Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-03-12
THE REPUBLICAN SENATE CAUCUS.
Vote. on summers Removal.

The Republican Senators met Thursday
morning in caucus to act on the report of
the committee on the re-arrangement of
| the standing committees of the Senate.
Mr.. Anthony presided.
| Several changes were proposed by which
the friends of the administration were put
| In positions more advantageous than those
last session occupied. These changes would
| probably have been acquiesced in without
discussion had they not included the depo-
sition of Mr.. Sumner from the Chairman
ship of the Committee on Foreign Rela-
| tions.
To this most important change imme-
| diate objection was made, and an animated
| discussion sprung up. AT IL o'clock the
Senate held a short session, and adjourned
| to continue the caucus.
| The whole question was discussed freely,
and for the most part temperately and
kindly. It was urged that Mr.. Summer
| could not properly transact the business Of
| the committee, because the chairman of
| that committee should be in frequent COM
munication with the President and the
| Secretary of State, and Mr.. Sumner was
not on speaking terms with either. Fur
| thermore, he was known to be opposed to
almost every feature of the foreign policy
of the administration, and the administra-
tion should have in that position known
and ayowed friend of its policy. 1t was
understood and stated that this change was
| desired by the President. That this had
| special reference or connection with the
| San Domingo matter was denied.
In opposition to the removal it was said
that If not an act of personal spite it would
be so looked upon by the majority of the
people; that it would tend to dissension
| and bitter feeling between members of the
party; that If the object was TO weaken
Senator Summer or the opposition to the
policy of Gen. Grant, it would certainly
fail; that Mr.. Sumner, from his eminent
service to the Republican party and his
unparalleled fitness for the position should
be retained there for the benefit of the
country and the party.
Mr.. Wilson moved TO recomn1it the re-
port to the committee with instructions
This was made test question, and on 1t
the committee were sustained, the resolu-
tion being lost by vote of 26 to 21. The
vote was as follows:
YEAs--Messrs. Boreman, Caldwell, Corbett,
Cragin, Fenton, Ferry of Connecticut, Gilbert.
Of Vermont, Robertson, schara, ' Spencer, Spencer,
Window, Wright-2l.
.NAys.--Ames, Brownlow, Carpenter, Chan.
dler, Cole, Conkling, Edmunds, Ferry of
Harlan. Hamlin, Kellogg, Lewis Morton, Nye,
Osborn, Popieroy Pool, Pratt Ramsey, Saw
yer, Scott Stewart, West-26
On this question Mr.. Anthony did not |
vote. Mr.. Patterson was absent in New
Hampshire. Messrs. Buckingham, Hill, |
and Others, were not present when the vote |
was taken. 1t Is probable that those not |
voting were nearly equally divided. There |
was, before the caucus and subsequently,, |
some talk of contesting the matter in open |
Senate; but this probably will not be done, |
and the Senate will sustain the action of |
tho Caucus. -------f
The following is a list of the committee
as agreed upon:
Foreign Relationship. Cameron, chair |
man Messrs. Harlan, Morton, Patterson,
Schurz, Hamlin and Casserly. - ~,
Mr.. Morton offered resolutions to appoint |
a committee to prepare bill upon the SUBJ
jeet of Southern outrages, and that no other /
business should be considered at the pres
ent session. This was discussed briefly and |
Informally. The features of the bill pro-
posed were to transfer the Jurisdiction of |
cases of murder or other violence to the |
United States courts, and to try them be-
fore juries on which no person who can not |
teke the test oath should be allowed to sit
and to provide sufficient number of |
troops to sustain all the officers in the exc
cution of the law. Discussion revealed the |
fact that there would be a strong Republi-
lican opposition to such bill.