Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-03-14
EXECUTIVE SESSION OF TINE SENATE
FRIDAY, March IA.

The Chair presented a memorial asking that
the papers in the case Of the Kansas Senatorial
election be taken from the file and referred %
the committee on elections and privileges.
the committee on commerce to inquire durini
the vacation into the propriety and expediency
Of the principle Of granting
SUBSIDIES TO STEAMSHIP LINES,
and what lines, If any, should receive subsidies.
Also, TO inquire into the expediency OF
granting bounties to ship builders, and in the
to visit the cities of Baltimore, New York, Phil
ade1phia, and Boston; that the committee have
power to take testimony, send for persons and
tSs he a nsa ' na
Of the contingent fund of the Senate on vouch-
ers to be approved by the chairman Of the COM
mittee.
Mr.. Casserly said this was a very importan,
resolution, and asked that it lie over until To-
morrow. He observed that there was no provi-
sion in the resolution for visiting the Pacific
coast where there was the finest body of pine
timber for ship building in the world.
Mr.. Chandler said he had no objection to the
insertion OF p TSsision to visit the Pacific
sitions to give subsidies to the amount of
Sc COO eco. 1t was q matter Of great import
ance to arrive at definite principle in the
matter.
The resolution was then laid over.
Mr.. Anthony offered a resolution, which was
laid over. reciting the facts in the matter Of the
report made to the Senate
In THE CREDIT MoBILIER TRANSACTION,
and the accompanying resolution for the expul-
sion OF Mr.. Patterson, of New Hampshire, and
the further fact that action was not taken for
want of time; and that the absence of such
action was not TO be taken as evidence of appro-
val or disapproval on the part of the Senate,
and further that Mr.. Patterson have leave To
submit a statement, which shall be printed i'm
the Congressional Record.
PRECEDENT.
Mr.: Howe called attention to the fact of the
Senate yesterday refusing to receive from him
petitions OF legislative nature, and exhibited
copies of the Senate journals at various called
sessions from 1929 down to the present time, t.
show that II had been the practice TO receive
without objection all memorials and petitions.
MIR. Sherman said ii was best to settle the
principle. 1t was, Of course, undsputed that
the Senate as now sitting could not enact legis-
latiOn, and therefore il was better not to re-
ceive petitions of that character.
After some further discussion on the subject.
MI. Howe asked TO present the petitions he had
Mr.. Carpenter objected, and the Chair, at the
request OF Mr.. Howe, again submitted the ques-
ton to the Senate, and leave to present was
again refused by - to "a.
THE CALDWELL CASE.
The unhnis:ed misunderstanding the resolution
declaring vacant the seat of Alexander Cald-
wen, OF kansas-was taken up.
MI. Scott summed up brio the report of the
committee, and said that he could not bring
his mind to the conclusion ia at its finding i
cause for setting aside the election of Caldwell.
lie then gave the grounds on which he dissented
from the conclusions of the committee, arguing
PARLIAMENTARY law Is not
piicable TO any of our popular elections; and
that ii has never been held here that a single
case Of bribery takes away the right of the
Whole constituency to their representative.
The people OF the state are the guardians of their
own legislative assembly. The Senate could
not inquire into the title by which member
holds his seat in the state legislature. The
people are responsible for corruption and bril-
berry in their legislative assembly. The Senate
Is not to sit here as high court of appeal,
slackening the characters OF members without
a hearing, and saying they were bribed. If
power, from the primary meeting to the cleo
edy in their own hands. He held that this idea
of the Senate having the power to inquire
into the motives of members of the legislature
would be establishing the most dangerous
and destructive principle; and if it was
once laid down, there would be no
limit to its exercise, and no restraint
on the unseating of a member upon the
most outrageous and unwarranted pretexts
Mr.. s. then spoke in feeling terms of his respect
for the father of Mr.. Caldwell, and for that
Senator himself, who came from his (Scott's)
own county in PENNSYLVANIA, and expressed his
admiration for the energy and the industry Of
MIR. Caldwell. He stigmatzed Carney aud
Clarke as utterly unworthy of the respect ar
confidence OF honorable men. but stated his
inability to exculpate Mr.. Caldwell in his Trans
action with Carney. This point he said. he
approached with the most painful reluctance
but while he should never yield to that clamor
which cried for a victim, no more was il i'm him
to shield friend where a wrong had been COM
mitted.