New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-13
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FFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED S1A't'
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLtHNs
DEBATES IN THE SENATE
MONDAY, January a. lS'2'

by the Senate was changed SO as TO restore
to the President of the senate the power to
appoint committees anu one rune Win re-
gard to the time ior thlrd readlng was
Stricken out altogether.
Mr. Raw moved to amend the rule giving
two.thirds of the Senate power to suspend
the regular order of business. so as to
take up any special measure, and to require
in future the unanimous consent of the
Senate for this purpose. He said: My
object is to pursue the regular order of
business under the two-thirds rule. We
never pursued the regular order of business
but once all last session, and much of the
time of the Senate was taken up in calling
the yeas and nays to ascertain if there
were two-thirds cOncurring in the suspen-
sion of the rules. If we would adopt strin-
gent rules we would do great deal more
business, and there would be great deal
Of time saved in ascertaining what business
is to be taken up. have heard old Speakers
both of Houses of Representatives and of
Congress say that more than double the
ordinary business can be done by legisla-
tive bodies simply by adhering strictly to
the rules. AS we have now left less time
than is ordinarily necessary in which to
transact the business of the session, think
it highly desirable we should adopt such
rules as will hold us to the strict order OF
business.
The yeas and nays were called on Mr..
Rays motion to amend, and the President
declared the motion carried bv sixteen yeas
to fifteen nays
Mr. McMillen-Did the Senator vote!
President Pinchback-NO sir.
Mr.. McMillen-I ask the Senator to vote.
The President said he did not think he
was required to vote except in case OF tie.
Mr.. Herwig moved to excuse the Senator
from voting.
fIo ~.
is too late now.
The President decided that the Chair hav-
ing announced the vote it was too late
now.
= Mr.. -Millen Hereafter hope the Chair
will VOTE
Mr.. Pinchback-If the Chair had voted
he would have carried it any way, because
he is irSavor OF. going on with the regular
order business.
On the motion to strike out the word
elected, in rule forty -four, and put in the
word appointed"
Mr.. Smith said: do not want to annoy
the Senate by longwinded speech, but
there is one singular fact to which l should
like to call their attention at this particu
lar time. 1t will be remembered, sir, that
at the last session of this Assembly, when
this question as to the election or appoint
ment of committees was brought up, the
motion to elect committees sprung from
the same side of the house from which now
originates the motion to appoint.
Mr.. McMiilen-Reform is the watchword
now.
Mr.. Smith-It depends upon what kind Of
reform you mean. One year ago, when the
sainted Oscar j. Dunn occupied the seat
which you, Mr.. President, now have the
honor of filling-at least, l believe you feel
proud to occupy the seat as his successor
when he occupied that chair-a man against
whom no man who ever trod the soil OF
Louisiana could bring the charge that he
had acted partially or unjustly-
Mr.. holland called the gentleman to order.
He was wandering from the question.
Mr.. Smith resumed From the same
side of the house was brought up this
question of electing committees. Why!
Because the same men who now accuse
myself and other Republican Senators Of
acting in conjunction with the Democrats
these same men had then made a league
with the Democrats themselves, and by
promising to give them the control OF some
of the committees, and by promising to
elect Democrats on other committees, they
carried the motion.
Mr.. Whitney said the statement of the
gentleman was not correct A majority OF
the Republican Senators voted to make
the committees elective instead of APP
pointive.
Mr.. Smith, say this and no man can
deny it-vou did make league with the
Democrats.
The president-The gentleman will come
TO order; his remarks are a personal re-
Election ON the Senate.
Mr. Smith-While we had a President
known to be a just and impartial man these
same Senators introduced the motion to
elect the committees. Why? To carry out
certain schemes of their own, and they
know ito carry out certain schemes
which they accomplished by getting the
Democratic members to. act with them.
Now they wish to change back Why i!
BECAUSE they have succeeded in electiDg
gentleman whom they believe will appoint
committees favorable to themselves. l do
not say our present presiding officer will
act uniustly. / do not think he will: but
they consider they have one of their own
men elected to the presidential chair.
The confusion and talking in the lobby
drowned the rest of the Senator's remarks
Mr.. Todd came to the rescue of his col
league. Senator Blackman and others had
put themselves on record, and he hoped
they would not interrupt the gentleman
from Jefferson till he had put himself on
record.
Mr.. Antoine (whO was almost inuadible
on account Of the noise in the lobby. said
he should vote for the change. He thought
it was wrong to make a Democratic com
pact to control the appointing of commit
tees last year; he thought it was wrong this
year. 1t mattered not how much he was
opposed to the President of the Senate, he
would leave this matter to his judgment
and integrity. He did pot believe the Presi-
dent would be so partisan as to appoint men
solely for partisan purposes.
Mr. Smith, desire to explain my posi-
ton. do not wish the Chair to understand
that doubt the ability of the Chair to ap-
point the committees in proper manner.
but l say if Oscar j. Dunn could not appoint
committees properly, +. d. 5. Plnchback
can not. l say both could.
Mr.. Ray-I concur in the amendment
proposed. l think in all legislative bodies
the Speaker or the President of the Senate
ought to appoint the committees, for the
reasons l endeavored to impress upon the
Senators when the contrary course was pro-
posed last'session. | have full confdencein
the President of the Senate; think it is more
competent for him to appoint the commit
tees than to elect them by the Senate.
Mr.. MISUNDERSTANDING is a Jewel.
Some writers have likened it to the bril-
liancy of the monday sun. AT the last ses-
sion of the Senate, voted for the appoint
ment of the committees. because l believed
then, as | believe now. that the presiding
officer of this body, whoever he may be,
has not only the honesty, but the capacity
to appoint the committees-far more so
than any caucus arrangement that the Sen
ators may enter into. IL is a direct retiec-
tion on Senators who now make this mo-
tion, that last year they were on the oppo-
site side of the question, voting for the cleo
tion of committees. l voted against you.
Mr.. President, as presiding officer; L did
what | could to prevent your occupying
that chair; but when an attempt is made III
His Senate to take away from you one iota
IF what | believe the legitimate rights and
nnrileaes of the Chair, | shall be found