Year: 1875

anti the gr&y light of the morning began to strug-
gle in through the ground glass ceilings of the hail.


The majority Of the men who sat the night out in
the galleries of the unfortunate class that were
interested in bls-many of them for the payment
Of just clams-and whose only remaining hope was
that their matters might be reached the calendar
or squeezed in between the public bills that took
precedence Of all others. There is no more
pitiable sight than the disappointment Of
a man or woman to whom the Govern
meGt really owes money and who has
spent years in the vain attempt to have Congress
pay the debt when the bill for that purpose has
passed through every stage but the last. and just
before it is reached the fall of the Speakers gavel
tells of an expiring Congress. No salutary
reform could be effected than to require every claim
against the Government 10 be adjudicated by
the United States courts before it Is pre-
sented to Congress. This would remove
one of the greatest of corruption ;
and wlife it would insure to the claimant speedy
hearing OF his case would protect the Government
since Congress would have to appropriate the money
before the judgments of the courts could be paid


Under the present system claims decided gener-
ally Oh er pdrte evidence, and while fraudulent
often succeed, the equitable often fail. The
poor negroes who during the past excessively severe
Winter have crowded the galleries of Congress during
the night sessions, were out in force last night,
and a great number of them remained until the
House adjourned, 1t seemed really cruel that the
doorkeepers should be obliged to go around every
half hour TO wake the poor fellows They will have
such no comfortable place in which to spend their
nights hereafter.


After O'Clock the business of law-maklng gained
new impetus, objections became less frequent, and
the tired members unable from the monotonous
tones of the oveIworked clerks to keep track of
what was gong on. A bill would be taken from
the Speakers table, its title read, and if anybody
was willing to say that he would be responsible for
it, il went through in nine out of ten with
out question. Occasionally an objection would be
raised, and then the member who was interested in
the measure would rush frantically up and down
the asles begging that the objection be withdrawn
and shouting TO the Speaker that objection was
made. Now and then division would be called
for, and 40 so members would vote on one side,
and 90 or 30 on the other. in all far less than a
quorum. Then the member responsible for the BILL


and his friend, would begin to shout NO further
count insisted on, Mr. Speaker, no further count


Read the next bil"' BY this process the Secretary
of the Treasury was instructed to purchase
sites for number of buildings
in various parts of the country. number of pri-
vate claimants were relieved, and great deal OF
other business transacted of the character Of which
very little will be known for several days.


very interesting incident occurred at about
o'clock this morning. When lull in the business
occurred Mr.. Randall sent to the Clerks desk q
letter from Mr.. Robt. S. Hale to Representative
Crittenden, in regard TO the resolution OF
censure passed upon Mr.. John Young
: drown of Kentucky few weeks ago. Mr. Itaie
said in substance, that after careful examination
of the record of Mr.. Browns speech he had come to
~ hot ha had aE WIN n
charged Mr. Brown in the resolution with prevaricaa
ton. The LAM guace was susceptible of different
construction and he would have made this explana-
ton In the House had his health permitted him to
be there. He also paid high tribute to Mr. Brown
as gentleman. Mr. Randall said that it was hardly
his place to introduce any resolution on this sub
iect, but that if he received any encouragement
from the other side of the House he would be glad
to assist in relieving Mr.. Brown from the impuaion
cast upon him by the resolution of censure Mr.
Neglev, in an uncourteous way, said that he had no
objection to the passage of a resolution, but he
could see no excuse for nc.iDg such trashy letter
upon the House. By this time almost perfect silence
prevailed in the hall, and Gen. Butler rose. Every
one supposed that for once a faint spark OF mag
nanimty had been rekindled, and that Gen. Butler
was about to do generous act But he had no such
idea and simply showed how he felt In regard to
the whole subject by moving to suspend the rules
and pass bill to pay two months extra salary to
clerks who may be discharged from the Government
service. Mr.. Dawes said that he had carefully ex


amined the record again and again ande had been
unable to change his mind in regard to Mr.. Browns
ofTense. At the same time Mr.. Brown now had an
opportunity to place himself right and in
a position such as any gentleman would like to
cupy. This Mr.. Dawes repeated several times, and
others were about to speak, when Mr.. Durham in
sisted of the regular ORDER in order to stop discus


sion on this subject Without defending Mr.. Browns
conduct on the day when he was ceDsured by the
House. it is but fair to say that for courteous gen
tlemanly bearing in the House during the present
session. no comparison can be made between Mcssrs.
Brown and Butler The latter has insulted on moro
than one occasion not only the Speaker but his fel-
low members and has rarely shown in bis conduct
in the House any greater degree of polteness than
parliamentary law requires


A sharp little contest occurred later in the morn
ing over the bill to amend the act providing for the
winding up of the affairs of the Freedman's Bank
The bin directed the appointment of one commits
sioner instead of three. and the principal ar
Cument in it's favor was that it would
secure greater economy in the administration OF the
affairs of that unfortunate institution. The general
sentiment of the House seemed to be favorable to
the bin until MIR. Rainey took the floor and made
speech against it. He said that more than S5OO,oOO
had been collected his State from the very poor
est class of people and invested in this city, where
had been lost. He insisted now that nothing should
be done to reduce the security OF the
assets of the institution and he preferred that there
should be three commissioners instead OF one, and
that each should give ample security, not On joint
bond, but separate ones. Mr.. Raineys speech
was very eloquent one, and defeated the bill. At
few minutes before o'clock, all of the remaining