Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, February 22, 1883, Page 1

THE OMaHA Daily BEE —_— ) I, TWELFTH YEAT. ANy, N\, THE NATIONAL CAPITAL. \ The Oloud Sharps of thy Ooun- try Pulled Over the Con- grossicnal Coals, The Pennsylvania Dutchman Dous the “Muniments of War" and Tackles Hazen, ‘While Logan Bignals the Chief Lisg-Rollsr to Keep Off His Toes. A Decidedly Gicomy Prospect For Dorsey ~nd His C op;r& . b !" . The House Oomi. e Vigore ously Defends the Fa- mous Harbor Bill, And Impeach the Aotion of the President and Seore- tary of War. A Chapter From the Censue—Doinga of Congress and Other Matters. CAPITAL NOTES. Special Dispatches to Tar Bix, INDICATIONS OF A S8TORM, ‘WasHINGTON, February 21.—The affairs of the slgnal servics bureau were under discussion in both housea of congress to-day, In the senate, Logan, while disclalming any hostllisy to tho signai corps, said he had been attacked in newspaper articles written in the signal service office and pald for with government money. This he could prove, In the house Mr, Beltz- hoover attacked the administration of the signal bureau under Hazen, THE TARIFF BILL aa it passed the senate has been trans- mitted to the house, placed on the speaker's table and ordered printed. COLLEOTION DISTRICTS, The sab-committee of the senate committee on appropriations were en- gaged to-day upon the legislation ap- propriation bill, Gomm!ssioner Ranm was before them opposing the propo- sition incorporated in the bill by the house to reduce the number of in- ternal revenue districts from 126 to 82, The commissioner stated that the proposed consolidation would not lessen the expenses of collecting the revenus, but would very serlously dis- >SS PN T JUMAHA NE vty SRR A RN S T Y A . g r...‘.‘_ \,\l * B THURSDAY MORNING /f)b/ 7 2 A\ FEBRUARY 22 1883 - 051 varies from 1 cent in the case of » Colo- 0 intermediate averages forming another atandard of devel- opad miceral resonrces, so far as the pecious metals aro concerned, from a different point of view, roughly ocor- responding to that of the relation of P ¢ The lead- ing mining staies aré Colorado, Oali- fornia, Nevada, foilowed by the terri- tories of Utah, Montana, Dakota, Ar- Alwska orado, to the $185.20 In production to population. izona aud Idaho, in the order named, The proportionate amounts of gold and of etlver ot all the sliver in the United States, sho yields bat 8 per cent of the gold, California, on the othsr hand, is the source of over half of the gold yleld, less than 3 per cent of the sil- ver; and a elmllar divergence is ob. served In other portions of the min. ing region, the two preclous metals ocourring side by side, but often in widely diaproportlonate quantities, arrango the mnhinir‘; of the service, which now was working very -”du- Mgffiumn inated for y er was nominal collector o!“}uoui at New &- CONTESTED SEATS, The eleotions ‘prrctically decided, since c%m. to consider all che cortested s _thin &/ seiou, thet ‘M\l‘i 1] g0 over for action by the Forty-elgnth congresa, The consular and diplomatic ap- ropriation bill was agreed to in con- jerence. IT LOOKS DARK ENOUGH for the star routedefendants just now, though the impression prevails that while the jury in the case will bring ' Ina verdlot f guilty, the courtin benc, to which the case will be ap- pealed, will set aside the verdict on ] some of the numerous exceptions taken, and the swindlers ‘will thus es- cape. Others, again, say it s more likely they will avold the paniten- tiary by forfeiting their bail and fall- ing into Mexico. THE SAN FRANCISCO POSTOFFICE, | Gen. Rosecrans satd to-night there was still & chance to get the Sin Francisco postoffice bill through this session, though it got smaller and smaller each day. Senator Miller will have it put on the sundry civil bill, when 1t is considered in the senate as an amendment. If he succeeds, Rose— crans says he is confident the house will concur in it. MINERAL PRODUCTION, The second edition of the compen: dium of the census will be published n a fow days. From advance sheets 1t appears that the total production qf gold for oensus this year was, $33,- 609,663, and of silver $47,170,957. The report states that in addition to ) the returns reclved directly from the ] mines, there are several minor points to be Included in the total yield. While it is impossible to state the ac- . tual amount absorbed with any degree \E " of precision, a careful estimate would placs the valve of gold nuggets and ore annuslly added to the cabinets | of collections at not less than [§ $150,000, and that of eilver at about $60,000. T'hisin view of the great number of mineral collection maintained throughont the miniag territory is certainly not an over es- timate.” There is quite an extensive mananfecture of gold quartz into jow- elry and eouvenirs, particularly in 8an Francisco. The valued of metal 80 absorbed probably does not fall | short of $60,000 annually, Ia 1870 the United States mining commis- sioner estimated the amount of gold { hoarded as specimens or worked up by ) local jewelers at $40,000, The same \ suthority at that perlod estimated the annual loes of gold dust in haadling as currency at $100,000, but the practics of using dust for money has almost disappeared. The amount so lost now s very small. Auother indefiite quantity is the value of preclous metal lost in melt- ing, in assay, grains, ete. The study of the relation of the production to AN, population develops some curious ' fignres, ranging from an average of 1.01 por capita in Ne , the inter- veniug serles Indicating with groat Yroun n to what extent wining is a actor of wealth in the several localt- A DEFENSE OF THE HARBOR STEAL, Mer. Page, on behalf of the commit- tee on commerce, submitted a volum- inous report to accompany the river harbor bill, which they recommend. The committee advert to the last billof this character. They say the presi- dent, .exercising his oonstitution pre- rogative, retarned the bill to the house without his approval. Congress, ex- ercising its constitutional right, by two-thirds majority of each house, passed the bill, notwithstanding the | P objection by the president, and the bill became a law. Repablican news- papers in groat railroad centers raised [y hue and ory against the act and against those by whose votes it passed, bol- stering the attack with every pos- sible form of misrepresentation and persoral abuse in the endeavor to blind the people to their own best in- terests. At the re-assembling of con- gress, the president in his annual message took occasion again to advert to the appropriations for rivers and harhors, evidently misled by the de: ceptive officlal balance sheet and exnressed the hope that no similar measure will be deemed necsssary during the present congress. As if in harmony with this Intimation the sec- retary war dlsregarded in part several provisions of the law. He also failed to furnish the secrotary of the treas- ury aud chief englneer’s estimates of appropriations required for the service daring the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884,as requested to be transmitted to congress, Thls left yoar committee in the dark., Hence they reported a resolution, which was adopted by the house, calling upon tho secretary of war for reports of estimates of the engineer’s department aforeeaid, and certain other information touching on appropriations and expenditures for rivers and harbors, to which the secretary of war returned answer, January 4, 1883. Upon recasiving re- ports of estimates of the engineers your committee - to and other 8 il would be equivalent to throwing away the vast sums already expended in the interest of commerce and ren- dering worthless many uncompleted improvements, as well as subjecting many completed works to grest dam- age. Notwithstanding therefore the diverae views of the prestdent, your committee are impelled to present to tho house a river and harbor bill, as to set otherwise would be a palpable ser!- ous negleot of thelr duty to the house and to the natlon, Yonr committee have endeavored solicitously to frame such a bill only as is justified in all re- spéots by the absolute Interests of a general commerce, the ease and se- curity of existing navigation, and the rigid requirements of public opinions. The report goes on to criticise the action of the president and secretary of war in the following language: ‘As to the exercise of the veto pow- eron the last river and harbor bill, while it is undeniable that under the constitution the president the right to veto any bill passed by congress, yet it is equally undeniable that he should never lightly or unnecessarily exer- cise that right In regard to river and harbor appropriations. The presl- deni, through the secretary of war, either has power to withhold from ex- penditure any one or all of them, or he has not the power to withhold such expenditure, If the president has not power to so withhold, then he has falled in the obligation to carry out the law and overstepped the bounds prescribed by the constitution, If he has power to so withhold, then veto was quite unnecessary, The let- ter from the scoretary of war gives & liat «f thirty-one appropriations in the act of 1882, which the secretary says have been temporarily withheld by him at the suggestion cf the pres!- dent, The assertion of power to tewiporarily withliold carrles with it the implicatlon of power to perma. nently withhold, but whether it is the doty of the execative simply to exe- cute the law, except in cases where it it is absolutely impracticable or palpably unconstitutional and in that event to so report to congrees, is a matter upon which this coamittee 1s not dutiably bound at this time to express an opinion,” The committee goes Into a very lengthy argument in defense of the varions items appro- priated by the bill, and saya in con- clusion: ““The committee on commerce carefally considered the objections made by the secretary of war, sent by him to the house as his answer to the house resolutlon of Inquiry, and compared the statement as given by the secretary under each head, with the offi sial statementa of the englneer the beginulog of the second ses- sion ef the gress, which were printed in the hands of The product psr square mile corps, communicated to congress at Forty-seventy oon- and the secretary war, and this committee, before said recolutions were adopted by the house of reprosentativer, found that very many objections then made aro at va- riacce wish the statements of the en- gineers themselves, and conclustvely show that new and very extended ex- amination, which the secretary of war was gompelled to make, because of his wish to give satlsfactory answers to the Inquiries of the house, has not resnlted in soch answers as oan be satisfactory to the house, but are of a character to confuse and mislead both the house and the country.” furnished by each CONGRESSIONAL vary greatly. Thus while . Colo- |Special Dispateh to Tr Bnw. raio produces 40 or cent SENAEE PROCEEDINGS, WasningroN, February 21, —Sena- tor Van Wyok offored a resolution calling on the president for informa- tion tquching the alleged joint agree- mont between the ministers of the United States, Great Britain, France and Italy, at Lima, Peru, to make a jolnt effort to bring about a peace be- tween Chill and Peru, and whether the minister of the United States has been instructed to invite or accept the mediation of the European powers in a purely American question, Lald on the table. The senats then went into execu- tive session, When the duvors reopened tho senate proceeded to the consideration of the army appropriation blll. The first important amendment reported by the committee on military affairs was the insertion of a paragraph ap ropriating $143,000 for olvilian clerks ing for adjutant generals’ department and for headquarters ot military divisions snd departments. Adopted. The next amendment was to increase the num- ber of aids de camp for generals from twenty to thirty-seven, jstriking out the provision limiting the number and mnkln% provision asto the rank and pay and vo insert the following: *‘Provided that no officer shall remain absent from his regiment on duty at Wash. ington City for a longer perlod than three years at any one time, but this provision shall ot apply to officers on the staff of the commanding general of the army nor to cfticers in charge of the publication of records cf the war of the rebelllon or detailed to work on the Washington monument. The fact that the exception did not apply to officers of the signal sorvice oorps gave rise to discussion. Senator Maxey and others argned that thoee offisers should not bo removed from Washington after three yorrs’ nervice. Senator Logan, who has oharge of the bill, denled that he was hostile to that corps, and contended that the military dutles performed by it should be learned by all army officers, He wished all army officers to have an op portunly of learniug these duties. He proposed to offer an amend- ment that of the twelve signal service cffizers now in Washington four shall be sent back to the regi. without any referonce to the general question of woman -ufl‘rfio. Sonator Hoar said Mr. Edmunds proposed to deprive all the women of Utah the right of suffrage because he belioved a oertain olass of women would not vote as he thought they might voto. Senator Edmunds said the question of suffeage was a politioal question within the control of the politioal pow- ors; that what Mr. Hoar hed eaid about the opinions ¢f Mormon women wos entirely apari from this bill. If the resl opinions of those wowon could find expression, he would wish to bave them vote, because the very nature of every virtuous Wwo- men revolted againat polygamy snd all its fnfluences. It would not be constitutional to undertake to diefranchise any man or woman on account of oplnion but everybody except perhaps. mlE'Bhek could agree that in point of oon- | g gress could regulate in the Distelet of Columbia or in any territory oould confine it to property holdersof $100,- 000. Who desired to' kesp up the political . power of the pol’rmu Mormon church? He thflu- portance of breaking up the n system would jut?fy the suspension of fomale voting in Utah without any reference to the general question of woman suffrage. Senator Blair moved to amend the soventh section of the bill so as to make its provisions -yply to ‘Y o inatead of “‘femalen,” The bill amend- ments wore still pinding when the senate adjouned, HOUSE PROCEEDINGS. In the house the senate amendmerts to the pension appropriation bill wore concurrad in. Oaswell eubmitted a conferencs re. port on the postoffice appropriation bill stating the conferees had been un- able to agree. Caswe'l explained that the chtef points of-difference were the items appropriating $185,000 for #pec- ial mail facilities and relating to the compensation allowed to land. grant further conference was ordered. Pending amendment being that of- fered by Mr. McCOook, under direction of the military committees, ‘“‘that all lands reserved for military purposes (no longer desirable for such purposes) be placed under the control of the secretary of the interlor, to be by him eold at public sale for cash, no subdivision to exceed 160 scres, oto”” Amendmonts were added providing that the land shall uot be sold at less than $1 25 per acre; also providing that any seitlers who were in actual occupation ‘of a portion of any reservatfon prior to the location of the reservation end continued such occupation av the present time, shall be entitled to locate on the land on which they live under railroads for mail transportation. Ai:d to go into h ments in 1883, four in 1884 and four in 1885, He alluded to the fact that he had been attacked In editorial artioles all over the country as being hostile to the signal service corps. He said these editorials had been' inclosed to him in a letter, with the ivforma- tion that they been written in the dlzp.lmioe office, and pald_for :r: of government money. @ co! demonstrate vhe truth of that state: point of order. The question was then taken on striking out the clause limiting the number of aids de ocamp, providing that they shall not have any additional rank or pay, and it was stricken out. The next amendment was to the clause for 60 contract surgeons, to strike out 50 aud insert ‘‘not exceeding 80." Other amendment, to strike out pro visions requiring disbursing officers to give bonds and forbldding the fill- ing of future vacancles in the pay corps, were raled out of order. The amendment to strike out the provision limiting pay tor the transportation of troops to 50 per cent of the usual charges was also ruled out of order. On motion of Senator Plumb, an amendment was adopted limiting amounts to bs upcnSad for compe! tion ef civillan employes of the sov- eral departments of the army. = The bill was then reported to the senate and the amendments made in the committee of the whole agreed to, and the bill passed. The fortification appropriation bill wae called up by Senator Hale and ex- plalned by Senator Dawes. The amendments reported by the com- mll:::de were agreel to and the bill The report of the committee of con- ference on the blll granted the right of way to the Elkhorn railroad company through the Niobrara military reser- vation, Nebraske, was agreed to. Senator Edmunds called up the jotnt resolution to provide for the termination of the articles of the treaty of Washington to fisherles, Senator Windom asked Edmunds whether the section of the joint reso- lution repealing the act to carry Into effect the provislon of the treaty re- lating to fisheries would repeal the law under which goods are permitted to be transported In bond throngh Amer- ican territory, . Senator Edmunds said to avoid all ponsible misconstruction on this potnt he would move to limit the application of this section of the resolution by in- serting the words, ‘‘so far as it relates to articles of sald treaty so to be ter- minated.” This amendment was agreed to, The joint resolution then passed, Sanator Edmuands moved to take up the Utah btll, Senator Call opposed the motion, Senate by avote of 20 to 17 decided to take up the bill, Senator Hoar moved to strike out the eeventh section, which provides it shall not be lawfal for any female to vote at any election hereafter held in territory of Utah for any public pur- pose whatever, Senator Edmunds defended the pro- ylsion, The votes of Mormon women were controlled by the men who de- sired to keep up the political power of the Mormon church. He thought the importance of breaking up the Mor mon system would fally justify the suspension of female voting In Utah the homestead laws. The amendment as amended was adopted. Mr Boaltzhgover moved to amend by striking out the clause authoriging the was based on false Information, The gentloman had charged General Hazen with being a general without a battle, 8 commander without a history, Had he kuown tho alightent rudiments of hla country's history he would have known General Hazen had been under fico a8 maay times as any officer in the service. In conneotion with charge, the gentleman said Gen- eral Hazon strutted on the stage and wore muniments of war shorn of all that makes it honorable. He (Taylor) did not know what General Hazen wore; if he wore the “muniments of war" he wore something no other gen. tleman did.” Mr. Oalklos boro testi- mony to General Hazon's bravery dur- ing the war. Mr. Beltzhoover then went on with his speolfications and charges: _Ninth—That Hezen had been run. ning up expenditures of the bureau to double what they were under How- ato. Tenth—That Hazon's petty frauds and peculations were more bold and infamons than Howgate's. Eleventh—That} Hazen was found gullty of base and ignominous coward- ice and the moet disgracetul daplicity. Twelfth—That Hezon's management of the bureau had not only been pro- fligate and extravagant beyond paral- lel, but a'so without adequate results, Mr. Converse denied the charges of Hszon's cowardloe, He bore a mus- ket ball in his body he received in honorablo warfare, yet he was arrayed as cowardly a men who never saw a battle, What was the meaning of this? He could tell. Tt was the rem- nant of a quarrel that had ntarted years ago, when a colonel came before on Investigation committee and dared glve testimony that threw from one of the highest places In the United States, the man who ocouples it.” That quarrel had been continued from that hour to this, and Gen, Hazon had never seen A day of poace or rest sinco he gavo his testinony. Spies had sur- ronnded him and gone into his very offize. Snv@nFen had been employ- s spittoons and waste baskets to pick up remnants of papers nd examine them, Mr. Taylor—-And Beltzhoover has hem, Mr, Converse—And this stuff print. od here againet Gon, Hazen is largely remnante which hsve becn dragged out of his wasto batket. Mr. Beltzhoover said the informa tion on which he based his charges was derived largoly from the record of evidonce and esserted that the records of Hazen's court martial corroborated his charge of cowardice, As to the remarks of tho gentlemen from Ohio (Coaverse), “Did the gentleman mean to puy that either hs or Gen Hancock, or Gen, Sherman, or the president, or the secretary of war, was in A conapiracy to break down a poor little brigadier general, Hazen, because he had brought on the Bel- knep trial?” r. Converse-—'‘No, and they have of war to detall efficers for servico in the signal -exolusive of lieutenants in & a8 authoriz:d by law. this smendment Beltshover made an and that 1t should be transferre: some ocivil department of the government; especially that it should be placed nnder charge of a head who had some scientific knowl- edge, some standiug and reputation nmongriopnlu socientiats of the coun- try. e specch which he had had printed some time sgo in the Racord had been eritiotssd because it had not been delivered on the floor of the houvse, In order to avoid any misan- derstanding he had formulated his statements in brief form, as followe: Virst—The administration of the signal service bureau under H. W, Howgate was the most corrupt, profli- to and dishonest which ever existed. the annals of the government. Second—Howgate's metlods were characterized by employment of the whole slgnal service force log rolling to influence congress to pass legisla- tion for the barean, Third—While apparently expending the full appropriation in keeping up the efficlenoy of the service, How was stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars, The amount of his larcenies reached $600,000. Fourth —While this corrupt, felo- nious schems was in progress, How- gate was surrounded by a number of educated, well paid employes, who were_either marvellously stupid or criminally culpable, Fifth—That no inveatigation of any kind had been made (0 ascertain the character or extent of these frauds, nor had the perpstrator been brought to trlal. There wero some reasons for this which some persons around the signal bureau kuew better than anybody olse, . Sixth—General Hazen had never brought Howgate to trial, but had left every employe of Howgate's ‘in control of the bureau. B At this point Mr, Beltzhoover asked leave to Erlnt some of Howgate's let- tere In The Record, but E, B. Taylor, (Ohio), objected. 1 Mr, Beltzhoover contined: Seventh—Hazen not only failed to bring Howgate to justice, but adopted precisely the methods of Howgate in using employes of the bureau to in- fluence congress through boards of trade and newspapers Eighth— Hazen had made false pre- tonses to the war department to secure details of regular officers to bo used for that purpose. Mr, Taylor In reply defended Gan- eral) Hazen's integrity, He critizlsed Beltzhoover's action in makiu, as- sault upon that officer in & spesech which was not openly delivered, but was printed in The Record. That whole speech was fouuded en incor. rect information. This morning the gentleman agaln made an assault on Gonera' Hazen, the burden of his speech being that the cfficer did not prosecute Howgate, What had he to do with that prosecution? It was an unjust charge, it was an unreasonable charge, It was without foundation, and like the whole of the tlrade, it THE STATE CAPITOL. Another Remarkably Exciting Day in the Legislature. A Forged and Fraudulent Com- mittee Report Oirculated by the Otoe Statesman, The Benate Unanimouely Re- pudiates and Denounces tke Document. A Brilliant and £ uocessful Bat- tle Waged by the Oppon- ents ofthe Oapitol Steal. The Bribe.givers Orowd the Hall Well-Heeled With Lincoln Lucre. Astounding Testimony of Montgomery Before the House Oommittee, Olosely Followed by the Fatal Col- lapse of His Memory of Men and Things ‘The Benate Rallroad Bill in the House ~The Hall and Lobby Crowded ‘With monovolles. Special Dispatch to Tun Bax, LixcoLx, Fobruary 21, —The senate consumed half the day discussing the Koarney Reform school appropriation, In tho committee of the whole the amount was finally reduced from $76,000 to $50,000, and thus recom- mended the bill for passage. In the house the committee investi- gatlog the bribery charges on the vapitol appropriation had before them Oarl Montgomery, of Omahs, who tully corroborated the chargo as pub- lished by Tur Ber, concerning the member bribed wich §5(0. He further testified that the leading business men of Linculn contributed a large fund for conveying the appro- priation. He deolined glving the name of the membor, although admitting he had himself shaken hands with him when the Incident related by 'I'me Bee ocourred and knew hira, The committee will report to the house aud ask for instractions, Montgom- pever mado euch charges ss the gen- tleman ropeats, - But 1 do believe ‘that men have set on Hazou's track, using foul words to him 1n order to drive him into a fight and get an op- portanity to kill him,” Mr, Butterworth earnestly defended Goneral Hazen’s character for honesty bravery and himself in an unenviable Iighmfie the country in attacking that officor without formulating his charges and asking for an Investigation, Mr. Beltzhoover stated he would have demanded an investigation but for the approaching adjournment of congress, The amendment was then lost. Oa motion of Mr. Hiscock an amendment was adopted authorizing tho secretary of war in his dlscretion to make forther detall of officers for service on arctic sea expeditions, Mz. Blackburn offered *an amend- * | ment reducing the appropriation for geological survey feom $240,000 to $222,000. After discussion and pending action the committee roze and the house ad- journed. —————————— The Flooded Distriot. Spec'al Dispatches to Tur Bar. C1xcINNATE February 21, —The river contioues to decline at the rate of an ioch an hour, It 1s now low enongh to ollow steamers to use the public landing, The inundated distriot is coverod with wagons filled with busy men, There seems no ground for alarm from the accumulation of filth, The relicf committee has kept the streots clean as fast as the water re- ceded. Additions to the relief fund to-day amount to $9,600, making & total of $146 000, 81 Lous, February 21,—The coun- try opposite Cairo on the Missouri side ls submerged, and the people have either abandoned their homes or are living in the second stories, The town ls als» filled with ice, which has floated in from the river. The bot- tom lands on both sides of the Mis. sissippl below Cairo are flooded. Great damsgd’ls being down to farm property. He Wants It Looked After. Special Dispatch to Tuw Bex. COuicaco, February 2L——-Ju.d|(e Williamson 1o charging the grand jary impanneled in the criminnl court for the Febrnary term drew speoial atten- tlon to the practics. of carrying con- cealod weapons. It was their duty, he sald, to indict all persons found carrylog dangerous weapons. The crimes and violenoe arising from such habit demand vigorous measures, W. T. Allen & Co., wholesale gro- cers, sssigned this morning, but the amount of labilities and asseis are uot yet reported. The firm say that they expect to settle and continue business. Huge Railroad Pool. Spscial Dispatch toTus [ ¥k New Yorxk, February 21~ The ex- ecutive committen of the trunk lives and mansgers of the westorn roads formulated an agreement to-Cay pledg- ing to maintaln rates, refuse to accept through bills from connecting road found guilty of cntting, and to d charge any employee making cut rates or glving rebate, ery aleo declined to divalge the name of the merchant, or rather leading man of Lincoln, who made the origi- nal charge. He intimated that if the huse inslsted he would rather disclose the name of the membor than the name of his friend. The senate com- mittee s also inveatigating the bribery Bpecial Dispatoh to Tus Bus GROUT'S GAMMON, Lincorw, February 21.--Daring ihe day a pamphlet purporting to be the report of the joint railroad committee and signed by Grout, of Otoe county, a8 chairman, and George L Brown as secretary of the senate, and the first asslstant olerk of the house, has been olrculated very extensively through- out this city. This fact came to the knowledge of the special railroad com- mittee of the senate for the first time this afternoon when Senator Reynolds offered the followlng: WHEREAS, A oertaln printed docu- ment has been Iafd upon the tables of the members of this senate which pre- tends and purports to be the report of the joint committee on ealiroads, and whereforo tlis document is not the roport of said jotnt reilroad committee, but as we belleve it is an argument made and prepared by rallroad suthori- ty and dictation, and under their su- pervision, and no part of the investl- gatlon that came under our knowl- edge, and a8 a_joint report wo brand it as a fraud, Ic is evidently intended to mislead the people, and does entirely misreprenent the whole senate portion of said commiitee, we therefore de- nounce 1t as a fraud and totally deny that we concur in ‘any portion of ir, and we respeotfully ask asa question of privilege that this explanation and repudiation of this fraudulent report be placed upon the minutes of this senate. (Signed) 8 § Rerxoos, W. H. Dec, Fara Broww, Committee, The resolution was unanimously adopted and ordered spread upon the records of the senate. This action of the house special railroad committee was denounced by many of the senators D outrage, A" committee of senators, Messrs, Sowers, Harrlton and Dye, were ap- potuted to investigate and find out who gent tho copy to the printer, and place the responsibillty where it be longs. George L. Brown, necretary of the senate, denios that he even signed the document, This has been the most exciting day of the session, The struggle in the senate over THE CAPITOL BILL attracted crowds of spectators to the floor and gallerles, and the most splen- did debate was carried on for nearly five hours, The most exhaustive speech against the bill was .made by Dech, who created quite a sensation in asserting that testimony had been given before the investigating commit: teo of the house that inculpates at least one member and shows corrupt means had been used in securing its passage. Btown, of Douglas, and Mo the senators to withhold support from this bill both on account ¢f the popu- lar demand for economy and the namo its passage wonld give this legls- latare. Brown c¢f Lancester, and Batler, vere the loading champlona of the bill aud Schoenheit tried to ridi- ocule the chargo of bribery and ecor- roption, The opponeuts kept up the assaults and by numeroas amendments and motions tired its supporters out and carried its consideration over till to- morrow, In the house the battle raged irom 9a m. to7 p. m. over THE SENATE RAILROAD BILL with bat brief intermission and some ex- cellent speeches were made proand con The railroad lobby on the floor and in the cloak rooms swarmed like fleas cn o dog In dog days, and they kept up constant commuuion with membere, Superabundant lawyers and attorneys distribitued themselves in the seats on the floor, directing members when to rise or alt down as motions were made and amendments offered. This feat- ure was not only disgraceful, but POSITIVELY DISGUSTED. The house voted down neatly all amendments. The worst amendment adopted was to strike out three-cent paszonger fare and substitute ‘‘fonr cents per mile,” It Is not probable the senate will accept this should the bill pass, which as yet Is doubtful. The qulln attitude of the Lancas- ter delegation on behaif ot the rall- ronds, and sgainst all reasonable rail- road leglalation, has arrayed a num- ber of senators against the capitol bil), and it is almost certain that the defeat of the senate rallroad bill will kill the oapitol?bill. 'inal discussion of the railroad bill is set for to-morrow morning. It now looks as if the legislature would not adjourn before Saturday. The investigation into the corrupt op- erations of THE CAPITOL RING created great consternstion among them, but they all displayed lamenta- bly poor memory and stupldity in t tifying. They knew nothirg abont the fand raised here to procure the passage cf the bill. No sooner had Montgomery put in an appearance than he was beselged by the capltol lobby, They induced him to employ Harwood as his attorney. His mem- ory also became confused, and while he corroborated the statement made by Tuk BEg, both before the house and sevate committees, HE FAILED TO MATERIALIZE the parties that were prime factors of his story. He thought O. O. Burr was, to his present recollection, the person that denounced the bribed member. in his presence, or he thought it might be another man, Burr wae brought in, ac- cording to amme, and he dented having any talk whatever with Montgomery or eéven meeting him here last week. Montgomery, who at first testified that the unknown friend was an intimate acquaintancs of nine ears standing, could not now identify fim, and whils o admitted that he knew and could name the bribed member, he ponitively dec'ined to dis- olose his name, Here the matter rests Clyde line, running between New York and Charleston, was totally de- stroyed by fire early this morning. The officers and orew had barely time to esospe with what clothing they happened to have on. The Marro Castlo was to have started for New York to-day, and had recelved one- half of her cargo, consisting of cotton, naval stores, etc. e —————— Past the Danger Line. Bpecial Dispatoh fo Tau Bxz. Mempuis, Fobruary 21.— The river this morning at 6 o'clock marked 34 feet, which is the danger line, and the water continues to rise slowly. —_— The :Clergymen Censured. Special Dispateh to Tun Bue. New York, February 21.--The ooroner this morning selected a jury toinvestigate the causes of the fatal disaster yesterday. Crowds to-day visited the place and discussed the torrible affalr. Many were loud in their denunclations of the oclergymen in permitting the stair case, which they say has been in a frail condition for some time past, to remain without being properly strengthened, Those injured will recover, The bodles of the dead children will be taken to the Ohaureh of the Most Holy Redeemer to-morrow morning, when funeral services will be conduoted. e ———— A Swindler's Two by Six K=l Hpectal Dispatch o Tuu Bun. PuiLAvELPHIA, February 21.—Mr Donald Smith Peddle, a fugitive, wa buried in the Potter's field. He swindled the Dissenting Ministers Friend society, of Edinburg, -and other orphan asylums out of $130,000. —————— Sing Sing Soldiers. Special Dispatch to Tis Brs. Siva Siva, N, Y., February 21.— Twenty-elght men in the foundry at the prison refused to work this morn- ing. 'The twenty eight men who re- volted this morning when locked up were cheered by the other men, who were also locked up. The men clalm the work was too hard. Discipline is badly broken up and the officers are insulted and mocked at. The doctor was often threatened. Violence may come at any time, A Fatal Mistake Special Dispateh to Tus xn CorsicaNa, Tex., February 21— Tho family of William Bush, living twelve miles southeast of here, were poisoned by having morphine admin- {stered lustesd of quinine. The moth- er and three children dled from the effects. A oy IR TR The Seventeenth Victim, Spocial Dispatch to Tus Bun. P New YoRk, Fahrnl? 21.—Katle Gerlach, seven, is dead, the sev- Shane also made strong appesls to|enteenth viotim of the school disaster,