Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-03-12


United states Senate ON rhe Report
OF the Radical Caucus Deposing
Senator sumner.
schurz and Wilson SEQ for'' Grant
and HIS Administrations
Takes sides with Summer.
One of the Most Remarkable Discus
sions i'm the Annals OF Congress.
The following is full telegraphic re-
port Of the proceedings of the Senate on
Friday, March 10, SO far as relates to the
Radical war on Senator Sumner:
Mr.. Howe moved that the Senate pro-
coed with the ballot to elect a Chairman
of the Committee on Finance, whereupon
MIR: Wilson withdrew his motion Just
made, and submitted resolution with the
List of standing committees determined
upon by the Republican caucus. CHE
list has been publshed.) The vacancy
for Democrat upon the Committed on
Manufactures was filed by Mr.. Blair.
Mr.. Davis, of West Virginia, was assigned
to the Committee on Agriculture, Revo-
lutionary Claims and Engrossed Bills.
Mr.. Schurz moved to postpone fur
Their consideration of the committee until
tomorrow.
MI. Sumner-Before that motion is
put wish my friend Mr.. SchHrz would
allow me to make another motion in the
nature of suggestion. (Mr. Schurz
withdrew his motion and Mr.. Sumner
proceeded.) ! ask that my name be
eliminated from the Committee on Privi-
leges and Elections. l observe that l am
placed at the head of that important com
mittee, and most respectfully ask to be
excused from serving. / presume 1t is
better for me before the Senate act on the
report to have that amendment made. /
therefore ask that the report be amended
by striking out my name from the COM
mittee.
Mr.. Sherman said that if after the COM
mittees were organized, any Senator in
sisted on being excused from serving on
the committee, the Senate would, as
matter of course, grant his request, but 1t
was not usual to allow the request bsfore
the committees were agreed upon as a
whole by the Senate. He would vote to
excuse the Senator from Massachusetts,
but ne hoped that that Senator would
| defer his motion until vote on the pend
| ing question was taken.
Mr.. Sumner replied that in proposing
to amend the proposition he was exercis-
ing very ordinary and responsible right.
He declined to withdraw il, but proceed
| ed to advocate it, as not only in order,
| but eminently proper. He held that the
Senate should know before acting on q
report, if a Senator was not disposed
to accept the place assigned him. He
would say to the Senator from Ohio,
Mr. Sherman) that after twenty years
service in the Chamber, he (Mr. Sum-
ner,) had right to expect that his asso-
ciates would not impose on him new
class of duties, when he expressly stated
that they were not welcome to him.
| The Chair declared Mr. Summers mo-
| ton to be in order, but that in regard to
the practice of the Senate, the Senator
from Ohio (Mr. Sherman,) was correct
/ in his statement.
Mr.. Sumner replied, as TO the practice,
there has been no occasion heretofore for
such motion.
| Mr.. Summers motion was agreed to
without division.
Mr.. Schurz hen renewed his motion
to postpone, and Mr.. Wilson urged its
adoption as affording an opportunity of
rectifying any errors that may occur in
forming the committees.
A vote by division on Mr.. Schurz's
motion, resulted in twenty-one Senators
rising in the affirmative, and twenty-nine
in the negative-not agreed to.
The question recurring on the adoption
of the resolution, Mr.. Schurz explained
the reasons for which he moved post
ponement. He said it was well known
to the country that there were certain dis
agreements with regard to the appoint
ment OF these committees now submitted
to the Senate, and this motion was made
with the intention of trying last chance
to reconcile these disagreements and to
prevent the possible excitement that
might grow out of it. The last chance
had been denied, and the resolution of
Mr.. Howe was now before the Senate for
debate. 1t would be noticed that in that
resolution change of some importance
had been made in the important Commit
tee on Foreign Relations The late chair
man, the Senator from Massschu-
sets, (Mr. Sumner), was his personal
friend, and, while bound to him by
intimate personal relations, he (Mr.
Schurz) could say at the same time that,
were those personal relations otherwise
than friendly, his judgment on the ques-
ton would not be altered. He thought
he spoke the unanimous sentiment of the
country when he asserted that the duties
devolving on the Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations had been
fulfilled by the Senator from Massschu-
sets with great credit to himself and the
committee, and with general satisfaction
to the country. That gentleman was
looked upon in the Senate as member
of the Senate who, by study and training,
was most eminently fitted to fill that po-
sition over all others. The resolution
substituted in place of that Senator the
Senator from Pennsylvania, not now in
his seat (Cameron,) whose pro-
found studies of international law
and general experience, especially
in the diploma ic service, fitted
him for the place, and with whom at their
head the committee would, in the highest
degree, enjoy the confidence of the coun-
try. But he [Schurz was free to say
that that gentleman was not 50 vastly su
perior to the Senator from Massachusetts,
that his appointment would for moment
be entertained on that account. 1t was
| evident there was something else. When
| a movement was made to degrade an en-
inent member of the Senate it was but
| Just to that member, to the Senate and to
the country, that the real reasons for
which such change proposed should be
laid bare to the public gaze. He would
therefore ask the Senator who had intro
duced the resolution (Mr. Howe) what
were the reasons why such change were
made.
Mr.. Howe rose to reply.
Mr.. Stewart (aside)-I would not an
sWer him.
Several Senators-No, don't.
Mr.. Howe said on the one hand he was
asked question, and on the other ap-
pealed to not to answer it, and in defer
! ence to that rule of courtesy which he had
| sought to make rule of his life he would
make civil answer to a civil question.
| He would briefly state the reasons so far