Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-26
CONGRESSIONAL.
Report in Favor of Removing
Gen. QuarIes' Disabilities.
Menacing Attitude on the Civil
Rights Bill.
A Twenty-Five Hours Session
Of the House in Getting
the Force Bill Before
that Body.


presented the credentials of Samuel j. r.
Mcmillan, United States Senator from
Minnesota from March 4. Read and placed
on file.
! Mr.. EdmUnds, from the Judiciary Com
mittee, reported favorably on the bill to re-
move the political disabilities of Robert
w. johnson, of Arkansas; James NJ.
| Quarles, of Nashville, and James NJ.
Haws, Of Coyington, Ky. Placed on the
| calendar.
Mr.. Window called up the resolution
| submitted by him on the I'd instant, in.
structM No the COMMITTEES on Commerce TO
insert in the River and Harber AppropTia-
ton bill such sums as in their judgment
can be judiciously and economically ex-
/ pended during the next fiscal year, in the
improvement of the mouth of the Mississippi
River, and the improvement Of sundry
rivers and lakes, including the Tennessee
River.
Mr.. Thurman opposed such an appropri-
alton in the present condition of the ma
tiOnal finances.
Mr.. Window argued that there was not
one of these Improvements but would pay
the Government an hundred fold.
Pending the discussion, the morning hour
expired, and the resolution was laid over.
The unfinished business, being the bill
to provide for and regulate the counting of
the votes for President and Vice President,
and the decision Of questions arising there
on, was then called up.
Mr.. Pratt moved to lay it aside inform
ally, and take up the bill amendatOry Of
the act granting pensions TO the soldiers
and sailors of the war Of 1872, and the
widows Of deceased soldiers, and TO restore
60, Ia 10, e
stricken therefrom on account of dislOyalty.
a discussion followed, during which Mr..
Edmunds said if this motion prevailed and
the regular order was thus broken into, he
would feel himself relieved Of all respon-
sibility in regard to the Civil Rights
bill.
The Senate, by vote Of yeas %, nays
81, refused to lay aside the unfinished bust
ness, and the consideration of the bill was
proceeded with.
Mr.. Thurman novel to amend so as TO
provide for the appointment Of two tellers
on the part Of the Senate, instead Of one.
Agreed to. He also moved to amend so as
to provide that the certificates Of the cleo
tOral votes shall be opened when presented
and acted upon, in the alphabetical order
of the names of the States, beginning
with letter i. Agreed to. He also
submitted an amendment striking from
the first and third sections the clauses pro-
viding that any other question pertinent to
the object for which the two houses are as
sembled, may be submitted and determined
in like manner, as questions which may
arise concerning the electoral votes. /
Agreed to.
Several amendments of a verbal char
acter were agreed to.
A lengthy discussion ensued upon the |
general provisions Of the bill, which was
participated in by Hessrs. Bayard, Thur |
man, Edmunds, and Morton.
On motion Of Mr.. Wright, the second |
section, in regard to duplicate returns from !
the States,sWas amended so as to read, 'ghe |
return only from such State shall be count |
ed which the two houses acting separately |
shall each decide to be the true and valid |
returns
At $50, Mr.. Morton said TO test the sense |
Of the Senate, he would move that a re- |
cess be taken from > to 80 p. NJ, with the |
understanding that this bill should be |
finished tonight.
Mr.. Edmunds said after this bill should |
be disposed Of he proposed to move to take |
up the Civil Rights bill, and speaking for /
himself, though he hoped with the assent |
Of the majority, he proposed that those OP- |
posed TO the Dill should have all the time |
they wanted to discuss it till o'clock to- /
morrow afternoon. Then if there were /
amendments, there could be a short dis |
cussiOn under the five minute rule, and /
the Senator having charge Of the bill /
should have q half hour to close the de- /
bate.
Mr.. Thurman said he could not consent |
e. Il I'll.
to speak on the Civil Rights bill, IS he had
twice spoken elaborateiy on the subject,
and would now leave it to others. He |
hoped when the bill in regard to the Presi-
Dental vote should be finished, a majority
of the Senate would take up the steamboat
bill, otherwise il would be lost. If it had
been decided elsewhere that the Civil
Rights bill should override everything else,
then he had no hope for the steamboat bill.
He was not willing TO enter into any such |
agreement as the one proposed.
Mr. Edmunds said there was nothing |
left but for the Senate to 90 on and do the
business it had to do.
6ir. Morton Withdrew his motion for re-
cess, and the consideration Of the bill in re-
gard to counting the votes for President
and Vice President was resumed.
Mr.. MerTimOn spoke in opposition to il.
being made a law at the session. He
argued that it should be postponed till
next session and then brought forward
early in the session.
The bill having been considered in |
of the whole il was reported to |
the Senate and the amendments made in
the committee agreed to.
Mr.. Eaton moved the indefinite post
ponement of the bill. Rejected--yeas II, !
nays 81.
Pending the discussion, Mr.. West, from
the Committee on Transportation Routes, |
submitted as an amendment to the river |
and harbor appropriation bill House bill |
for the improvement Of the mouth Of the !
river, known as the Eads
bill, with an amendment, which |
reduces the amount from SS,O00,O00 10 |
S, 600, selects the South pass for i'm
DrOyement instead Of the Southwest pass,
provides that the work shall be under the
of the Secretary of War, |
and that the depth Of the channel contract
Ell for shall be required to be maintained ,
in advancing the payment.
Ordered printed.
The discussion Of the bill TO regulate the
COUNTING Of the vote for President and
Vice President continued at some length,
,fter which the bill was read third time
md passed-yeas 2S, nays 20.