New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-07
XL11D CONGRESS-1ID Session
AORk RkdALCnnANT WITNESSES 10 m
bhOU0H1 BEFORE TIE SRNArE-A NEW
DRAWING OF SEATS DEFEATED IN rim
HOUsE-THh APPORTIONMENF BILL,


DRAWING OF SEATS DEFEATED IN ruI
HOUsE-THk APPORTrONMENF BILL,
,sr TELEaRAPa 10 THE rnDusxi
WARRINGTON, Wednesday, Dec g. is,l.
Dovid Dist and Clayton Camp Of South Car.
DINA, and VIM L. Saunders Of North Carolina ara thru
recafrans witnesses, the INIT two having failed 70 ap-
pear before subcommittee Of the Joint KuKIux Conn.,
mittce when duly summoned, and the last rsfusts, "a
testify because by so doir he wound crimnase himsc
Senator Scott reported In tie Senate this morning con-
current resolutions that warrants 10 kuod 10 rio,
those men to the bar Of tho Senate and IN accordance
with his desire, they were laid over until tomorrow
The consideration Of these will doubtless bring n,
several nice points OF law. one two Of which wers
limited at to-day. In the first place. this Is the nrst cas-
in which witnesses have refused answer question:
propOuDded by Joint Committee Of both hOuscs and
none Of the laws enacted for the punikhmeos
Of this ofense seem to have provided for II
The law Of 1851 and also that OF 1865 specify only tue ~
fusa TO testify before committee OF either" lie Of
Congress. While no doubts the power VI Cosgress
BY concurrent resolution ~ authorize the Vice Pros
dent to se his for the Of these men, tho
question arises could not either House. In other
failed to to the resolution, br!"S the witnesses 10
its bar and punish them for TICK contempt Another
point which to be far ulcciI d, Is whether
summons from slb-cOhlnittcc is equally obligatory
from the whole committee The mlttc VIII doubt
lcss be fully debated Tomorrow.
Aho NmpcT VI ocnatc 30 lhT ~ tou'i W J"'sCu
to-day. was strongly favor OF tho h which passed the
House In April laot and which senator Robertson Of
South Carolina attempted to get up This bill excludes
from amnesty the following classes: Members u Con-
gress who withdrew t.cIefro and AIDED the R.b5lion;
oil ers OF tho army ali oi the Uniiod Sa'cs. WAC.
being above the age Of years. lett said a'y TO
aid the Rebellion. and members OF Stale Conventions
which adopted pretended ordinances OF Secession, who
voted for the adoption Of ordinances. joint rnle
OF both Houses prevented this bill bnas taken up WITHIN
six days Of the beginning OF tho session. Mr Robertson
eavo notice that lie would call UP next Monday. fao
Catacazy correspondence, though 1t excited .raIc
curiosity has caused excitement tue siatcsat' Of
its substance, ted time having gwen the
principal points Of Ia tercst which IL obtained
Moie than an hour Consumed il tho House today
in clOsc ycOntcsted fight over tic question Of hiyne
new drawing Of seats. Since the drawing ct tie Spung
session a number OF ncw members have been cicctcd
and sworn in, and these gentlemen tnk 1t unjust That
they should have to the worst seats In the House
for the whole Of tho long session., because tLcy were no
elected In to take their sat, in the Spring Tbcy
were supported by al the members who 10 not Ike their
seats and who think they would be roorc likely Ia do
better than worse IL new deal were had. Ihia CLASS
proved to embrace about haf the House. Wien
rising vOto was had upon motion 10 lay lilo
resolution for o new dIaWng upon mo tiD0
the whole front and center Of tho House came mp IA
solid body while the forces Tie orr sidc presented
q curious appearance; heavy Ah,a5scs OF mem
hers on the extreme right and hft OF tho
hall, connected by o thin line along 'hc rear
row OF seats. There moro cxcitcin II, liian
q proposal to amen. the Constitution wouii have cs'',d
Two or three divisions to"k place ono vote 10y c''r
and two calls OF tn. Yeas and Nays before thr nson
was disposed Of The new draw was finally dnfc"IrcW
a vote of lO4 to lV7. and motion u
consider was tablcI-Ycas l0), Nays lo!. Several
bills were Introduced before the morning hoar bean
md resolution introduced by Gen Girnel' was WssH
directing the Civil rvice COMMITTEE to BRING In "a
fixing tho salaries and tenure OF oi.co OF Conii'x
Clerks. The whole morning hour was 0ccnprd ia CO"
tnuing the reading OF the bill TO eodhy tho foot o.'se
laws which was con,lIG2'
AfrcrwarI there vas arcth,: ilius:ri..3n n! III
element tr1iny matters CD @rSate IN mo INo1ss
Judge Kelley introduced resolution providing fof The
appointneut OF CLERKS 10 such CO .lttccs as had tbn
in the last Congress. the appointing TO cOnthdc una
the contemplated lw could be lissol regulating sh'D
POSITIONS dozen members were Oh their 'rss a'"hec
shouting Mr. speaker" Mr.. Cox an Mr. Rainfall SAID
there too many clerks. that some OF them
were nothing better than private secretaries 70
Chairmcn OF Committees and spont their tmc schdIHc
of Radical document' Several other @"bcra t"'k
part IN the debate and tho resolution twice a'od
ed and finally agreed 10 i'll spite OF tho opposition OF tho
Democrats.
The House next went into Committee OF tho
Whole. and took up Mr.. Cooks hp2ortonncnt bill li
Mr. Farnswor.h, took charge Of the BIZ. Mr. Mcrcm
offered a substitute, which he explained In min.
ucs' speech, which q model " clcarness AMI CON
ciscncss and which brought nearly oil the members IN
compact group around him. Mr. Meicui's bill ni.hci
House cOnss. Of go members ard Mr. Cooks OF 81.
Illinois getting tho additiOn, member. The former
makes the ratio Of representation member to 1877 90
population. and additional for every State having
fraction half OF that number This ratio rather
arbitrarily assumed to lcciuco tho desired ros"ii
and to insure that not porc than two States
shall have their number Of Representatives, decreased
These New Hampshire AMI Vermont To permit
them retain the three Representatives each they INV
have, tho House would have consist OF 800 members
Tho Cook hill gets mt the ratio by dividing tho whole
population Of the United StIos BIZ 2sl T. intended TO-
but when 1t drawn, the returns from four
States had not been received and their population was
guessed at The sult Of this guess work pointed
tho bill, which gives 10 members 10 Illinois aGo
the number to OHIO. although tho Latter Slate las
$4,000 more people than the former. In tic miat Of tho
battle between the friends Of the two bills. Gen Garfield
called attention to portin fact that had been en-
trcly forgotten namely that the actual population OF
State is longer its representative population the u
tcenh Amendment requiring that all persons cAcliGca
from voting from other tIaa for crime Ut pailc
patton In rebellion should not be counted as 'rs OF
the isis OF repres enatoa In any Statc Both tho BIB
had Ignored this constitutional requirement Gen. Gar
field said that the Investigations OF tho Census Conmt
tee 1870 developed he fact that there wers causes
than crime und rebellion for which male el.iztls over
were excluded the suffrage in different States he
humber Of such persons had been asccrtainch by Inc
eusus and they all no excluded from TIE repre-
population Of the states where they I'VE fo
exalnp!r in Massachusetts. where reading AMI wiring
are qualifications for suffrage, persons excluded on nc
count Of Ignorance must Do omitted from IN" paH" VI
representation This Information nonplusscd the i.us
TO such an extent that 1t adjourned forthwith, without
taking any further action on the rival bill
The appointment Of Judge Kelley to tho Chairmae1t
OF the Civil Service Spe cia Committee, Is prcnieV
appropriate one apart from the recognized aby OF he
1u.I,n "a nrnhahlY tic only monhcr III tie Il0aN