Forty-fourth Congress

Tuespay, March 7.- Stnoí.- Oordon introUicod a reBolution inatructíng the Financie Coiuaittee to ascertain, if poesible, what amenamente 0 the ReveüUe laws are neeoBsaí-y to prevent frauda n the ct)llectith of the revenue. Laid over - írelinghUyiwn'B bijl fot tile protection of agricuK ,ttro agaiiiHt íuuriouB insccts waa passed. . . .The ?inchback caso waa again debated withaut reaching 1 vote. Hoxtse. - Laurence introduced a bilí to pro vent nonopoly and exorbitant charge in tradiug establishnients at military poeta, and to secure good orier at the same ; aleo, a bul to protect witueeses in the trial of inipeachinent caBee Cason (Ind.) Ldt roduced a bilí to repeal bo much of the Reeumption btll as provides for tho ro[lemption of legal tender notes .... Clynier, Ohairman of tho Comraittee on Expenditures of the War Department, rising to a questíon, stAted that a fliibpfnna had been served on hini to auptw.r bef ore tho Gtand Jilry of the District Üourt aüd bring with hiin all papera, checks, documenta, etc., and to testify in regard to the charges pending in that court against the late Secretary of War. Two of bis colleagues, Robbins and Blackburn, had been similarly fxibpo3nacd. He (Clynier) had appeartd before tho court, and had stated that in obedience to law he appeared at the bar to obey its order, but that as a member of the Committee of the House he feit it wou Id bo prejudicial to the higheet intereats of the country that hls coUcdgUts and hiñaelf Bhould be compelled to stfttiï what liad transpired in thoir eommitteeïooui. A long and excitlng debate followed, participated in by Blaine, Larnar, Kasuon, Hoar, Knott, Panforth and others. The Republicana intiinated that the witneaB Marsh had been allowod to escapo the country through sonie motive which the Demócrata had, and it was charged on the Democratie side that the President and Cabinet were instrumental 111 driviug liim out of the country tlirough jhitimidation. It was flnally decided by thn IIouBe - yeas, 130; nays, 75- that it would not be proper for the membors of the committee to go beforo the grand jury. Wednesday, March S.-Senaie. - Cameron (Wís.) preaonted a petition, efgned by over 10,000 perRona, praying that a law be pupsrul prohibiliüg membera of accret Bociêties frotn holding office under the Öoverntnent or serving as jurors Wright presented a concurrent resolution for an adjournment of Congret?B on the lat of May. Referred to tho Appropriation Committee The Pinchback caso was flnally dispoeod of, by the adoption of a resolution declaring that he ia not cntitlcd to a scat as Senator from Louiaiana. House.- The 8peaker announced the appointment of the following committee on mattere connectcd with the so-called whisky frnudij and the AttorneyGencraVs office! KnOttiChairlnant iïatriö(Va.)f Oldver, Cochrane, McMahon, McCrary, and Plaistcd.... iandall, the Chaimian of the Committee on Appro)riatlons, reportcd the Legislativo and Executive Appropriation bill. and made a statement as to the reduotion proposed in it. The estimates from the departmenls for tho BUbjecta embraced in the bill amounted to $20,773,306. The appropriations in the eame bill, at tho laat Bession, were $18,731,000, and the appropriations reported in thisbill were $12,71)9, 883, so that it wae a reducüon of about $8,000,000 on the eat 'mates, and a feduction of about $6,000,000 on tho bill of last ycar. Betüdes that, the committee had laid, in this bill, the foundation of further reduetions to tbc amount of $5,000,000 Tho Judiciary Committee, through Knott, the Chairman, made a report to the Houbo atating that Caleb P. Marsh, the witness upon whoso testimony articles of impeachment against Bclknap had been frained, iad abscnted himself from the country, ' uid that probably bis attendance as a ' vitness before the Senate cannot bo procured io , onvict eaid Belknap of high crimea and misdeaieaDors in office ; they therefore recomniend ;hat the resolution instructing the Comniittee )n tho Judiciary to preparo artielesof impeachment ' igainat William W. Belknap, late Secretary of War, for high Times and mledemeanore n office, be recomiuitted to eaid comtnitloe, with power to take furthw proofs. ;o aend for peraonB and papere, to Bit iuriuR the eessious of the House, and to report at iny time. The committee also roportcd to the üoubo two billa - one to proteet witnesses who shall bc required to testify beforo Congressional committees, and another for the punihment of witnesses tvho Hhall willingly absent theinselves when subpenaed - with a recommendation that they bn immediatcly passed. A long and bittcrly partisan debate ensued, which was participated in by Knott, Lawrence, KasBon, Blaine, Clymer, Blackbnrn, Danford, and othera. Eaoh party charged upon the otUor the respon Bibüity for the escape of the witnesa Marsh. The impeachment resolutions were tlioti recommitted to tho Judiciary Committee, the bill for the protection of witneeses passed, and the bill for the punishment of recusant witnesses referred to the Judiciary Committee. Thürsday, March 9.- tenate.- Gordou callod np his reaolution of Tuesday in regard to tho collection of the revenue, and proceeded to Bpeak in support of it. Hö made a severo attack on the administration. A hot partisan contest followed, in which Gordon, Morton, Sherman, Withcrs and Edniunds tooit part. jfifo-use.-'-Clark (Mo.) íntroduced a bill to regúlate the Balarles of postmastera. It provides that tho maximum ealaiy and compecaation of any postmaster shail not excecd $4,000, except in New York, where it Hhall be $6,000 A bill waa paused authorizing the sender of any third-class mail niatter to writo on the outside wrapper his or her name or addreas, with the number of the articles inclosed .... A resolution was adopted instructing the cQmmittc on Indian affaira to inquire into the expediency of opening up the Indian territory to settlement Lewis offered a reeolution direeüng an investigation íuto the charge that Representativo Hayes (la.) had j been gxiiïty of selling a West Poínt cadetship Tucker Íntroduced a sot of rcsolutions deftuing the du tice and prerogatives of the house in matter of impeachment, which we re referred. Fbiday, March 10. - tenate. - Tho proceedings in the senate wore devoid of interest, a large ïortion of the day being devoted to the consideration of tho bill enabling New Mexico tí) form a confititution and come into the uiuon aB a state. The bill was finally passed. House. - The moet of the time of the house was consumed by the members of the committee on cxpenditures of the war department in makiug explanations of the ïart each played in tlio Bolknap investigation, and wrangiing over the escape of the witness MarBh and the responsibility therefor. Saturday, March 11.- fknate.- Not in eesBion. House. - Cook, from the Committee on Military Affairs, reported a bilí to equahze the bountics of soldiere.... Jonk introduced a bill to transfer the Pension Bureau from the Interior to the War Department.... Banning presented the protest of the Cincinnati distillers against any law changing the tax on whisky Townsend (Pa.) delivered a Bpeech in opposition to the reduction of CongreRt.mcn'8 salarie i alluding to Handall's vote for increaBed alary at the last ncssion, Itandall replied that the pcoplc had condemncd that measurc, and he aceppted the verdict. White- Do I underetand the gentleman to say he realizod the fact that the country condemned his vote on the back-aalary question ? lïandall - It is none of your buBiness wliat I realize. [Ianghter.] I have made my statement in that connection. White - Does not the gentleman beliove that the country wotild dr bettorpleaeed if that back salary was refundcd? Randall- That i noneof yourbUMneeseither. {Lnughter,] When I do aught here that does not beconie a reprcKcntutivc, the peoplc will take care to consign ne back to private life. The law gave it Ui me. My peoplc havo approvod of me Bince, and it does uot lie in the power of any miserable manhere- [laughterj - to talk a bout my conscience. Monday, March 13.- Senaie.- AUison intioduced a bill providing for an agreemeut with the Stioux nation with regard to a portion of their reservation The Seuato devoted noarly tho entire day to the connideration of Morton's bill to regúlate the connting of tho votes for President and VicePresidont. ifoutr,. - Campbell presentcd a petition of citi.ens of Illinois askiug for the repoal of the Specie ItcRumption act Several bilis we re Íntroduced, includlng the foilowiug: By Hewitt (AU.), prohibitiug contributions from tlie ofllcern and employés of the Government for politicál purposcn ; by Dibrell (Tenn.), for the benefit of the dtetillern f a loss quantity than "0ü barrels per year; by Lamiera, to allow se vent y days' vacation, with pay, to aU Government employés, to atteud the Ccn tenn lal colebration ; by Fort, to reorgauize and consolídate the Tcrritories, and to pro vide l'or their speedy admisión Hiatos, aleo, to impose a tax on tho salen of stock and bulllon ; by Brown, granting tl ie right of way lo railroad companics through tho Indian Territory; by Carmon, to exempt persons ongaged in the postal Bervice from nulitia duty and from jury service ; by IiUim-. regarding the rcgulation of comiiierce and navigatiou, and of htcam vesBels, also, by request, declaring the 14th of April, 1876, a legal holiday in Washington city; by Meado, by requept, to próvido for a mcrecc-nain rcsnmption of specie paymontrt on Jan. 1, 1879 Baker (Ind.)f offered a resolution reciting that "the people of the United Ktatcs conetitute one nation and not a confedcracy of States or nations; Ihat the Constitutlon was formed by the people actiug in thcir primary and individual capacUy, tlirongli Uit' ir delegatee thereto duly oonBtituted; that the Government under the Constitution is one of tho pcoplr, by tho people, and t'or the poople, and that ín it appropriate sphere the Govtrnment of tliin nation íh sovercign and supreme ; that in ita nature it is permanent and indiesoluble, except by the action and consent of the whole people ; that no State has any right or autliority to jiuIro of the contitutionality of the lawsinacted by Coni'1. or to nullify the execution of the Kame ; and that all ovort acts by any Statn or peoplo thercof, of Rcceusion therefrom, or of rebeiliou, against the Hume, constítute ticanoit, and that the late nar of rebellion i'or the dismemberehlp of the Union was cauelesH and indefensibie on any tbeury of riglit or oí coufltitutioiial law." He moved that tho rules be suspended and the reeolution adopted, and he called for tho yeas aud imys, which were ordored. Cox ïi-h'-ii whether the resolution was divisible Tho Speaker responded tliat tlie motlon to snspend the rules and udopt the rcKolutlon wub nol divisible. The uiotioii to Hiispond the rules aud adopt tho rcKolution was rejocted- yoaf, 91 ; nays, 71 - two-thirdB not ha ving voted in the aillrmative. Cox Uien offert d the lollowiiii rcHolutioni : Reêolved, That the people of tho United States constitute a nation in the hviw, to the extent, and for th purpoüff denuod in the Federal Constitution. Resolved, That the Government of the United States is a Federal Union, and waH formed by the people of the seviral States in thfir BovpreiKn capacity ; that the righta and poworR of the Ünited Rtates (tovernment are defiued and limiWd by the Fcdeï'al ödttfltltuUon, aüd thise tiuhtn and powers öannot bo. ehlargpd or (llrninislna ex-eoytt by an ameudment to the ConetitUtioii. Resolved, 'that tho riKhtK of States have the same Banction Of ecurity in the Copstitution üb the riahta and oweVfl of ihe tederal Ctovtirn inent, ahd thtit )o"al domentlc governhietit by tilo aeveïal Slftt wHllin tho limita of tho Constitution is nbsohiioly n'csáry foí tile preservation of the Hbetties of the ciüzon and coutiiiuancc of our.republicnn HVBtejtl of government. Jicxolved, Thrtt the doctrine ihat any State has (he right to secede f rom the Uníou ia in conflict with the idea of a perpetual nnion aB con U mplated by tho Conatitution, and fthould be regarded as being forevcr extinRUiRhed by the rcsult of the recent eivil conflict. Holman called for the yeas and nays, and they were ordtred. Blaine expreBsed the hope that every Union man in the House wonld vote againat the rcsolutions. Tho motion to suspend the rulcB and adopt the rcRolutions waa adopted- yeas, 150 ; uaj b, 42. We glean from tho New York papers the following neart-rending details of the destruction by firo of the Brooklyn Homo for the Aged, by which eome twenty olil and infirn poople met death iu ita most appaUing fortn. The home was under chargo of the Little Sisters of the They there afforded a home to the aged and indigent of all religious persuasiOns, and have by this noble work earned the blessings of large numbers of destitute and inflrm, whose condition espeeially appealed to their sympathies. These Sisters of the Poor are for the most part of Frencli extraction, and have had eighteen homes in the United States conducted on the samo principie that thoy oonduoted the institution oh Bushwick atentie. Thöir fuñas are obtained by their own appeals to the charity and philanthropy of the public, and they aak for no othorassistanee. The fire broke out at 4 o'clock in the morniüg, and so rapidly did it spread that in lens than half an hour the whole east wing of the building was in flames. The alarm was transmitted to engino 17, on DeKalb avenue. The engines wero on the spot and bogan thoir work -with courage aud promptitude. Soon after their arrival thev were reinforced by other lire conipanies f rom the eastern district, under comniand of the assistent chief engineer. The scène that confronted them was such as to baffl e description . Within the building, as seen from the outside, the aspect was tragic in the extreme. "Save me!" "Save me!" roso with piercing emphaais from the cracked and feeble vöices of old men who were bedridden, re-echoed by women who were crippled. With tho euergy of despair, and in the wild effort to avert death, the mere thought of which makes tho heart stand momentarily still, tho aged creatures besieged the windows, and opening theni allowed a current of air to pass in and fan the flames. Their screams were dreadful. One poor old man, as the faines rushed toward him, whero he stood in a third story -vindow, got upon the window-sill, and jumped (or, rathor, threw himself down upon the ground.) He was killed instantly ; and his example came near having a fatal effect upon another of his companions, who imitated it, and was carried from the pot with his bones broken and his joints dislocated, suffering terrible agoriy. In the woman's department, after the panic had in some degree subsided. many of the females sank into inertia, and, after the pólice dragged them away from their cots on which they had lain down, they retumed to the room and insisted on going to bed agaüi. It was with the greatest difüculty that they eould be induced to leave, and when they were led outside, they wandered about aimiessly until many of them were.picked up by cnaritable persons in the yicinity and provided with shelter. Others of them insisted on saving the beds on whieh they had slept ; others bewailed the sad condition of the sisters, and all of them gave way to idiosyncrasy wholly foreign to the supremo necessity that impelled the officers to get them out as quickly os possible. Meanwhile the terrible work of destruction was going on in the ill-fated east ving. There Üie flames, gathering energy, as if stimulated by the despair of human beings, shot from the basement to the first floor, and in rapid succession to the roof, through which their forked tongues projected, in fifteen minutes after the lire got well under way. The work of demolition was rapid, and to avert its spread the flremen worked with determination. iney were, nowever, impeaea Dy tae male inmates, who, on tlie firemen going inside, insiated in cliugiug to them, and thus hindered thein in their efforts. Shortly beforo tho roof feil in, which occiirred abont 5 o'clpck, the pólice were obligad to go up nnd rescue íroin it a number of old creatures who had fled thence in terror. At the hour of 5, however, the roof over the cast wing gave way and feil, carrjring in its descent the debris of the chaired floors, the whole pile of rubbish descending to tho basement. A volume of sraoke rolled upward as it feil, and the fiiemen continued to pour a liberal volume of water upon the ruins beneath, which, with tlie burning wood and iron work of the cota, etc., that had fallen in it, hissed and sizzled. When the smoke cleared away, the firemen saw that the effort they had made to ave the building had resulted successfully. They had cut the roef over the first tier of dormitories, and had thua cut off the approach of the flames to the second tier, although into the latter the flre had rushed, scorching the beds beneath their intirm and prostrato occupants. In one of theae rooms on the tliird story, second tier, a horrible sight presented itself to the gaze of the flreman who iirst was able to make his way through smoko and fíame i uto it. There, stretched upon their pallets, the mattresses, quilts, and even pillows, of which had been singed by lire, beiug partially covered with water thafc had subdued the flames around I them, lay tho corpsesof niue un fortúnate creatures, some of whom were paralytic3, and all of whom had been unable to leave their beds. A fgw of them wero burned, and the hair npon their heads singed, but all doubtless died froiri suffocation caused by smoke. On the second floor, likewise, one old man was found dead seated in a chair. He also died of asphyxia, and had been so infirm that he was unable to leave lus seat. The firemen, however, continued the work of pourijig water upon the embers, and when these cooled they began tho search for those who were burned. Their labors brought from beneath the debris the charred and mangled bodies of eight men, whoso remains feil with the floors on which they perished. This made in all eighteen dead victima of tlie holocaust, including those who died from suflbeatiou. Those burned were of coui'ko uurecognizable, and their black - ened remains presen ted a sickening sight as the firemen dragged them out and gave them in charge to the sisters, tho clergy, and the brethren from St. John's college. These, in turn, conveyed tlie remains to the basement of the institution, and there wrappcd them up in sheets and blankets to await the anival of the corner.