The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-05-16
BEIIIND THE SCENES.
An Executive Session Of the Senate
The Members AT Their Ease.

The Members at Their Ease.
A great many people who read the
proceedings of Congress puzzle them
selves with the question what is meant
bv the executive session OF the Senate
of the United States. This session is
in fact the Masonry Of American legis-
lation. There is perhaps nothing like
it in civilized government, although
the theory is that there are certain
things in public affairs which cannot be
intrusted to the public. Among these
are treaties with foreign affairs, and i'm
portant official nomination. To discuss
these in the presence Of an inquisitive
newspaper world would be to reveal to
outside rivals much that ought to be
concealed, to expose private character
to universal and critical examination.
The executive session of the Senate,
says Forney in the Philadelphia Press,
is in many respects like the confden-
tial meetings of the Odd Fellows, the
Knights OF Pythias, and the Masons,
without partaking Of any Of the pecu-
liar traits of those honored and honor
able orders. When the Senate resolves
to 90 into executive session the galleries
are cleared of spectators, and the news
paper and Globe reporters retire, fire.
auently with a gladstone smile, because,
in many cases, they have become ia
tigued with the damnable rhetorical
iterations. Our friend Murphy, the
present successor OF the venerable MIR.
Sutton, with his official corps of rapid
and ravenous short-handers-who tran
scribe the oratorical volume poured into
the GloJc-recedes to his little room
when the President announces that the
Senate will 60 into executive session,
unutterably relieved. Sometimes a
motion to 20 into executive session is
carried before word has been spoken
in public debate, and that is the well
come exception to Murphy.
wish | conld tell you all that trans
pires when the doors are shut, and the
spectators and newspaper men driven
out, but as my obligations to keep this
secret did not terminate with my resig-
nation as Secretary Of the Senate, | can
only talk to you of the manners OF that
highly respectable conclave. The first
thing is the utter abandon of the Sena-
tors. They have no audiences to look
down upon and listen to them. They
have no gentlemen with the lighting
pen to telegraph them to distant points.
They are not called upon to face and
fear their constituency. Bound together
bv a solemn covenant not TO reveal what
transpires, they do exactly what pleases
them most. ] must say, with my fire.
quent opportunities and observations, |
have seen few whoever over-passed the
courtesies and the proprieties of the
place. All are easier and more familiar
than when under the universal eye Of a
suspicious people Those who smoke,
those who like to be comfortable, take
off their coats; but there is no such
thing as dissipation, at least inside the
chamber Debate is made free because
there is nobody to take it down, and
the alterations, common in the open
Senate, are not uncommon between
those walls; and vet the perfect famili-
arity of the Senators, and the absence
of all restraint, contribute to the adjust.
ment of every dispute, however violent
Talking about the executive sessions
reminds me OF the difficulty of keeping
an official secret. The Senators are all
oath bound not to disclose executive
business, and they rarely do so, unless
as regards nominations and confirma-
tons for political offices; but as these
involve nothing OF important political
concern there is common courtsey that
when a man is rejected or confirmed the
circumstances may be freely spoken Of !;
and it deserves to be said of the Sena-
tors generally, that they keep what is
entrusted to them with unusual fidelity.
To exercise ordinary discretion and care
requires extraordinary tact. The doors
of the Senate are scarcely opened after
executive session, when the whole
newspaper tribe besiege the Senators
with inquiries, and he must be a rare
man who can refuse to drop a word to
an editorial or reportorial friend.
JOHN w. FoRNEY.