Year: 1875

/


THE ALABAMA COMMITTEE AND THE CAUCUS BILL
MR. CANNON AGREES TO REPORT III 1T DOES NOT
| COMMIT HIM TO THE BIIL-ALLEGED VIEWS OF
| GEN. GRANT-THE STUMBLING BLOCK TO
| CoMPRoMrsE-TIiE SCHEME RESPECTING THE
| ARMY BILL.


fBY TELEGRAPH TO TRIBUSE.l
| WASHINGTON. Feb. 17.-The delay in bring
| ing into the House for consideration tho
most important of the political measures which
have been prepared by the more radical
OF the Administration leaders, is causing some
uneaslness and impatienco among those whose
whole political future depends, as they think, upon
the result in Congress. The caucus bill for tho
management of the South is still in the
| hands Of the Special Committee to investigate
Alabama appears, although it is altogether probable
thatit will be reported to the House tomorrow.
The vote of the Committee at its meeting this morn
ing was, not to recommend the passage of the bill,
but simply to resent it TO the House for its action.
This was made necessary by the fact that even the
Alabama Committee. radical as the majority of it
was supposed to be, is unwilling to take the
responsibility of advising that the President be
given power to suspend the writ OF habeas corpus at
| will.


When Mr. Coburn, the Chairman. first brought
| the bill to the attention of his fellowRcpubcaus
on the Committee, he much surprised to find
that there was division in the camp. Mr.. Cannon
was not quite ready, even after listening to the
thrilling romances Of the Alabama carpet-baggers,
to favor the breaking down of the great bulwark of
personal liberty the writ Of habeas corpus, even to
save tho party; and his vote with that of
the two Democrats on the Committee would
be sufficient to strike out the obnoxious section.
OF course this would never do and a consultation
was held and plan of turning over the caucus bill
to the VIcksburg Committee was discussed. Finally
| it suggested that recommendation for the
! passage of the bill from any Committee could not
| add to its strength, and Mr. Cannon was urged to
! allow the bill to be reported in its present
! shape without recommendation, and with
! tho understanding that member of
! the Committee was to be bound to
vote for it refrain from offering amendments.
! This Mr.. Cannon agreed to last evening. and the
| bill was brought up before the full committee this
morning. The Democrats Messrs. Duckner and
| Luttrel protested that this was very extraOrdi-
nary proceeding. No meeting had yet been held to
discuss the character of their report and they said


it outrage to report this bill or any other bill
before their report submitted to the House. OF
their protests OF no avail and Mr. Coburn
WAS instructed to report the bill by a strict party
vote.


| The report of the subcommittee headed by Mr..
G.. /. Uoar, who has recently returned from LOuisi-
ana, is not likely to strengthen the caucus bill.
That subcommittee is unanimous, as one OF its Re-
publican members said to-day, in the belief that the
! Conservatives cheated out of their rightful
majority in the Legislature chosen at the last cleo
! ton. 1--WE believe that there was intimidation, and
that were prevented from voting" he said, d" but
what can we doi That does not excuse the Return
| ing Board, and it seems TO almost impossible for
us to recommend anything"


| The fact seems to DO that with the present
TEN per of the Administration party, it will hardly
be possible to pass in the House resolution bill
of any kind bearing on the Louisiana question.
! The negotiations for compromise between the
Conservatives and the Republicans of Louisiana are
still pending but with httlc prospect of success.
! The Conservatives will ng TO agree to any terms
that are fair and that do not require them to COM
| promise the principles in defence Of which
they have laborod and suffered long
and the Republicans would doubt meet them
half way. it not that the influence OF the Adj
ministration and especially of the President himself,
| is against it, Il have reluctantly come to the con-
clusion," said a very prominent Republican to-day,
:" that Gen Grant is not in earnest when he says he
desires that Congress shall settle the Louisiana
question and relieve him of the responsibility,
rather when he says that in his messages and in his
conversation, he don't mean what you and / have





Congress to pass joint resolution fully recognizing
the Kellogg Government and sustaining every act of
the Administration in relation to that State since


1872 but if Congress won't do that he prefers to be
| left untrammeled by any legislation. He feels the
| same about any compromise If the Conservatives
| would yield everything; allow Mr.. Pnchback to
take his seat recognize Kellogg the lawful Gov
ernor Of the State and the Legislature created by
the Returning Board and Federal soldiers rs legal;
| if they would allow him and his friends TO have
| their way in everything he would like to have
| a settlement made But if his friends have to yield
| anything on account of such a settlement, which
| he protect them in the possession of, he would
| prefer that no settlement should be reached"
| The leading Administration men in Louisiana,
understanding fully this disposition of the Presi
dent. and believing that if they refuse to agree to
any fair compromise, Congress is not likely to pass
any act or resolution affecting them unfavorably.
| and feeling of the continued support of the
Executive, refuse to be parties to any agreement
| which the Conservatives honorably make
"Wby, we could have a compromise agreed to in y
hours" remarked member of Mr.. Hoar's Sub-(,o
mittee to day, If Gen. Grant did not star.d in the
way" =


| The most extreme men among the Radicals are
now urging appropriation Tor the support OF the
army for two years, and several of them have been
| aboring with Mr.. Wheeler, who has charge OF the
Army Appropriation bill, to induce him to report 1t
| in that form. To all such appeals, Mr.
| Wheeler returns an emphatic No" The men
who advocating this measure are so short-sghted
that they fail to that two years appropriation
tor the army will give them no advantage. The
next House of Representatives is not likely to abo-


sh the army or to refuse to provide money for its
| lan ipna ia npl