The Daily Tombstone., 1886-02-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 9. 1886.

any preceding week of tbe session. The Fitz-John Porter bill occupied much of the time of the house during the early part of the week, and on Thursday the bill was passed by a vote of IF to. 113. Not one Demo- cratic vote was cast in the negative, and but sixteen republican votes were cast in the affirmative. The House thus declared that General Porter was | free from blame when, at the second battle of Bull Run, in 1862, he dis obeyed the orders of superior off cer, and that the decision of the court martial which found him guilty was wrong. The attendance of members during the debate was unusually large, and but few seats were vacant, Although the speeches were for the most part tiresome, the interest taken by the general public in the proceed ings, was manifest by the crowded galleries. The chair placed little re- straint upon the occupants of the galleries, who frequently gave vent to applause in appreciation of the telling points in the arguments of several speakers.
 The debate in the Senate upon the Bleir educational bill was continued during the week. Nearly every sen ator has taken part in the discussion of the bill, and so great a number of amendments have been offered that it is probable when vote is finally taken the provisions of the bill will have been so changed that it will be hardly recognized by its author.
 War has at last been openly de clared between the Republican sen- ators and the administration, upon the question of removals. Senator Edmunds on Thursday last, having obtained the indorsement of his pro- posed report from the judiciary com mittee, on the refusal of the Attorney General to transmit certain papers re- lating to the Duskin case, submitted the report to the Senate, but it was agreed that it should not be called up in the Senate for action until Monday next, in order that the Democratic minority could have time to formulate their reply. The resolutions are three in number. The first declares the action of the Attorney-General in re- fusing to furnish information when called for by the Senate, was repre- hensible. The second declares that where the Senate calls for informa- ton regarding removals from office, and the information is not furnished, the Senate will not confirm the ap- pvintee. And the third condemns the disregard of the law which requires that in selections for office, preference be given to honorably-discharged Union soldiers and sailors.
 Among the bills introduced in the Senate on Thursday last, was one by MT. Hoar providing for the erection of suitable monument at Washington to Gen. U. S. Grant. The bill apprc- priates $i50,000 for the purpose, and provides for a commission Of three Senators and three Members of the House of Representative to contract for the monument. An amendment offered by MT. Logan, increasing the amount appropriated to $250000,000 was afterwards adopted.
 The eighteenth annual convention of the National Suffrage Association, was held in this city during the week. In the absence of Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the president of the association, the. meetings were pre- sided over by Miss Susan B. Anthony. The meetings were well attended, the audience being composed principally of woren, many of whom were young and pretty.
 Two hundred and ten of the em- plOyes of the Washington navy-yard were suspended on Wednesday, owing to'a lack of appropriation to longer