The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-03-11
XLIId CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
SENATE.


In the absence Of the Vice President,
on motion Of Mr.. SUMNER, Mr. ANTHONY,
was unanimously chosen President pro
tenn OF the Senate, and the Secretary was
ordered to communicate the fact TO the
President Of the United States and tho
House Of Representatives.
An adjournment until Monday was de.
feated by a tievote.
Mr.. HOWE moved to proceed 10 the
election Of committees, and the motion
was agreed to. -
Mr.. HOWE submitted q list Of the stand.
ing committees determined upon by the
Republican caucus.
The vacancy for the Democrats upon
the Committee on Manufactures was
filled by Mr.. BLAIR.
Mr.. DAVIS, of West Virginia, was u.s.
signed to the Committees on Agriculture,
Revolutionary Claims and Engrossed
Bills. ' - r.
Mr.. SCHURz moved to postpone the fur
ther consideration Of the committees
until tomorrow. W '
Mr.. SUMNER. Before thatmotiOn is put
! wish Mr.. SCHURz would allow me to
make another motion in the nature OF q
suggestion. Mr.. SCHURz withdrew,
his motion, and Mr.. SUMNER proceeded !:
I ask that my name be eliminated from
the Committee on Privileges and Elections.
I observe that l am placed at the head Of
that important Committee, and l most
respectfully ask to be excused from serv-
ing. ] presume 1t Is better for me, before
the Senate act on the report, TO have that
amendment made. I therefore ask that
the report be amended by striking my
name from the Committee.
Mr.. SHERMAN said that If after the
Committees were organized any Senator
insisted upon being relieved from service
on the Committee, the Senate would, as n
matter Of course, grant the request, but 1t
was not usual TO grant such request before
the Committees were agreed upon as q
whole by the Senate. He would vote to
excuse the Senator from Massachusetts,,
but he hoped that the Senator would de-
fer his motion until the vote on the pend
ing question was taken.
Mr.. SUMNER replied that in proposing
to amend the proposition he was exercis.
ing a very ordinary and reasonable right.
He declined to withdraw it, but proceeded
to advocate 1t as not only in order but
eminently proper. He would say to the
Senator from Ohio, Mr.. SHERMAN, that
after twenty years service In the Cham.
ber, he (SUSrNER) had q right 10 expect
that his associates would not impose up:
on him q new class Of duties, when he ex-
lressly stated that they were not welcome
10 him. F.r.
The Chair declared Mr.. SUMMERS mo.
ton to be In order, but that In regard TO
tho practice In the Senate, the Senator
from Ohio (Mr. SHERMAN was correct in
his statement.
Mr.. SUMMERS motion was then agreed
10 without a division.
Mr.. ScHURZ then renewed his motion TO
postpone, and Mr., WILSON urged Its
adoption as atfOrding an opportunity for
rectliying any errors that may have &C.
curredin revising tho list. : Z
A vote by division on Mr.. SCIrURE's
motion resulted in 81 Senators rising In
tho affirmative, and 20 In the negative.
Not agreed to.
The question recurring on the resolution,
Mr.. SCHURz explained the reasons for
which he moved the postponement. He
closed by asking the Senator who had in.
troduced the resolution; Mr.. HOWE, what
were the reasons why such change was
made.
Mr.. STEWART (aside)-"I would not an
swer him"
Several Senators-"No, don't"
Mr.. HOWE said on one hand he was
asked o question and on the other appeal.
ed to not to answer it; and in Difference to
that rule Of courtesy which he had sought
to make the rule Of his life, he would
make q civil answer 10 a civil question.
He would briefly state the reasons so far
as he knew them. He said It was known
to those who proposed the change that
the personal relations existing between
the Senator from Massachusetts, and the
President Of the United States and the
head OF the State Department were such
as to preclude all social intercourse be.
tween them. In brief, the information
was that the Senator from Massachusetts
refused to hold personal intercourse with
the Secretary Of State.
Mr.. SuSENER-"Just the contrary" .'a
Mr.. HOWE, continuing without noticing
the remark-And that tho Senator has
not held any intercourse with the Presi.
dent Of the United States. In view Oi
these facts, 1t was deemed best that the
Committee on Foreign Relations should
have head who would be on at least
speaking terms with the Secretary Of
State and the President.
Mr.. SCHURz replied that he was in.
formed, and that from the best au
therity, that Mr.. SUMNER had moi
refused to enter into any official relations
either with the President or Secretary oI
State. "
How'll ask my friend not to change
the issue. ! did not speak of their official
relations; l spoke Of their personal re-
lations.
Mr.. WnsoN-Then, Mr.. PRESIDENT
1t comes to this, that the oldest member
Of the Senate, Chairman OF the Commit.
tee on Foreign Relations through the last
ten years, Is to be removed from the
Craftsmanship, and from the Committee
itself, because Of the social relations be
tween the President of the United States
the Secretary Of State and himself. He
WILSON, was one Of those who be
lleved it was not the business
what these relations were, or what werI
the social relations Of any Senator to thl
President, or any other member Of thC
government. he thought the only queS
lion was as to whether member helC