St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-14
PORTER UNDEh DISCUSSION.
mr. Hood OF Tennessee SavageIy
Attacks the General.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 13.-The speaker
laid before the house a response from the
postmaster general regarding the eght-hour
law. He says letter carriers are not re-
garded as labOrers. wOrkmen or mechanics.
and therefore the law does not APP 70
them. Mr.. Bragg submitted a bill for the
location of a soldiers home west of the
Rocky mountains. An adverse report was
made ON the bill 10 enable the people to
name their pOstmasterS. MIR. O'Neill from
the committee on labor reported bill TO
protect mechanics. laborers and servants in
their wages. y report was made ON the
Hanback, telephone resolution, and IL was
put on the house calendar. A motion to re-
consider the vote by which the house on
Thursday passed the bill authorizing ma
tional banks To increase their capital stock
and change their location and names. was
tabled-yeas lis, nays "a. Mr.. Durham.
on behalf of the committee on commerce,
called up and the house passed a bill author
izing the Mississippi Water Power
and Boom company of BTainerd. Mimi,
To construct dam across the Mississippi
river. The house went into committee OF
the whole (Mr. Springer i'm the chair on
the
FTTZ-JOITN PORTER BILL
Mr.. Swinburne of New York, who was en-
titled to the floor. being in Ill health, his re-
marks were read by the clerk. He IA
vored the bilI and expressed the opinion
that the country owed Gen. Porter gratui-
ties instead of punishment Mr.. Hood of
Tennessee said:
IL the measure were one praying for par
don. asking amnesty, demanding that some
thing should be done to promote that cOncili-
alton of which the country had heard so
much; If II were n plan for the purpose of
removing some disqualification imposed for
political considerations. IL would receive my
cordial cheerful and earnest support. But
will vote against the pending bill because I
believe il absolutely destructive of the very
fabric of the government itself. Mr. Porter
has been charged with and convicted of the
highest offense known to military law, and
TO pass this bill Is TO destroy the
discipline of the whole United States
army This is no issue of mercy and
amnesty, but IL Is q fair issue of treach-
cry of the bOldest and blackest and most
infamous kind on the one hand and simple
devotion and simple obedience to orders on
the other. Suppose there had been no Fitz-
John Porter on the 2eth of August and that
grand Phil Sheridan had been in command.
| Little Phil would not have waited for orders,
| but would have rushed tothe field and turned
| the tide Of battle. The sentence pronounced
| on Fftz John Porter has not been proportion
been shot, and if he had been private soldier
under the same conditions he
WOULD HAVE BEEN SHOT.
II innocent he ought to have been acquit-
ted aud he would have been acquitted. ii
/ guilty, as the eonrt-martial found him to be
/ this bill ought not to pass. The constitution
/ makes the action of courts-martial when con
| cluded and executed according to law ina
| beyond the reach of another tribunal of the
/ fhsa
! gress could annul the findings of such a court
IL could as wei, acting in its official capacity
set aside the decisions of any other court il
| the country. While do not believe il, viii
concece for the purposes OF argument tina
| Injustice has been done at the trial. yet / see
no remedy here. Under the circumstances o.
| the trial and the character or the men whC
composed thecourt-msrtial, before will votI
for the bill / must have the most clear anC
convincing proof that they were wrong, bu
such proof has not be presented.
Mr.. WOlford Oi Kentucky attacked wha
he called the Inconsistency OF the opponent
Of the bill.
The presldens could only pardon to linn
tied extent; con ess has power they say
Now where is Tue power1 They took the alb
surd position there was no power, no remedy
The innocent must suffer and must be blasted
All the boosted liberty, all the boaste'
grandeur and power of the American re
public is q sham If they contend that that
fair construction OF the constitution. Thel
IL ought to be amended.
Pending the conclusion OF Mr.. Wolford'
speech, the committee rose. On motion o
Mr.. Tucker of Virginia, the house bill au
thorizing the treasurer Of the United States
) in his discretion and with the consent o
the secretary of the treasury. to appoint on
Of his clerks to discharge the duties o
treasurer or assistant treasurer in the even
Of the illness or absence of either Of thos