The New York herald., 1871-03-11
WASHINGTON.
Exciting and Prolonged Debate
in the Senate.
~~~~~N~>~~>o~>~>~~o~~o.>~
Mr.. Sumner Removed from The Committee
on Foreign Relations.
Vigorous but Unayailing Efforts OF
His Friends to Save Him.
~~~>~>~>~~>~>~-~~~
Probable Effect Of the Movement on
the Republican Party.
Defeat Of the Bill Repeating the Duties
on Salt and Coal.
Probable Effect Of the Movement on
the Republican Party.
Defeat Of the Bill Repeating the Duties
on Salt and Coal.

on Salt anu Coal
WASHINGTON, March 10, 1871.
Debate In the Senate on the Removal OF MIR.
Sumner from tho Committee ON Foreign
Affairs.
The great sensation In the Senate to-day was the
debate upon the proposition to remodel the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations as to remove Senator
Sumner from the position he has held 80 long as
chairman Of that Committee, remove him from the
committee altogether, ana substitute Senator Came
ron as chairman IN his sead The debate lasted six
consecutive hours. The Senate has not witnessed
Similar scene for many years. The friends OF senator
Sumner, though they were In the minority, made
. magnificent fight In his defence; and while they
were at last overpowered by numbers 1t is conceded
that they achieved moral victory, on the ground
Of justice, which the masses OF the republican party
throughout the country Will see and sanction Ia the
end. The sum and substance of the whole matter
was the point whether the Wishes of the President
should 0Verrule al! other considerations The sequel
showed that the Senate sustained the Presidents but
the best friends of the republican party assert that
this victory for the administration is the worst de-
feat that the party has yet sustained.
The scene in the Senate chamber to-day Is likened
to grand saturnalia of the republicans prior to
their complete demQrallzatlon and defeat IN 1872.
The democrats Of course are ubiiant over the pros.
poets which the events Of to-day present It is said
that the sentiment of the country will be on the side
Of Sumner and with those who, on the
principles Of independence Of right and
Of the best interests of the country, stood
mp so strongly in his defence 1t is almost
universally conceded that the reason assigned for
suggesting the change IN the Craftsmanship Of the
committee were not sufficient Some Senators, who
n nj atic
to party organization, publicly acknowledged this,
and the result has been to make Sumner martyr
to Executive dctatlon, with, as it is claimed, the
established usage OF the Senate and the sympa-
thies OF the country on his slde
In the absence Of Vice President Colfax Senator
Anthony, of Rhode Island, was chosen President
pro. tenn. Of the senate. After the reading Of
the journal motion OF Senator Spencer, Of
Alabama, that when the Senate adjourn i: adjourn
TO meet on Monday next, was lost by o tie vote-2s
to 2s Senator Howe, OF Wisconsin, then intro
duced for the sanction of thesenate the list OF ITS
standing committees, previously prepared in eau
Gus and published in this mornings HERALD. This
inaugurated the great debate which followed. The
second committee on the list as read was the Com
mittec Of Foreign Relations. thrill went through
the Senate Chamber when the name OF Cameron
was read as chairman OF that committee In place OF
Sumner. When the reading OF the list was finished
Senator Schurz moved that the further considera-
tion Of the subject be postponed until tomorrow.
Summers name appearing as chairman OF the
Committee on privileges and Elections. the Massa-
chusetts Senator rose and requested that his name
might be eliminated from that committee. This
gave rise to some conversational remarks concern
ing the usages of the Senate. Sumner said that lie
did not think he claimed TOO much, after twenty
years service In the Senate, when he thought he
had right to expect that his associates would
not impose upon him new class OF
duties when he expressly said they were
unwelc0me to him. Summers suggestion, assum-
ing the form OF an amendment, was adopted by the
Senate, and lie was accordingly excused from sery-
Ing on the new committee. The question next In
order Schurz's motion to postpone further con-
slderation OF the committees until tomorrow. 1t
was lost by vote OF 81 to co. and the attention of
the Senate was directed to the original motion of
.Mr. H0we-namey, the adoption Of the Standing
committees as reported.
Senator Schurx, whose seat Is JUST in front OF
Sumner's was up In an instant. The galleries were
crowded, al eyes were turned upon the Missouri
Senator. It was expected that he would make q
bold defence OF his friend and associate from Massa.
chusets, and the expectation was not disappointed.
It was net on the ground of personal friendship
that he arose to protest against the contemplated
change, but on the principle OF justice. He believed
ne spoke the unanimous sentiment Of the Senate ana
or the country when he asserted that the duties de-
r0lving on the chairman of the Committee on
Foreign Relations OF the Senate had been discharged
BY Mr Sumner with great credit to himself and with
great satisfaction to the country. Sumner was
looked upon as the man above all others who, by his
education his training and his social relations was
most eminently fitted to ill tho position he had so
long and so ably occupied. It ceud not be on &C.
count OF his disquali1cations that his displacement
was suggested. There must be some other reasons;
ana he requested, as but just TO the Senate and the
country, that those reasons should be stated.
There was some sensation in the Senate Chamber
when Schnrz sat down, and Howe, of Wisconsin,
arose to give the reasons. Howe admitted that
there was no question about Summers ability and
fitness; but he said it was known to those who pro.
posed the change hsr the relations existing
between the Senator from Massachusetts and the
President of the United States and the head Of the
State Department were such as precluded all social
intercourse between hem. In short he said the I'M.
putation was tnat Sumner had refused to hold any
personal intercourse with The Secretary of State,
and that for some time past he had had no personal
intercourse with the President. At Howe's ausion
to the Secretary OF State Sumner shook his head
and said, "Just the contrary.''
Senator Wilson, who was the next to get the noor
stood up firmly In defence OF his colleague from
Massachusetts. lie contended that Sumner should
not be thus disgraccd on account Of his social re-
1i0ns with the President or any member Of the Cabi
net so long as they could hold the necessary eal-
cisl relations with each other that was sufficient
Wilson demonstrated entreated and protested
against the recommendation OF the caucus, and his
opposition was mainly on the ground that he be-
lieyed the great Interests or the country would
not be promoted by taking the chairman OF
the Committee on Foreign Relations from the posi-
gentleman VINO, however worthy, no man in the
Senate or cut OF 1t presumed had any special fitness
for the place. Wilson also opposed the change on
the ground OF the damage 1t would do the republl-
can party There were hundreds OF thousands OF
sue most thoughtful, pure, trusted brave and noble
men OF the republican party whose hearts had been
wrBng by the intelligence that the proposed indig