The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-18
CONGRE ES sIONAL.
xLIst CONGREss-F Rsr SESSION.

SEN W AsHINGToS, March II.
A memorial was presented from the Cit
izens of Texas protesting against the or
gan1zatiOn of state government, anu
suggesting that the state be divided into
several states or Territories. Referred TO
the Judiciary.
a oill tD enforce the fourteenth amend
ment In Georgia, with an amendment,
was reported from the judiciary Com init
Tee. Fhe same CommItJ repO ted back
the names o. Joshua H.I and tt V. Mil
Ter, claiming u be senators fr IN Georgia,
with a recommendaJIOa that they lay on
the table until action has bee taken on
the joint resolution re atiVe TO Georgia.
A OIL granting ,andS 20 u railroad from
the southern oOund ry of fAansas 20 the
Pacific Oc-an, was referred TO the PuOl1e
Lands Comm tee
Several other oils were Introduced.
Tne bill re ating o the Freed mems Bl-
reau, re eferred 20 N Commit ee un Mlf-
tary Ar Irs, provides fOr CO ttinuing tue
educational ami col ecJtOn departments
unJt January lst, 1871.
The pills prOvIdtn2 for a mode of settle-
ment for csrtatn Gains, referred 70 the
Comm ttee on judiciary, provides for the
appointment Of two additional Judges OF
the Court OF Claims, whereupOu the ChIet
Justice of said Court small designate any
three of the Judges to constitute Cham
ber of Indian Claims TO adjudicate claims
against The United states of the Cherokee,
Creeks, Seminole, Choctaw and Chiekastw
tribes, growing out of any ireaty OF etIpu-
lation made with them by the Govern
ment
A bill granting lands In aid of the New
Or, cans, Mobile and ChattanO ega RlIl-
road, was referred to the Public Lands
Committee.
The bIIigranting lands in FLORIDA TO aid
In rebuild < the Pensacola 81 Louisville
Railroad, was referred 10 the com m1Jtee ca
Pubic Lands.
Tue bill directing the Postmaster Gen
eral to contract with the New York q Ant
weTp steamship company vas introduced. =.
y joint resolution pr escribtng the mode
of proced dure by State Legislatures, TO ratI-
ty Constitutional Amend nentS, was in
trOduCed and laid on the table
A resolution was ad opted requesting of
the President copies of the CORES 30 u dence
between Buchanan and Cass rs TO the poll
icy 10 be pursued to avert the then inn
pending rebellion.
A Joiut resolution relaiv to lighthouses
on tue coast of Oregon was passed
A joint reSOlutIOI allowing the New
Foundland Telegraph Company 10 land q
cable on American soil, was taken up.
An amendment applying the bill to all
other cable companies was discussed ill
the expiration of the morning. hour.
The bill repeating the Tenure f-Of1ce
Act was taken up.
Edmunds again argued against IL.
Thayer offered subs itute for the pend
Ing bill, providing tn Il the acu regu ating
the tenure of certain civil offic S, IS hereby
made aud declared TO be imperative anu
void. after the passage or this act; pro
yided however. tn IL tue President shall
report to the senate within ten days from
the beginning of the next session, ali APP
ceding reca.s 4 the senate, whIcn require
confirmation by the Senate.
r-peaI of the act. de held tine true con-
stItuttOnal principle to be that the PreSi-
dent has the power TO make absolute re-
movalS from office during "a reoe - of the
Senate, b It can only make temporary ap-
pOiutmentS to I'LL a Vacancy 70 be con-
firmed or rejected by the Senate at
for passing the Tenure of Office act
was that President johnson, by a
trick to evade, and did in many cases
evade this constitutional prov SION. II it
should be found ne essary, Congress might
enact a civil service law, gener l in its
provisions, and thus M ght guard against
the abuse Of the executive power Dy i'm
proper removals. 1t IL Was rIgat t. SuS-
pend the law for year, 1t was, of course,
equally so to repeal 1t. If the iaw were re
peaied for year, Gen. Grant might, if he
chose, remove every body now In ONCE,
Congress deny the same right TO succeed
ing administrations PablIc opinion of
the country dema ded the repeal OF the
law. The House of representatives, which
had concurred with the nate ia pass 2
1T, h already manifested its willingness
to repeal the law, the occasion for IT nav
ing passed. The senate in considering the
question of repeal, was really sitting as
judge in it's own ca e, and III il insisted
u pon the law remaining in force, il might
possibly be accused of doing so from a =
sign 10 MAINTAIN for itself the exceptional
powers conferred upon it TWO years ago TO
meet a srecial emergency, now happily
passed away.
The senator from Vermont (Edmunds)
had spoken much of the danger 20 the lib-
erty OF the country from the love of power
in the Executive; but 10 should be renen
bered that Senators were no more willing
than the President to yield up power once
obtained. He (Sherman) thOug ht 1t wrong
to refer, in the diScu sSIOn OF this question,
to the character uf General Grant or his
wishes on the subject. The Senale was not
required to grant him any special favor,
but only to put him, in this re- peel. upon
the same foo, ing with all the other Prest
dents from Washington to Johnson.
Cole spoke in advocacy OF the substitute.
Carpenter said he was surpris ed at the
course Of this discussion Much had been
said about tus nigh character and great
services of General Grant. No one appre-
ciated them more higniy taau he, But
they had nothing to do with the question
before the senate, which was dry Ques-
ton of law, VIZ Where IS the power OF
removal under the COnsti utiOn2
asMr. Carpenter hen made the same argu-
Inent 10 show that the President has NO
/ cons ituifonaI right 10 remove a pubic
onncer except by and with the advice and