Year: 1872

| SENATE.


Mr. Sumner announced that he IN
tended to call up his resolution proTid-
ing for a special committee to investl-
gate the alleged manufacture oil arms
for the French in the workshops OF the
United States.


Mr.. Conkling said they were anxious
to have that resolution discussed and
disposed Of.


Mr.. John Sherman said the resolu-
ton would lead to a political de-
bate and appealed to the Senate
not to be diverted from the practical
business before it and said if the Senator
(Mr. Sumner) had been content to omit
his long speech and offer simple reso-
luton OF inquiry it might be passed
without debate, but this preamble and
resolution must necessarily give rise to
a long political debate.


Mr.. Sumner said the .preamble of
which Sherman complained was mainly
documentary. He said he heard com
plants that former resolutions of ln-
ouiry had no foundation, and therefore
he had chosen to accompany the resolu-
ton by a preamble showing that it was
founded on something. The facts set
forth had given rise to grave suspicious,
and had already arrested the attention
of foreign powers.


Mr.. Sherman objected to Mr.. Sum-
ner discussing the merits ofthe resolu-
ton before it was taken up.


Mr.. Sumner said he was not doing go,
and the Vice President decided that he
was in order.


Mr.. Anthony objected to taking up
the resolution till the appropriation
bill should be disposed Of.


Mr.. Conkling said it was not for the
importance of the resolution that ne
wished to have it taken up at once, but
on account of its peculiar character,
which the rules would not permit him
properly to discuss. He would, how
ever, suppose a case. The introduction
OF a resolution casting gross and hate
full aspersions, even on the Senate, and
not, as this one did, upon the American
Government and the American name,
and he would say to the Senator from
Rhode Island (Anthony) that in such
case he would insist on the immediate
consideration OF the resolution, even if
hundred appropriation bills were
waiting. So he wanted this resolution
disposed OF because Of the imputation
and statements accompanying 1t,
groundless as he believed them to be.


The Vice President said Mr. Conk-
ling was discussing the merits Of the
resolution. Mr.. Conkling said he
would withdraw that part Of his re-
marks. Laughter. lie was deter,
mined, however, that Sumner should
not be allowed to lay one side OF his
question before the country, unaccom-
panied by the other, therefore if the
Senate take up this resolution it must
be prepared for fall discussion.


The resolution was taken up and Mr..
Sumner addressed the Senate. The
subject be said was interesting and
important in two aspects, as it con-
cerned ourselves and as it concernrd
foreign powers, all must unite in a desire
to redeem our country from suspicion,
especially the suspicion OF moral
obliouity. lie would speak not of men
but of facts, and it any body should
be pointed at by the statement
he was about to make, it would be the
fault of the facts and not his. He had
brought forward this snbject with
great reluctance and after long delay;
the main facts had been brought to his
knowledge before Christmas, but he had
postponed bringing them into the Senate
because he knew they had been laid
before the President and Secretary OF
War and he had reason to believe they
would institute an inquiry. They had
not done SO. however, but the Sec
retary of War had sent to the
House of Representatives re-
port upon this subject. The character
Of that report would appear as he pro-
ceeded and the Senate would judge
whether it did not fall under some Of
the suspicious which attached to the
whole transaction. In setting forth the
facts he must introduce two characters
upon the scene, Place, late Consul Gen
eral Of France at New York, and Sam
uel Remington, Of llian, New York.
Place had been accused of fraud, and
upon his second trial had been convict.
ed merely upon the testimony OF REM
ipgton, who was authenticated as a
witness in the French courts by GER
tifcate from our Secretary Of War.


Mr.. Sumner proceeded at great
length to recapitulate the allegations
contained in his resolution, intimatlng
that high Government officials were
compromised in the transactions at
tending the sale OF arms by the War
Department to the agents of the French
Government, during the Prussian war,
LAYING great stress on the expression in
the dispatch of Mr.. Remington to the
French Government, in which he speaks
of strong influence being at work in our
favor, and alludes TO the United States
Government as dealing directly with
him, as the agent of the French Gov
erpment. He said Mr.. Remington
was now in France. He argued
that the evidence proved that the
War Department was perfectly
cognizaut that it was selling arms to the
French agent, and that he held to be a
most serious breach OF neutrality. He
also called attention to the report OF the
Secretary OF War, that ten million dol.
lars had been received from the sale OF
ordnance stores for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1870, and to the report of the
Secretary of the Treasury, that the
amount paid into the Treasury was