Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-03-17

lieved that msjority of republican Sena-
| tors could be obtained TO carry out the
| programme. But neither officials ncr the
public we've aware OF the strong and secret
influences which were at work on the part
Of the administration to bring it about
These bad the support of the President and
| two active members of the cabinet It We q
therefore much easier matter TO push
the change than it was in January, when
caucus for similar purpose was held
When the caucus convened to-day the com
| mittee, who had been appointed for that
| purpose, report 3d the arrangement of the
standing committee. When Mr.. Sumner
heard his name dropped from the chair
mansblp of a committee which he had oc
cuD1ed fer nearly ten years, he took his
hat and left the caucus, and did not return
| until late. A storny discussion at once
arose, which lasted ILL noon, when O recess
was taken until 1 o'clock, when the debate
was resumed and lasted till 80 p. M. :,
when the vote took place as above stated
Senators Sherman and Morrill,, of Yer
| mont, the minority of the committee, dep
| recated the proposed change and warmly
opposed it, believing that Mr.. Sumner had
done nothing to merit his removal from a
position he had held SO long with
50 much credit 10 tho Senaic and
ithe country. Messrs. Howe and Nvc,
sS1~ the conamittec, replied to this and
| sad that the Bterests of tho admin
lstratlon demanded change, that Mr..
Sumner was hostile to it's foreign policy.
that he was on such terms with the
President and the Secretary CT State as
rendered it improper for him to be the
c0ntdcutlni organ OF one OF the most i'm
portaDt committees of the Senate, He
had aesaiied tho foreign policy of the adj
mlnIstration and the President in terms not
becomlng,a republican Senator, and it was
generally understood. had a speech
prepared in which he intended to og"ln
arrhlgn IT. Il was manifest. they main
tanned that this state of affairs could not
last much longer, and that it was far bet
ter to realrauge the committees at the
com meucement OF q new session of Con
Sress. Senator Shurz made brief but
e'Oq1eEt appeal to the caucus not to take
this step He did not think that the re
publican party could afford to make this
change. AS a member of the old commit
tee on foreign relations, he did not see
that there was any practical business con-
tlct between II and the administrations =
Il was Mr.. Summers right, he maintained,
to decide for himself, but it did not neces-
sarily commit the entire committee that
way. He stated that it was frequently the
case that the chairman Of committee was
fouId in q minority. Senators Sprague,
FentoD, Trumbuli, Patterson and Buck
inghatn took similar view and opposed
any step that would tend to disrupt the
republican party. - 50.
Senator Wilson made speech condem-
natory OF tie whO'e proceeding, and ex-
hibited much feeling at the course pursued
towards his colleague. He looked uron
such course Is this as calculated 10 iniure
the Republican party and give aid and
comfort to its political euuEnies he
warned them not to N AXE the fatal mistake
that the Democratic party made when it
displaced MIR. Douglass from the chair
manship of the committee on territories,
jus$ because he fai!ei TO agree with a par
ticuiar line Of policy marked ont by the
administration.
Senators ChandI, aud Morton especi-
ally the first named, made bitter tpelch
10 favor Of the chang, and warmly OPP
posed a motion made hy Mr.. Wilson. to
recon- NIT tie matter. He declared that
the party would not lose a vote By the
cLauge, but THAI 1t would harmonic the
party and treugthen the hands Of the ad-
mini,tratior. During the latter part OF
the caucus. us stated, Mr.. Sumner was
present, but did not participate. He was
confident to the last that he would not be
deposed, and only gave up when his col
leagues motion to recOmmit was lost.
The only vote which was taken by yeas
and nays was en- the motion of Mr.. Wilson
to recommit and report Mr.. Sumner back
as chairman. II was in detail as follows
For Sumner-Senators Gilbert, Trumbull,
Robertson. Logan, Morrill,, of Vermont,
Morrill,, of Maine, Wilson. Wright, Win
dom,, Ferry, of Connecticut, Schurz, Cra-
gin, Fenton, Sherman, Sprague, Upton,
Spencer, Caldwell, Hitchcock, Corbett and
Boreman-21. Against Sumner-Senators
Harlan, Pratt, Kellogg, Cole, Osborne,
Pomeroy, Hamlin, Chandler, Ferry, of
Michigan, Nye, Freelinghuysen, Con blin,
Pool. Scott. Sawyer. Howe, Carpenter,
Stewart, West, Lewis. Morton, Brownlow,
Edmunds, Ramsey, Ames and Hamilton,
of Texas-26.