Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-23
CONGRESSIONAL.
The Extra Session of the Senate.
Debate ON Caldwell Exhausted.
Morton Says He Favors Expulsion,
And will Close the Case Monday.

WASHINGTON, March 22.-The Sena te
proceeded to the consideration of the Cald-
well question. MIR. Ferry of Michigan, re-
GREETED that the Senator from Connecticut,
(Mr. Ferry,) had submitted resolution of
expulsion. He had given close attention to
the ten days debate on the question whether
bribery vitiates the election of member.
This debate was confined to the legality of
the act by which Cald veil held his seat. 1t
appeared q majority of the Committee on
Elections were in doubt as to the proper
method to be pursued: therefore they chose
to present questions involving the validity
of the election.
Mr.. Morton interrupted Mr.. Ferry's re-
marks as to the resolutions already pend
ing from different Senators on the subject,
and said that he as chairman of the COM
mittee took the ground that the Senate has
choice Of remedies and favored expul-
sion, but a majority of the committee
thought proper to present the resolution
declaring the seat vacant rather than ex-
pulsion.
Mr.. Ferry, resuming, said he would not
commit himself in advance as to the merits
of the question involved, but should ap-
proach them with the respect due to State
action and bis constitutional duty to deal
rigidly with official wrong. He then offer
ed an amendment to the amendment pend
ing, to place back the first question substan-
tally where it first appeared from the COM
mittee as follows:
That Alexander Caldwell be and is here
by declared [not] to have been elected Sem
ator of the United States by the Legislature
OF Kansas.
MI. Alcorn briefly discussed the question
of jurisdiction, maintaining that the Con-
stitution makes the act of the Legislature
in the election of Senator subject OF re-
view by the Senate.
Mr.. Ferry, of Connecticut, ia explaining
bis reasons for having heretofore offered an
amendment to the committees resolution,
proposing the expulsion of Caldwell, sale
that in examining all the evidence he was
IkRable to avoid the conclusion that the
election in January, 1871, was effected oy
bribery in the interest CT Caldwell, the pur-
chase money having been pad by Caldwell
himself. Having arrived at this conclu-
sion of facts, it seemed to be essential not
simply to the dignity and honor of tbeSen.
ate, to the state of public feeling of the
country, but for the preservation of the in
siitutions in which we live, that the Senate
should in some way emphatically express
its condemnation of the transaction. Ac-
cordiDg 10 common law and usage run
ming through all English decisions until
now, bribed vote is no vote, and if it be
found that bribed votes effected an election
they must be cast out and the election
voided. When charges were made that a
Senatorial election was procured by bribery,
it was the bounden duty of the Senate, I'M
| der the Constitutional clause that made the
| Senate the Judge of the election and quail
fication OF its members, to inquire into the
facts.
Some time was spent in exchange o.
views as to fixing the order in which the
pending propositions shall be voted on, but
no arrangement was made.
No Senator rising to continue the debate
the closing speech devOlved on Mr.. Morton
who said he was not ready TO do 50 to-day
and moved that the Senate go into eXecu-
tive session, which was agreed to, and the
Senate subsequently adjourned.