Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1881 — FROM WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

FROM WASHINGTON.

GOWK HOME. Washington, December 20. i The members are rapidly disappearespecially the Democrats, who have little interests in the formation of the committees. , Most of the Republicans fhd have committee aspirations are stHi here. The funeral of Lambert Tree, Br., father of Lambert Tree, of Chicago, . s»*4b died yesterday, takes place iomorrow. He had been in the Go\ eminent service over fifty-eight years. *> • bill. • whole number of House bills so far introduced reaches 2,224. ' Secretary Hunt announces that he Would nor-accept again his seat ou the Court of Claims bench, which leavts gn excellent fiekl for Hon. John B. Hay, of the Belleville 4 (Ill.) District, who is being so earnestly urged tor the place. The fact that the East has been getting all the plums of late is another point in his favor. _ CENSUS FIGURES The latest figures from the census bureau-show Illinois to be the fourth State In the Union in population, New York, Pennsylania and Ohio, leading In the order named. Obio is 121,000 ahead yet, but Illinois had however, gained rapidly on her in population and percentage in the last ten years. Illinois will probably be the third State in the Union in population by the next decennial. . QUALIFIED. Judge Davis qualified as First Assistant Secretary of Slate this morning* TARIFF INQUIRY. The Senate Committee on Finance, by a majority vote, has decided to recommend for passage, without amendment, the bill recently introduced by Mr. Morrill, providing f° r the appointment of a commission to investigate iiie question of tariff and internal revenue laws, and also decided to report adversely on the Tariff Commission bill introduced by Mr. Garland. The Morrill was placed in charge of Mr. Bayard, to be reported after the holiday recess. • DENIED.

The report started*' here that Presi'deut Arthur i« engaged to be married to Miss Frelinghuysan, daughter of the Secretary of State, and that the weddiDg will take place before many is denied by good authority at the White House. The President will spend the Christmas holidays in New York with his family. He will leave here Thursday next aud return Saturday, the 31st. His fiist public reception will be held at the White House, Monday, January 2. ou which occasion he will i»e assisted oy the wives of the Cabinet officers. r _ BLAISE AND THE I'F.ESIDENCY. A prominent Republican' and sagacious politician makes the startling prediction that Blaine will be the Democratic candidate for the (President yin 1884. He says President Ar thur will so manage affairs aud administer his office that no other Republican will stand a ghost of a show before the Republican Convention in that year, and Blaine, realizing this, will seek the lulfillment of his lifelong ambition at the hands of the Democratic party. The gentleman referred to as making this prediction has always been friendly with Blaine, and does not seem to think that in seeking tbe nomination at tbe hands of the Democracy the ex-Secretary would be guilty of anything particularly meriting condemnation, or even sharp adverse criticism. Washington, December 21*-~ DR. HAMILTON'S TESTIMONY, '

The Guiteau trial was resumed this morning, and Dr. Frank H. Hamilton, of New York, took the stand. Mr. Seovilie desired to have' other experts excluded during the testimony, but the court ruled against him. During the argument on this point, Mr. Davidge was interrupted by Guiteau, who said: “I will cut this short, Judge, ■ by saying I am perfectly willing to have them here. I want them to learn all they can. I have so much confidence in their honor and integrity that”— ' j - Duvidge—That is precisely what I am coming to. Qiflteau—You are on the right track, Judge. I’ll take you on my side; you are engaged for mv side of this case. Witness “was questioned at great length relative to the operations of minds, siguiScance ol dreams, and unconscious expressions, as indicative of mental processes. Counsel for prosecution protested agajmt the arvpai en t objectless direction of the inquiries. Soovllle (smilingly)—Well, gentlemen, ltoKi you I did not know much atxAit this subjeot. Guiteau —Then you had better get offtbe case it you don’t know anything about It. I think Reed and I can do better than you, judging by the way you are laboring, i Looking over the note* which Hooville held in his hand), be continued, “you’ve got a lot of staff there. It ie not in yoar handwriting; I guess it mast have been contributed by some crank.” Guiteau appeared to be dissatisfied with the result of the ex-mina ion, and fiualiy said to Seovilie: “Oh, tear

that stuff up, Scoville. Send this man' down and call dark Mills; he’s a good deal better man for you than this one. He took a cast of my head the other day, thinking some people would be interested to see it, He took a bust of Andrew Jackson, and be thinks I’ni a greater man than Jackson was. He found one side of my head badly deficient, though.” The prisoner then branched off to his “inspiration theory,” and rattled on for some minutes, his oft-repeated harangue on the subject of “irresistible pressure.” After the examination had apparently been concluded, Davidge asked the witness “if people adjudged medically insane were not, nevertheless, capable of judging between right and wrong.” Guiteau, who bad be*.n writing for some minutes, looked up quickly, and shouted: “What bearing has that, when the person is controlled by irresistible impulse? That’s all there is to this case (striking the table violently), and all this talk don’t amount to anything.” Scoville objected, but Judge Cox admitted the question, and tbe witness replied: “There are a great many Insane people, medically insane, who appreciate the difference between right and wrong.” In response to another question, Dr. Hamilton continued: “In nearly all asylums a system of reward and punishment is in vogue in dealiug with t ie insane, showing that it is recognized that they can distinguish between right and wrong, and cau control their actions ”

On the whole this witness’ testimony bore against the theory of insanity, and was fairly well sustained. Dr. Worcester, of Salem, Mass., who refused, when upon the stand for the defense, to answer the hypothetical question proposed by Scoville, testified that, in his opinion, the prisoner wa3 a sane man, Guiteau (sharply)—How much do you expect to get for that opinion,, sir? I suppose that will be worth SSOO to you. That is the way vjorkhill is running, bdt I don’* think it will be worth a snap with that jury—not a snap, sir.” Coikhlll then read the hypothetical question, which covered all the material facts in the prisoner’s history from biyliood down to his act on the 2J of July, and inquired, “Assuming all the tacts to be true, in your opinion, wai the prisoner sane or insane, when he killed the President?” Answer —“I / Jaelieve him to’have been sane.” Guiteau (sneeringly)— ,r Yes, sir, and you expect to gat SSOO for your opini m.” All through reading the hypothetical question, Guiteau continually shouted “that’s false,” “absolutely false.” At one time he said: “That’s false, sir. Get the facts right for your hypothesis, or whatever you call it. Judge Porter must have got that stuff up for you, Corkhill. You certainly have not got brains enough.” “I want*to say right here, that Colonel Corkhill has made a very good outward statement of facts, but he hasn’t touched at all upon what was going on in my mind at that time. That’s a matter for the jury, the court, the Deity and me to decide. We four.” Colonel Corkhill theu read another hypothetical question, setting forth in its most unenviable* light the career of Guiteau. The prisoner wiuced under the record, but confined himself to a sort of growl, “That’s false,” or “that’s absolutely false.” On concluding the reading, Corkhill again inquired of tbe witness: “Do you consider that the prisoner was saue or. insane oh the 2d I of July?” Answer —“In my opinion he was •ane.” THE COMMITTEES. , Speaker Keifer announced the appointment of the committees of the House. The committee on Ways and Means is constituted as follows: Kelly, of Pensylvania, Chairman; Kasson, Dunnell, McKinler, Hubbell, Haskell, Ru&sell, Errett, Randall, McKee, Carlisle, Morrison, Spear, Georgia. Banking and Currency—Crapo; of Massachusetts, Chairman; Smith, of Illinois, Weber, Dingley, Moore, Cornel, Brumm, Buckner, _ Harden burgh, Flower, Ermentrout. Appropriations—Hiscock, of New York, Chairman: Robeson, Cannon, Burrows, Butterworth. Caswell, Ryan, O’Ntili, Ketchum, Blackburn, Cox, Atains, Forney, Lefevre, Ellison, of Louisiana. The Chairmanships of the other committees are as follows: > Elections—Calkins, of Indiana. Judiciary—Reed, of Maine. Coinage, Weights and Measures*— Fisher, of Pnnnsylvfeuia. Commerce—Page, of Cali om is. Agriculture—V 7 alenfine, of Nebraska. Foreign Affairs —Williams, of Illinois. Military Fffairs—Henderson, of Illinois. Naval Affairs—Harris, of Massachusetts. Post Office and Post Roads—Bingham, of Pennsylvania. Public Lands—Pound, of Wisconsin. Indian Affairs—Haskell, of Kansas. Territories—Burrows, of Michigan. Railways and Canals—Townsend, of Obio. Manufactures—Campbell, of Pennsylvii. Mines and Mining—Van Voorhees, of New York. Public Buildings and Grounds— Shellenberger, of Pennsylvania, Pacific Railroad—Hazleton, of Wlsoousin, Chairman: Harmer, Batterworth, Robinson, Hammond, of New York; Paul, Darrell, Far well, of Iowa; MoKenzh, B iss, House, Nolan. Mississippi Levees—Thomas, of Illinois.

r Education and Labor—Updegraff, of Ohio . Militia—Strait, of Minnesota. Patents—Young, of Ohio. Invalid Pensions—Browne, of Indiana. Revolutionary Pension*—Marsh, of Illinois. Claims —Crowtey, of New York. War Claims— Hour, of Tennessee. Public Expenditures—Raudall, of Pennsylvania. Private Land Claims—Pacheo, of California. District of Columbia—Neal, of Ohio. Revision of Laws—McKinley, of Ohio. Expenditures in the Department of State—Deering, of lowa. Expenditures in tbo Treasury Department—Belford, of Colorado. Expenditures in the War Department—Briggs, of New Hampshire. Expenditures in the Navy Department—Robeson, of New Jersey. Expenditures in the Post Office Department—Cannon, of Illinois. Expenditures of the Interior Department—Hubbell, of Michigan. Expenditures in the Department of Justice—Willetts, of Miohigau. Expenditures on Public Buildings— Errett, of Pennsylvania. Rules—Speaker. Account —Urner, of Maryland. Mileage—Jorgenson, of Virginia.' Joint Committee on the Library— McCook, of New York. Joint Committee on Printing—Van Horne, of Missouri. Joint Committee on Enrolled E(ills— Aldrich, of Illinois. Joint Committee on the Prescott, of New York. Public Health—Van Aernam, of New York. Reform in the Civil Service —Orth, of Tndiaua. Law Respecting tbe Elections of President aud Vice-Presidents —Updegraph, of lows. Alcoholic Liquor Traffic—Wait, of Connecticut. Payment of Pensions aud Back Pay —Joyce, of Vermont. Additional Aodbnimodationa for Public L ! bi*a r y—lifce, of Masrac’uusetlr.