New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-27
MISSISSIPPI CIVIL RIGHTS BILL
CONGRESS-.
Supervisor General OF S.eambOats-Frce
Tea and Coffee in Peril-MObile and
Grand Trunk Railroad-French Spoil.

Supervisor General OF S,eambOats-Frce
Tea and Coffee i'm PeriI-NIObiIe and
Grand Trunk RaiIroad-French spoil.
alton.
WASHINGTON, March 26.-Joseph Nimms
has been nominated suvervisor general Of
steamboats,.
Senator Sherman thinks the action of the
Senate defeats free tea and coffee. He be-
lieves the Senate will tomorrow adopt the
tariff bill as reported by the Senate Finance
Committee. Free tea and coffee without
riders can not pass the Senate.
HOuse.-This body tilibustered all day
over the city depot for the Baltimore and
Potomac railway. This is contest be-
tween the Pennsylvania Central and Balti-
Senute.-The bill granting the right of
way to the Mobile and Grand Trunk rail
road, with an amendment requiring its
com pletion within five years, passed.
The North Carolina contested election
case has been made the special order for
Monday.
The French spoilation comes up Tuesday.
when Mr. Cameron will speak on the sub
.ject.
The House bill repeating the duty on tea
aad coffee was taken up. Several amend
mentS were proposed and discussed, where
upon Mr.. Sherman said he would, tO-mor-
row. renew the effort to pass the Senate
bill, as it seemed impossible to pass the
House bill for free tea and coffee as a
seperate meas re. Senate adjourned.
Senator Sumner appeared before the sale
of arms committee this morning, and re-
fused to testify. He asked and obtained
leave to read protest, which states that
he has no persona. objection to an exam
nation but he must consider his duty as a
Senator, and ques,ton the competency of
the committee which had summoned him.
He SAYS the examination of a Senator
by committee ,f the Senate on a
matter outside of the Senate, and not
connected with ms public duties, is
sustained by precedents. as when Mr.. Sew
ard and Mr. Wilson were examined with
reference to the expedition of John Brown,
but any examination with regard to his
public conduct, and especially with regard
10 matter which lie has telt it his duty to
lay before the Senate in the discharge of his
public duties, is of very doubtful propriety.
In his public conduct Senator acts on his
own responsibility, under the sanction of an
oath. and the constitution declares that for
anv speech or debate he shall not be ques-
toned in any other place. This prohibition,
while not preventing questions of a certain
character must limit the inquiry, but the
law steps forward with its own require
ments. according to which it is plain that a
Senator cannot be interrogated. first, with
regard to his conferences with other Sena-
tors on public business and secondly, with
regard to witnesses who have contidentially
communicated with him. The protest also
takes grounds in arguing against the compe-
tency of the committee, that it is violation
of that general parliamentary rule in the
appointment of special committees which re-
qulrcs that they should be organized so as
to promote the business or inquiry for which
the committee is created: IN familiar
language proposition is committed TO its
friends, and not to its enemies.
The committee unanimously decided to
issue Il subpoena. requiring Mr.. Sumner to
appear tomorrow.