Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-11
Forty-Second Congress First Session


! SENAlE.
In the absence of the vice president, on motion
of Mr.. Sumner, Mr. Anthony was unanimously
| chosen president pro tenn of the senate.
Mr.. Howe then asked unanimous consent to
proceed to the election of the standing commit
tees of the senate,
Mr.. Wilson objected.
The chair ruled that, as the motion related to
the organization of the senate, it was a question
of privilege and therefore did not require unan-
| imous consent.
Mr.. Howe moved that the senate proceed by
| ballot, to elect q chairman Of the committee on
| finance.
Mr.. Wilson submitted a resolution, with the
| list of standing committees determined upon by
! the republican caucus.
| The vacancy for democrat upon the commit
tee on manufactures was filled by Mr.. Blair.
| Mr.. Davis of West Virginia was assigned TO
| the committees on agriculture, revolutionary
| claims and engrossed bills.
Mr.. Schurz moved TO postpone the further
! consideration of the committees until tomorrow.
Mr.. Sumner-"Before that motion is put,
| | wish my friend, Mr. SchuZ, would allow me
to make another motion in the nature of sug-
| gestion."
Mr.. Schurz withdrew the notion
| Mr.. Sumner prOceeded-"I ask that my name
| be eliminated from the committee on privileges
and elections. | observe that | am placed Ut
the head Of that important committee, and do
most respectfully ask to be excused from serv-
| ing. i presume it is better for me, before the
| senate act on the report, to have that amend
ment made, therefore ask that the report
be amended by striking my name from the
| committee"
Mr. Sherman hoped he would withdraw his
motion until the pending question was disposed
| of.
Mr. Sumner replied, that IN proposing to
| amend proposition he was exercising a very
ordinary and reasonable right. He declined to
withdraw it, but proceeded to advocate it as not
| only in order but eminently proper. He held
| that the senate should know, before acting on
| the report, if Il senator was not disposed to ac-
cept place assigned him. He would say to the
| senator from Ohio that after twenty years
service in the chamber, he, Sumner, had a right
| to expect his associates would not impose upon
| him IL new class Of duties, when he expressly
| stated that they were not welcome to him.
MIR. Summers motion was then agreed to with
| out division.
Mr. Schurz then renewed his motion to post
| pOne, and Mr.. Wilson urged its adoption as
| aiIordng an opportunity of rectifying any errors
| that might have occurred in framing the COM
| mttees.
A division on Mr.. Schurz' motion resulted in
| its reiection-21 to 20.
| Mr.. Howe said they were told there should be
a lpostponement pending the question, in Or
| der that harmony may come, and the people
! may be heard. He had heard no dispatches in
| condemnation of the action OF the senate having
| been received. Why was the harmony here dis
/
cord had been produced, answer for themselves.
| In reply to Mr. Schurz, he would not have any
| crawl but stand up like men. He would be glad
| if all would stand upon the full stature of re-
| publcanS, uniniluenced by the will of any man.
| The senator from Massachusetts was not ar
ragned for miscOnducting the affairs of his COM
mittee in the past, but he was displaced for the
| reason that the personal relations of the senator
and Secretary Fish were such that they could not
| communicate on confidential affairs. He under
| stood that Mr. Sumner mentioned this himself.
Mr. Sumner replied that he knew nothing of it,.
| Mr. Stewart believed that business would be
more satisfactorily performed by MIR. Cameron
than by Mr.. Sumner.
Mr.. Nye said no man had higher regard for
| Mr.. Sumner than he, but tie senate could
| change the Craftsmanship of the committee on
foreign relations, which Mr.. Nye proceeded
| to justify.
Mr. Schurz showed that the difficulty all arose
| out of Il personal controversy with the president
| and Mr. Fish, and that there was no Interrupt
| ton of the channels of official communication
| He showed that Mr.. Sumner has been grossly
| nsulted in a paragraph in an official communi-
| cation from Mr.. Fish to Mr.. Motley. The sena-
tor had only acted as a man and a gentleman in
| resisting the insult, and lie would have no re-
spect for any senator who would not resist. In
| spite Of this he knew that Mr.. Summer was
ready, and would be glad, in spite of their
| differences, TO welcome Mr. Fish again as an
| old friend. 1t was not necessary that Il chair
man of a committee should be on good personal
| relations with the executive. There was for
years no communication between MIR. Sumner
and President Johnson, and yet no one pre-
| tended that the business of the foreign affairs
committee was not well done during that time.
Mr. SchuZ explained the reasons for which
| he moved the postponement He said it was
| well known TO the country that there were Ger.
| tain disagrecmeDts with regard to the appoint
| ment of these committees now submitted to the
| senate, and his motion was made with the in
| tention of trying the last chance to reconcile
| these diSagreementS, and to prevent the posi-
| BILE excitement that might grow out of it, The
| last chance had been refused, and the resolution
| of Mr.. Howe was now before the senate for de-
| bate. 1t would be noticed that a change of
| some importance had been made in the impor-
tant committee on foreign relations, Its late
| chairman, the senator from Massachusetts, Mr.
| Sumner, was his personal friend, and, while
| bound to him by intimate personal relations, he,
| SchurZ, could say, at the same time, that were
| those personal relations otherwise than friendly
his judgment on the question would not be al
| tered. He thought he spoke the unanimous
sentiment of the senate and he would 90 fur
ther and say he spoke the unanimous sentiment
| of the country, when he asserted that the duties
| devolving on the chairman of the senate COM
mittee on foreign relations had been fulfilled by
the senator from Massachusetts, with great credit
to himself and the committee, and with general
| satisfaction to the country.
| The resolution substituted the senator from
| Pennsylvania, not now in his seat, Mr.. Cameron,
| whose profound studies of international law
| and general experience, especially in diplomatic
| service, fitted him for the place, and with whom
| at their head the committee would, in the high
| est degree, enjoy the confidence of the country.
| But he, SchurZ, was free 10 say that tbs gentle
| man was not so vastly superior to the senator
| from Massachusetts that his appointment would,
| for a moment, be entertained on that account.
1t was evident that there was something else,
tl
| nent member Of the senate. 1t was but just to
| that member, to the senate, and to the whole
| country that the real reasons for which such
| change was proposed should be laid bare to the
| public gaze. lie would therefore ask the senar
| tor who had introduced the resolution, Mr.,
| Howe, what were the reasons why such change
was made
| Mr.. Howe rose to reply.
Mr.. Stewart-aside-'T would not answer
| him."
Several Senators-"No, don't"
| MIR. Howe said, on one hand he was asked a
question: and on the other appealed to not to
answer it, and in Difference to that rule Of cour-
| tesy which he had sought to make the rule of
his life, he would make civil answer to a civil
| question. No question has been raised as to the
ability OF the senator from Massachusetts, and
no pretenson has been made, he supposed, in
any respect, by the gentleman proposed TO sue
coed him. In brief, the information was that the
senator from Massachusetts, refused to hold per-
Sonal intercourse WIN the secretary OF state,
Mr., Sumner-"Just the contrary"
Mr.. Howc-continuing without noticing the
remark-and that the senator had not held any
intercourse with the president OF the United
States. In view of these facts, it was deemed
best that the committee on foreign relations
should have a head who would be on the best
speaking terms with the secretary of state and
the president.
Mr.. Sthurz replied that he was very credihly
Informed, and thar from the best authority, that
Mr., Sumner had not refused to enter into any
official relations either with the president or the
secretary of state
Mr. Howell ask my friend not to change
the issue did not speak of their official rela-
tons, spoke of their personal relations,
Mr.. Wilson-"Then,. Mr.. President, it comes
to this that the oldest member of the senate
the chairman of the committee on foreign rela-
tons tLoughout the past ten years, is to be re-
moved from the craftsmanship, and from the
committee ITSELF because of the social relations
between the president of the United States, the
secretary of state, aud himself" He (Wilson)
was one of those who believed it not the husi-
ness of the senate what those relations WERE
or what were the social relations of any senator
TO the president, or any other member of the
government He thOupht fha only ouaStinn