed insisted that the House had right to
debate any question coming before it, and 1t was
not for any man or any set OF men to declae &c 6e
Mr.. Hewitt of New York agreed with Mr.. Reed
ent case there was nothing to debate The Dem
ocratic side had had to maintain Tor many years
the right OF representatives OF ine people 10 ols-
cuss Important political questions, and many
time had he seen the other side trying to suppress
debate. 1t did not lie in the mouth OF gentlemen
on the other side to taunt the Democrats with any
attempt to limit debate. The House bad decided
by its rules that resolutions OF this sort there
Should be fifteen minutes debate, pro and cor, ,and
this was justified from the fact that this was no in
formation on which an intelligent debate could be
passed.
short wait the sergeant-at-arms brought to the
bar of the House MeSSrs Sowdeu, Riggs and
Bingham, and after being considerably guyed by
their associates the excuses presented by these
gentlemen were deemed satisfactory, and they
were released from custody.
At 2.3O Mr.. Herbert thought he had secured
quorum of Democrats and accordingly further
proceedings under the call were dispensed with
and the previous question was then ordered on
There was crowded into the next nalf hour the
most exciting political debate that has been pre-
sned sent to the HOUSE drn m R Ss soa
missed his direct speech upon the resolution with
remark calling attention to the fact that the first
legislation of the House HAD been the passage, by
unanimous consent, of a bill removing the politi-
cal disabilities of an eX-Confedcrate, who had
waited more than twenty years before discovering
a desire to be placed in the line of eligibility to
appointment under the executive department,of
the United States. In contrast with this he (B0u-
telle) had been tauntingly Informed that fifteen
minutes of time was an ample allowance in which
to present the of the outrageous dismissal OF
disabled veterans of the Uunion army from the
employment of the government, and the oblitera-
tion, DETACHMENT and removal of inscriptions COM
menorative of the success OF the Union army.
He trusted that these facts, placed i'll juxtaposi-
than any remarks he could Offer The res0-
tuition he mad introduced had related to
allegations that officers of the United States gov
fiiefir id ofdered the sofiteT3 ff
inscriptions on cannon captured by the United
States and had caused to be removed from the
dry dock memorial tablet setting forth that it
had been destroyed by rebels in 1862 and recon
structed in 1868. He did not understand that the
facts had been in any way contradicted. On the
Contrary he found that a Norfolk paper, whose
editor was closely connected with thls ONCE, nad
stated that Comnandant TruXton in place OF cen
when he had taken charge of the navy yard he
had found Inscriptions intended to Keep anve
bitter memories of the civil strife ana patrloCca
ly ordered them removed
Mr. Boutelle then referred to the removal OF the
superintendent of machinery at the navy yard be-
cause of his demurrng to the DETACHMENT OF the
dry dock, and the appointment of a man whose
title to the position rested on service IN the Con
federate army. He considered that sulncle4t
reason for calling attention to the matter de
had found evidence that since the fourth OF March
1885, there had been repeated and systematic
,sg from II the RSons Of IN he @hce
ment Of wounded and disabled veterans
of the republic, to make place for men who had
matter to call to the attention of the House and
the country. The attempt whenever made and by
whoever made to set up the plea that the tearing
ed by any broad sentiment of patriotism was based
on absolute sophistry. If the time had come or
sss o e GUe rebeon hs monument Of he rebellion
itself sheuld be first torn down. Let not the work
begin by taking down inscriptions commemorative
of victories of the armies Of the United States He
had list of great marble memorials growing up
all this land to perpetuate the cause OF trea-
son and rebellion. he mad description OF 2 mon
breathing anything but spirit of loyalty to this
government, a monument bearing on its face eyi-
dence of design to perpetuate the memory OF the
attempt upon the life of the republic.
A soldier who came to Washington might wan
der in vain throughout the great art repository OF
the city looking for a counterfeit presentment of
one of the heroes who sustained the flag of the
Union. He would find that the only men who
were memorialized and remembered in the Corco,-
ran art gallery were Robert E. Lee and Stonewall
Jackson. These representations were not merely
to keep alive the memory OF great men, put
depicted in full Confederate uniform. Two
years ago when the House was consider
ing an appropriation OF one million dollars for
the New Orleans exposition, people down there
who were so anxious to have the Union memorials
oblterated were erecting a monument 80 feet
high to Robert Z. Lee, the chief of the military
claim that a broad patriotism required obHtera-
tion of the records of the grandest triumph ever
sang together. Applause on the Republican
side.) People of the country ought to say as old
Gen. Dix said in regard to the American nag,
'.If any man attempts to pull down memorial Of
thegreat triumph of the loyal people Of this country
shoot him on the spot" (Pr0longed cheers on the
Republican side) A few days ago report had
been sent down to Richmond paper in which he
was spoken of with that degree of polteness for
which the people down there were noted. He was
informed that he had been macerated and desc
Gated by the gentleman from Virginia. (Mr WlSe)
and he found in the same paper an idyl under the
head of the southern historical society 1t was a
paper which showed that the Southern people
were not so anxious to forget their part IN the
war The paper praised Ballentries report in the
last Congress relative to the fight between the
Merrmad and Monitor and declared it refuted
completely the popular delusion in the North that
the Monitor had beaten the Merrmac. (Laugh-
ter on the Republican side.) These gentlemen
were not anxious to have the history of the war
wiped out: they wanted to write it over. They
wanted write their histories over the face of the
record that showed great triumph OF the Union
arms. daughter and applause on the Republi-
can sde.) He protested against this sort OF thing
Whether he stood here or elsewhere, whether his
position was that of a member of Congress or a
citizen in private life, he entered his protest
against this morbid sentiment, against this false
idea of magnanimity, which would for one moment
tolerate the laying of hands OF desecration on the
memorial of the triumphs of the Union arms
There were two statutes on the books declaring
that in government appointments soldiers should
be given preference. These had not only been
treated with contempt, but in the ease of the Nor
folk navy yard and custom house. gallant, efficient
worthy and faithful public servants who had fol
lowed the flag of their country across a hundred
battle fields had been turned out that their places
might be given to men who had fought to destroy
this government. applause on the Republican
oA11s.J x,y.. 1J;,o;,,;o frIod ba bad ~, ~,