The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-11
DALZELLGOES FORTRACY
BARRUNDIA'S KILLING AGAIN Be
FORE TdE HOUSE.

mand a Naval Cfaoer IN Time OF
Peacs-Bou.eIs Also Speaks Ag ainst
the secretary-AIl the other Speeches
for Him.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.-Representativ
Dalzelis long expected defense of his school
mate and friend, Commander Reiter. as
made to-day in the House, turned out to be
defense of Commander Reiter pure and
simple, and not in any way an attack on the
President and Secretary Tracy. His col-
leagues, who had heard him talk
about the speech, were disappointed in
it. Some Of them noted as an
interesting coincidence that while Mr..
Dalzell was speaking the Presidents assist
ant private secretary brought to the Senate
the no mination of MIR. Dalzelps friend,
James II. Reed of Pittsburg, for district
Judge of Western Pennsylvania. Never
theless, Mr.. Dalzells speech was earnest and
trong, and pleased Commander Reiter,
who sat in the gallery. Mr..
Lodge made the report for
the navy department., and with, a
speech or two more, Chairman Boutelle
naturally differing with the navy depart
meut, the matter dropped, apparently never
TO be called up again, Mr.. DalZell offered
no resolution and apparently has none to
offer.
THE HOUSE IN DETAIL.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10-Ih the House,
this morning the House bill coming over
from Friday evening" was passed tncre as
ing 60 800 month the pension of the
widow Of Gen. Custer.
Mr.. Wickham of Ohio asked unanimous
weights and measures to sit during the
ses sions of the House.
Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois objected, but SUBJ
sequently withdrew his objection, and leave
was granted.
The army and pension appropriation bills
were sent to conference.
The Senate bill was passed for the trans
fer of army officers on the retired list from
the limited list to the unlimited list when
they shall have attained the age of 64.
VETO ovERRIDDEN.
Mr.. Abbott of Texas, from the committee
on public buildings and grounds, reported
back the bill providing for the extension Of
| the public bnilding at Dallas, Tex, at cost
| of 100000. This bill passed congress last
session but was vetoed by the President
| The recommendation of the committee is
that the bill be passed over the veto. The bill
passsd-yeas 141; nays SO, the necessary
two-tbirds voting affirmative.
DALZKLL DEFENDS REITER.
The legislative appropriation bill was
taken up. In the general debate, the Bar
rundia case was revived by Mr. Dalzell OF
Pennsylvania, who defended the action of
Commander Reiter. The public reprimand
administered to Commander Reiter by the
Secretary of the Navy was, he said, unwar-
ranted and unjust. A naval officer had
been degraded by public reprimand, with
Al sx,Nau ~ arfi iol
His case was the case Of every
officer in the service; but higher
than that the case involved the conduct of
our officers In respect to a foreign power.
Gen. Barrundia had been notorious
Guatemalan, charged with the commission
of murder and embezzlement of public
funds, as well as of high treason. He had
come voluntarily within the Jurisdiction OF
his own country at time when he was
resting under these charges. Gen. Bar
rundia was killed on the steamer Acapulco
by officers undertaking to arrest him,
which officers be undertook to murder.
REFERS PUNISHMENT.
AT that time two United States ships of
war, the Ranger and the Thetis, lay In the
roadstead, Commander Reiter being the
commanding officer. He had not inter
fered with the arrest. The day after the
killing Commander Reiter had been de-
tached, without any reason being assigned
for the detachment. Three months after
ward tie Secretary of the Navy
had addressed him a letter, which was
printed in the public press before
it was received by Commander Reiter. 1t
was thus apparent that the letter was writ
ten by the Secretary of the Navy not to
Commander Reiter alone, but to the gen.
eral public. He (Mr. DalzelD would not, he
said, stop to criticise the secretary's lam
guage and tone; his logic and rhetoric
but, whatever the language and tone,
whatever that logic and rhetoric.
the latter had become an open
public reprimand of naval officer of here
tofore unquestionable courage and fidelity
to duty. 1t had placed stigma on his
name aud a blight on his career. 1t took
from him his dearest possession, and from
his children their richest inheritance. Tc
Commander Reiter's demand for a court
martial came the reply that his demand
showed his ignorance of naval discipline.
AT THE MERCY OF POLITICS.
Could it be that an honorable officer, who
lad faithfully served his country for many
years, was to be degraded and disgraced by
the dictum of an Official whose career began
yesterday and might Qn the mutations OF
politics. end tomorrow IL it could be SO,
it was high time that there should be some
legislation on this subject. he (Mr. Dalzell
| QlQ not deny GNe power OF Uu6 o6CF6lhTy Ol
the Navy to express his disapproval Of the
act of an officer, but he did deny the power
of the Secretary Of the Navy to admin
lister public reprimand in time of peace
If Commander Reiter merited a public
reprimand he meritcd dismissal from the
navy. No Secretary of the Navy could ad-
minister punishment, the effect OF which
was dismissal, without the Intervention OF
q court-martial. He (Mr. DalzelD stood on
the bold defiant ground that the Secretary
of the Navy had exceeded his power wher
he wrote and published his letter to Com
mander Reiter.
LODGE DEFENDS TRACY.
Mr.. Lodge came to the defense of the
Secretary of the Navy. When he heard
the news Of the killing Of Gen. Barrundit
on an American ship he felt shock of sur
prise and indignation that such a bloody
occurrence had taken place under such cir
cumstances. lie had been dn common
with other American citizens) ready to sus
pend judgment. Those facts were now be-
fore congress. The argument in defense OF
Commander Reiter had been an able one
but he did feel, as an American citizen, thai
the conduct of the American representa-
, tives at San Jose was q subject for regret
, The course they had taken was a mistaken
course He (Mr. LODGE could quote numer.
Gus cases in which reprtmands had been ad-
ministered publicly by executive officers