The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-12-13
COLUMBIA.
Sunday Morning December Is. 1883.

-
Reception OF the President's Niessa ge
in ConRress.-Dtscour urteous Treats
p ment OF tho Document In both
Houses. Z. f
s Special dispatches to the New
Herald. dated Washington. Decem-
ber 8, arc as follows: Tho Presi-
dents message reached the Capitol
to-day shortly before l z. NJ. It
was fitst presented IL the Senate, and
about ten minutes later was an
.nounced in the House. It's reception
in both branches was, to put it in
the mildest possible form, very ex-
traordinary. Before it was half read,
the fiery Conness, of California, OBJ
jected to listening to it any longer,
and q very fiat debate followed,
leaving the auditory rather in doubt
as to. whether the dignified Senate
approved the course of the California
Senator or condemned it. Whether
\ or not majority of the upper House
sustained the extraordinary motion
of Mr.. Conness, the result amounted
to q substantial victory for the anti
johnson element. What they sought
was to stop the reading of tho Prcsi-
dents annual communication and
recommendations, and in this they
certainly succeeded. Ono of the
honorable Senators remarked that it
was evident from the discussion that
the session was destined to be profit
less, and moved to adjourn, which
was declared carried, and the august
assemblage dispersed, some laughing
as persons who had achieved very
clever feat, and others looking
thoughtful and serious. The result
was brought about in such an unusual
manner, that no one present was sure
whether any decided disrespect of
the Executive was intended or not.
a notable feature of the performance
was supplied by Senator Drake, of
Missouri. Drake, who, perhaps, is
as radical as Wendell Phillips him
self. and who has heretofore steadily
planted himself foremost in tho front
rank OF President Johnson's oppo-
nents, raised his voice against the
motion of Mr.. Conness, and rather
favored than otherwise hearing the
entire message read. Senator Morton
interposed his objections, also, to
such an act of f1agrant disrespect to
the Executive of the nation, and in
most dispassioned tone endeavored
to point out to the Senate reasons
why SO great departure from the
custom Of the body should not be
upheld. Old Simon Cameron, how
ever, came to the rescue of Mr.. Con-
ness. and perhaps it was the fear tha!
the motion might be adopted, that
led to so sudden and unexpected an
adjournment. This result leaves the
question in the condition of untinish-
ed business, which must come up
first thing Tomorrow morning, and
be met fairly and square.
In the House, though the reading
of the message was completed with
ont interruption, the disrespect was
even greater than that displayed by
the Senate. During the reading by
Mr.. Mcpherson, the Clerk of the
House, members employed them
selves in chatting and laughing, pay
ing about as much attention as is
shown during discussions in Commit
tee of the Whole. When finally the
last sentence had been read by the
Clerk, scene, not paralleled even
by that which occurred when Bout
well made his famous impeachment
speech that led to the subsequent ar
raignment and trial of President
johnson, followed. Washburne was
apparently disposed to be moderate
in his maneuvres, but the course
subsequently pursued by Broomall,
of Pennsylvania, and Schenck, of
Ohio, swept Washburne's moderation
completely out OF sight. Schenck
was ferocious as bulldog, and NOV
ed that no printing of the message
whatever be authorized. Broomall,
mounted on the Clerks desk, read
his vituperative preambles and reso.
lutions amid the jeers of Fernando
Wood and the rest of the Democratic
side, and the scene altogether was of
q character more worthy of bar
room on Water street than the lower
House of Congress. The result of
the whole thing was the half defeat
of Schenck, who attempted to play
the part of leader for the first time
since poor old Thad's taking off, and
who put on all the airs and authority
that pertain to that position.
Schenck had to yield to Washburne's