Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-02-28
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drama apd would be res.ive until il was
performed. -.
One o clock had been hxed as the hour,
and everything 10 the meantime was only
70 kill time, or was so looked upon.
When one o'clock came, Garrett Da-
Wis was upon the floor making speech,
which night end in Eve minutes or might
last till tomorrow, for aught anybody
knew. He was talking OF the Constitu.
ton at the time, upon which he is Pc
renniaL MNh MNAN ga aftt 80
Ten minutes latter the doors OF the
Senate opened, and Messrs. Stevens and
bingham, linked arm in arm, entered,
preceded by the Sergeant.at-arms OF the
Senate, who needs no hint OF their mis-
sion, but straightway announces a mes-
sage from the House in the usual stereo-
typed way, aud then Immediately cor
reefs himself and says committee OF
the House. ,t.f~
Mr.. Davis has yielded the floor for this
much by request Of the Presiding Officer.
As Mr.. Stevens totters in on Mr.. Bine-
hams arm, he uncovers his head, and
with slight jerk, aims his hat at o chair,
but II goes to the floor instead, and there
is danger Of calling to mind the prize
lighters way Of /" shying his castor in
the ring. But the scene is too solemn
for that, and little notice is taken of the
hat, or the manner of its disposal, The
Sergeant-at.arms supports Mr.. Stevens
on the right, while he, after saluting the
Chair, Mr.. President" and in receiving
In turn the recognition Of Mr.. Wade,
reaches his hand into the breast-pocket
Of his coat, draws out sheet Of foolscap
paper, and reads. The eyes of the floor
and galleries are all turned to this feeble
old nan, as he proceeds to read, in
better voice than would be expected
from him, the message which the solem-
nifty Of the occasion would not permit
him 10 trust TO memory.
Fifty members Of the House have come
over to witness the ceremony, and are
standing in the Hobbies and crowding
about the two committeeman as the
message is read. 1t is brief--a few sem
fences only; but none of such solemn i'm
portance were ever uttered in the SEN
ate Chamber before. Every word is |
listened to with earnestness, and when all |
is said the rustic of attention relaxed is |
heard, in the midst Of which Mr.. Davis |
rises to resume his speech
Mr.. Stevens and Mr.. Bingham seat |
themselves at desks near the door, await
ing the order of the Senate on the mes |
sage they have delivered. |
Mr.. Howard, Of Michigan, known in |
connection with the impeachment move
ment since its inception, rises to offer q
resolution, but Mr.. Davis has the floor |,
and will not yield. @'
Mr.. Howard makes the point Of order |
that his is question of privilege, but the
Chair being in doubt as to that prefers
not to give decision, but to leave it to |
a vote of the Senate whether Mr.. Davis |
or Mr.. Howard is entitled to the floor. |
Discussion follows, as it always does
on any slight provocation in the Senate,
and in the midst of it all Mr.. Davis rises |
to say that he only controverts the right |
of Mr.. Howard to deprive him of the
floor. If you put the matter to him on
the score of courtesy, he will tell you
what he will do. Like Falstaff, he will |
do any thing for friendship, but nothing
on compulsion, and the Senate very soon |
deciding the question of right in his /
favor, he gives the honorable body the
benefit Of his courtesy and yields to Mr..
Howard, who presents a resolution for
the appointment of special committee
of seven to take action on the resolution
of the House. This goes through mem.
con-, and so ends act the second.
Messrs. Stevens and Bingham, satisfied
with the discharge of their mission, re-
turn to the House, and are followed by
the crowd of members who have left
their seats and come over to see the i'm
parchment fairly under way in the upper
House.
The Senate relapses into legislation,
the galleries thin out, and Garrett Davis
takes the floor again, and keeps it so
long that one is led to wish for another
impeachment for the sake of pleasant
interruption. -....
An hour later, the Chair interrupts
speech on reconstruction to announce
the committee Of seven which Mr.
Towards resolution calls for-Messrs.
Howard, Trumbull, Conkling, Morton,
Pomeroy, Edmunds and johnson.
RV ET,EGR A PHI |