Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-22
CONGRESSIONAL.
A Protracted Struggle for Amnesty.
The Senate Adjourns without a vote
House Adjourns Over the Holidays

The Senate AdjOurns without Vote
House AdjOurns Over the Holidays
4 SENATE.
ANotabIe Omission I'm Grants Reform
Message.
] WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.-Mr. Sumner
introduced joint resolution providing fol
| a constitutional amendment limiting the
Presidency to one term The preamble
recites the earnest recommendations on
this subject of Andrew jackson, VIM.
Henry Harrison, Henry Clay, Daniel Web
| ster, ETC., down to Ben. Wade, with liberal
quotations from De Tocqueville. Sumner
introducing the amendment, said:
~ shall content myself with a brief re-
mark: This is an era of civil service re-
form, and the President of the United
States, in message, has already called our
| attention to that important subject, and
made recommendations with reference to
it. 1t may be remembered that I hailed
that message at once, as it was read from
the desk. l forbore then to state that
missed one important recommendation, q
| very important recommendations with
| out which all other recommendations, fear,
may be futile. l missed a recommenda-
ton of an amendment to the constitution
in conformity with the best precedents of
our history, and with the recommendations
of illustrious men, limiting the person
holding the office of President to one term.
Sir, that is the initial point of civil service
reform. That is the first stage in that great
reform. The scheme of the President is
the play of Hamlet without Hamlet. l
| propose, by the amendment Ioffer, to see
that Hamlet be brought into the play"
| [Laughter.]
Mr.. Sherlnan-Does the Senator propose
to postpone the play of Civil Service Re-
| form until we adopt this amendment?
Mr.. Sumner-No; but propose to put
Hamlet into the play. 1t need not take
! long to do it.
The joint resolution was read and laid
| over.
Mr.. Sumner called attention that the
amendment did not go into effect until
March 4, 1873, therefore it would not inter-
fere with the preferences of Senators for any
particular candidate next year.
The samana SwindIe.
Mr.. Sumner offered resolution which
was adopted directing the Committee
on Retrenchment to inquire whether any
money had been paid on account of any as
| serted lease of the Bay of Samana to the
United States, and if so, by whom, out OF
what fund, and to what amount; also il
such moneys have been paid by private per-
sons, then to report the names of such per
| sons, with their business and inducements
for this outlay; whether they are interested
in land grants or other speculations on the
island of Domingo, and whether there has
been any understanding that such money
would be refunded by the United States;
also to ascertain the application of such
moneys and the agent obtaining and dis
ursing the same, with powers and papers.
GOIdthwaite.
A. S. Thurman offered resolution to ad-
NIT Goldthwaite, of Alabama, to a seat in
the Senate, pending investigation by the
Committee on Privileges and Elections, OF
! bis right to seat. 1t was in accordance
| he said with the uniform practice in such
| cases to admit Senator, having a prima
| facie claim, to the seat pending the investiga-
ton of his claim.
Mr.. Sherman was opposed to admitting
| Goldthwaite, because evidence had been
laid before the Senate that several members
| of the Legislature which elected him held
their own seats by fraud and violence, and
| others were ineligible to Office under the
| fourteenth amendment.
Amnesty.
Pending the discussion the morning hour
| expired and the unfinished business, the
faty
up.
The pending amendment was Mr.. Nor
tons, providing that the act should not be
so constructed so as to validate the election
of anybody to an Office under the United
States Government who was at the time of
his election ineligible by law. The amend
ment was rejected by the following vote:
Yeas, Ames, Anthony, Buckingham, Cald-
well, Carpenter, Chandler, Clayton, Conk-
ling, Corbett, EdmuDds, Ferry (Mich. }
Flanagan, Frelinghuysen, HaInlin, Morrill,,
(Me.) Morrill,, (Vt.) Morton, Nye, Pomeroy,
Pool, Pratt, Ramsey, Rick, Sawyer, Scott,
Spencer, Sumner, Wisdom-2S.
Nays-Messrs. Alcorn, Bayar6, Blair,
Casserly, Cooper, Davis of Kentucky, Da-
Wis of West Virginia, Fenton, Ferry of
Connecticut, Hamilton of Missouri, Hill,
Hitchcock, Johnston, Kellogg, Kelly, Lewis,
Logan, Norwood, Robertson, Salisbury,
Schurz, Sherman, Stevenson. Stockton,
Thurman, Upton, Trumbull, Vickers and
West-29.
Mr.. Summers amendment (the supple
mentary civil rights bilD then come up.
Mr.. Thurman made the point that it was
not in order, because it was measure if
standing alone could be passed by a major
ity vote, while the pending bill required a
two-thirds vote.
Mr.. Trumbull raised the point that the
amendment was not in order, because it
would require the approval of the President
in order to become law, whereas the am
nesty bill could become law without the
Presidents approval. This point was dis
cussed at length by Messrs. Trumbull, Car
penter, Edmunds, Conklin, Thurman and
Davis, of Kentucky.
Both points were overruled by the Chair.
Ap Appeal from the Chair.
Mr.. Thurman appealed from the decision
of the Chair on his point of order, and the
decision was sustained-yeas 2S, nays 20.
Summers amendment was then rejected
by the following vote-yeas: Messrs. Ames,
Anthony, Brownlow, Buckingham, Cold
Ncll, SdipcubcI, SldytOHs NOHhllllS, NOl-
butt, Edmunds, Ferry, (Michigan,) Flana-
gin, Frelinghuysen, Hamlin, Kellogg, Morrill,,
(Vermont,) Morton, Nye, Patterson, Pome-
roy, Pratt, Ramsey, Rice, Sherman, Spencer,
Sumner, West, Wilson, Windom-29.
Nays: Messrs. Alcorn, Bayard, Blair,
Boreman, Casserly, Cooper, Davis, (Ken-
tucky,) Davis, (West Virginia,) Fenton,
Ferry, (Connecticut,) Hamilton, (Mary-
land,) Hill, Hitchcock, Johnston, Kelly,
Lewis, Logan, Morrill,, (Missouri,) Nor
wood, Peel, Robertson; Salisbury, Sawyer,
Schurz, Scott, Stevenson, Thurman, Tip
ton, Trumbull--30.
Mr.. Edwards offered an amendment
which would exclude all members of Con-
gress succeeding the 35th who participated
in the rebellion. which was lost, the vote
being ayes %, nays 81.
Mr. Pratt offered an amendment provid-
ing that the removal of disabilities should
not give persons so received any status in
court which they do not now possess in as
serting claims against the United States
lost, ayes %, nays 30.
Mr.. Wilson moved an amendment, by
striking out the exceptions in full, and ex-
cepting instead only members of the Thirty
sixth and Thirty-seventh Congress, who
aided the rebellion, Judges of the Supreme
Court, United States, and Heads of Execu
tive Departments of the Government in
1860 and 1861, who joined the rebellion.
Lost; yeas 4, nays 55.
4 4 I l..