Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-05-17
Congress.
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 16.
SEN ATE-FyTpA SESsJON

WASHINGTON, D. c., May 16.
SENATE-ExTRA SESSION.
Senator Ferry of Connecticut and Senator To-
gan of Illinois took their seats for the first time
this session. Senators Brownlow of Tennessee,
johnson of Virginia and Kellogg of Louisiana
are absent from the city.
Mr.. Buckingham offered a resolution, which
was agreed TO, requesting the president, if not
inconsistent with the public interest, TO COM
municate to the senate copies of all correspond
ence in the state department in relation to the
ship Hudson and schooner Washington the
property of citizens of Connecticut, seized by
British authorities in the Falkland Islands in
1854, and also report to Lieut.. Lynch or other
naval officer on file in the navy department on
the same subject.
The senate then went into executive session.
MIR. Carpenter made report from the select
committee appointed to investigate how and by
whom the treaty of Washington and other pro-
ceedings in the executive session of the senate
were made public. The report stated that z. L.
White testified last night that he was CORE
spondent of the New York Tribune, and he trans
mitted by telegraph, last Wednesday night,
what purports to be copy of the treaty, which
was published Thursday morning He obtain
ed a copy about ten O'Clock Wednesday night
but declined to say from whom, not, however,
from inability on his part to answer, but be-
cause he was under honorary obligations not to
do so, and that he came to the examination with
ed the treaty. II. j. Ramsdell, assistant cor
respondent of the Tribune testified that the
copy was in writing, which was copied from
print, but declined to say in whose possession
he first saw printed copy, who obtained it,
or what was paid for it, and gave the same rea-
sons for his refusal to answer as. stated by Mr.
White
The committee decided that these are proper
questions; the reasons given for refusing to an
swer are not valid, and therefore they recommend
that the senate adopt resolutions directing the
sergeant-at-arms to forthwith arrest White and
Ramsdell and bring them before the bar of the
senate, and that they be detained until they an
swer for their contempt in the matter, and abide
such further orders as the senate may make
When the report was submitted, an animated
debate occurred, lasting four hours, after which
the resolution in reference to Mr.. White was
adopted as follows:
YEAs.-Messrs. Ames, Anthony, Foreman, Buck
Chandler, Clayton, Cole, Conkling, Cooper, Cragin,
Davis of Kentucky, Edmunds, Ferry Of Connect.
cut, Ferry of Michigan, Flanagan Frelinghuysen,
Hamin Harlan, Hill, Hitchcock, Howe, Kelley,
Logan Morrill, of Maine, Morrill, of Vermont, Os-
born, Patterson, Pomeroy, Pratt, Ramsey, Sawyer,
Spencer, Stevenson, Stewart Stockton, Trumbull,
Window and Wright-42.
NAYs.-Messrs. Blair, Davis of West Virginia,
FentOn, Morton, Rice, Robertson, Salisbury,
Schur2, Sherman, Sprague, Sumner, Thurman, Tip
ton, Vlckers and Wison-15.
ABSENT, or not vOting.-Messrs. Bayard, Brown
low, Corbett, Gilbert, Hamilton of Missouri Ham
ilton of Texas, Johnston, Kellogg, Lewis, Nye,
Pool, Scott and West-13.
The resolution concerning Mr.. Ramsdel was
adopted, yeas 3S, nays Is. The vote was the
same on the preceding resolution, with the ex-
ception that Senators Hill, Morrill, of Maine,
Pomeroy and Window, who had voted yea on
the first resolution, did not vote at all on the
second.
The senate, at 40 o'clock, adjourned.