New-York tribune., 1868-05-29


WASHINGTON Thursday, Dec. %, 1868.
The Senate had the Arkansas bill again under con-
alteration today. Mr.. Drake led OIL IN snort,
sharp. strong speech in favor OF his amendment lie
did not deem it good wse safe policy TO rush the
Southern States in in hot haste and he would not
vote for the admission of any one of them until they
had all adopted the Fourteenth Amendment to the
Constitution Mr. Morton took directly opposite
view. He was in favor of allowing each
one TO return as soon as it is ready. Ar
kansas. for example, should not be punished for
the neglect or contumacy of Old Virginia. Then
came the funny part of the proceedings. McCreery
of Kentucky made his maiden speech. While Mr.
Morton was speaking he prepared himself for the
great occasion by pling up about 20 huge Congress
sional documents his desk the top of which he
placed the manuscript of his speech, that it was
within very short distance of the tip of his nose
At2 o'clock he jumped up, plunged his hands into
his pantalOOns pockets, and very deliberately began
to read He had scarcely finished the first sentence
when the Senate generally perceived that 1t was
"racy" Trumbull gazed at him with amazement
Stewart contemplated him with mild astonishment;
Conkling who sat near him, strOve to conceal ms
smiles by holding bouquet to his face, while his
eye kndled with suppressed merriment Reverdy
johnson sat near him to give him confidence but he
went out after ten minutes of il, and was seen no
more in the chamber until 1t was over.
The speech was full Of profoundly solemn common
ploces The orator summoned up the dry bones OF
Jackson CLAY, Calhoun and Webster to give force
10 his propositions and talked magniicently about
the proud array of the Southern chValry of Amer
ieap He spoke about demons holding high carnival
in the South" by which he meant not the Ku-klux-
KlaD. but the inofensive feminine teachers of the
negroes lie alluded with pathOs to the wall of the
widow and to "thOse witnesses, the silent
stars" He eulogzed the leaders of the late
Confederacy; their President was prisoner; their
trusted General college professor; another was
railroad man; fourth was an exile, and fifth val
liant captain, the cOrsar Semmes, was an editor. Mr..
McCreeTy denounced the whole plan of Congressional
reconstruction, and cOnjured up hideOus but inl-
probable picture of the negroes plungng into rebel
lion in which event. to cap his thrilling climax he
asked, How could we then, after subduing them,
take from them the right of suffrageP AT the end
of the speech the Senate went into Executive ses-
sion and transacted no further legislative business
In the House, to-day, the Democrats flibustered
to hinder legislation. The Committee of the Whole
had under consideration the Indian Appropriation
BILL and without dispOsing of it, the point
of adjOuTning for the day. when Mr.. Bingham intro
duced resolution calling for the assignment of two
small rooms in the Capitol building to the of the
Sergeant-at-ATms and Capitol Police. This was in
tended to provide quarters for the man Wooley who
is in confinement for contempt of the House of
Representatives. The prisoner inhabits the room
of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and is there
permitted to entertain visitors and have good time
generally. He is mistaken in his refusal to answer
the questions that have been prOpounded by the
Impeachment Committee. Mr. Bingham's resolution
irritated the Democrats, and finding that the ma
jOrity were determined to pass it, they thought TO
intmidate by the tiTeng out process, and lmmedl-
atey began filibusterng. DilatOry motions were
entertained by the Speaker, and repeated nearly an
hour when point of order raised that motions
made for the purpose of delay were out of order by
the resolution creating the Investigating Com
mlttee This point of order was sustained by the
Speaker, and the resolution was put upon
its passage-the yeas and nays were ordered, and
it was thought that all the trouble was at an end
but before the Tolcall had proceeded far the Demo-
Gratis observed that many Republicans were absent
from the Hail. and if they should absent themselves
and refuse TO vote there would be no quorum Ac-
cOrdngly all the Democrats, with a few exceptions,
withdrew from the floor and remained in the cloak
room until the roll-cal was completed They gained
their point. When the vote was counted no quorum
appeared and call of the House was ordered. The
Democrats then returned their seats and answered
to the call of their names. On this second call so
many Representatives were absent that the Demo
cracts had it in their power to prevent quorum
voting by refusing themselves to vote. The call
continued and the names of the absentees were re-
corded. The list of absentees was then called for
excuses Here again the Democrats found a new
way of flibustering. When the name of an absentee
called, Democrat asked that he be excused,
another followed with an objection and then he
called for a vote by Yeas and Nays. BY this
process it would have taken at least twenty-fouT
hours to vote on excusing members alone
but after two such motions had been entertained by
the Speaker point Of order was raised that such
motions were diatory and out of order The
Speaker submitted the question of order to the
House. and it sustained A new call of the
House was then had. and the Sergeant-at-Arms was
ordered to go in search of absent members and bring
them to the bar of the House. All this had wasted
three hours it being o'clock when the Sergeantat-
Arms went with his posse in quest of delinquent
members. He returned in ten minutes with five
members namely, Messrs. SchOfeld, Moorhead
Clarke of Ohio Poland and Van Trump. A motion
was made to excuse them, on which mo-
ton the Democrats demanded the Yeas and
NAYS. The TOl-call had scarcely been finished when
three additional delnquents, MessTs. Thomas, Bald
win, and Plantz. were brought in, and 20 minutes
were consumed in calling the Yeas and Nays in
excusing these members. At eight o'clock the Re
publicans made q muster Of their men, and found
that they still lacked three to make quorum with
out counting the Democrats. Members began to tire
many having been unable TO get anything to eat,
the doors being locked and no being allowed to
leave or enter the Hall without permission of the
Speaker An attempt made to compromise but
il failed. The hungry and fatigued Republicans
were willing to make concessions to the Democracy,
but nothing satisfactory could be agreed upon,
so 30 minutes more were spent in doing nothing bnt
waiting the return of the Sergeant-at-Arms. At o
o'clock both sides showed signs Of i'll temper and
desire TO stop the foolish and dsgacefu proceedings
Me Rinrharn asknd for q ynie and said thnt ON lii