Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-03-30
A Crowded Senate Listens to
the Speech.
TIA Enthusiastic Galleries Re-
peatinE the Nashville OVa-
tom

peatinE the Nashville OVa-
ton.
WASHINGTON, March 20th.-The
galleries were densely crowded long
before the hour Of meeting. and by
the time the Senate was called to or
der. no standing room was to be OBJ
tanned in the galleries, doOrways or
passages leading there. Upon the
floor were large number of the men,
bers of the House of Representatives
and others entitled to the privilege of
the floor.
After the reading Of the journal of
Saturdays proceedings. Boutwell, sub
mitted a resolution providing for final
adjournment OF the Senate on the
day of March, pt--O' clock, and gave
notice lie would cali it up as soon as
the resolution now under censidera-
ton WAS disposed Of.
The consideration Of he unfinished
business, the resolution a; proving OF
the action IF the President in regard
to Louisiana, was resumed, and Mr..
Johnson, of Tennessee, being entitled
10 the floor, began TO speak at ten MIN
utcs past II O'Clock.
In opening his speech, Mr. johnson
said the fact that he had obtained the
floor Saturday night, bad possibly
created an expectation Oh the part of
many which he was sorry TO say could
not be realized He said this resOlu-
ton proposes to cover the acts and
measures, which, l think, is clearly in
violation of the organic law Of the land
and without authority. This being
SO. cannot give any consent to the
resolution. aud will be compelled to
vOge against 1t. | think it proper that
| should give some few reasons why
cannot give ii my vote. In the first
place, Mr.. President, it seems to me
that the consideration of the resolg-
ton, embracing questions of such
grave importance, is not legitinlately
before this body In other words, it is
not legitimate TO consider 1t before. a
Senate convened to act solely upon
business pertaining to the Executive
Department. If it is legitimate to act
upon the measure now under cOnside-
ration by this body, it is legitimate to
consider every act and every Ques lion
on which the Administration has &C
ted since its advent into power. 1t
does not seem to be travelling much
further out of the record for the Exec
utive to come forward and presume to
act in defiance of a Legislature, than
for Legislature to come forward and
approve the acts of the President
Ordinary measures are present for the
consideration of Congress, and W hen
they are acted on, it is the duty of the
President to consider them, and to
APPROVE OR REJECT THEM.
Mr.. Johnson argued st length that
the Senate haG no authority to act on
the resolution, especially in the alb
sence of the other house. He cOnten-
ded that the resolutions of Messrs
Morton and Frelinghuysen were the
same in substance, with mere mOdi-
ficatiou in the matter of verbiage, to
suit the party views Of some individ-
tlals. He next referred to the
TROUBLE IN THE TENNESSEE LEGIs-
LATURE
ir 1866, and the action OF the Federal
Government instructing General
George H. Thomas, in command of
the Federal forces then, t. strictly alb
stain from any Interference. His ~
structions, he said, were as follows:
"WAsHINGToN, July II, 1866.
eral Grant will Instruct General
Thomas that the facts stated i'm his
telegram do not warrant the interfer-
ence OF the military. The admins
tration of the laws. and the preserve
ton of the peace in Nashville, belong
properly TO the State authorities, and
the duty of the United State authori-
ties is not to interfere in any cOntIO-
versy between the public authorities
of the State, and General Thomas will
strictly abstain from interference be-
tween them"
Here is a precise case, and that was
the action of the Government. 1t was
believed that it WAS civil strife, a
contest between two divisions of the
civil government, and was case, as
stated in the telegram sent back 10
Gen. Thomas, similar 10 the one in
Louisiana. That dispatch was signed
by the Secretary Of War and was
written i'm the presence Of the Presi
dent, and sent to Gea. Grant to send
to Gen Thomas h was told that
this vas not ease calling for the
INTERFERENCE OF TIRE MILITARY.
and he Gen. Thomas should abstsin
from interference under any circum-
stances Whatever. II would seem that
this marks the line between civil and
military authority. There is a prece-
dent OF government ia that case, and
the cases are almost parallel, and that
was what the Government did then
What are We told now? We see, then
that the present President of tie Uni
ted States was familiar with and Hn-
derstoed what vas the action of the
Government in eases of this kind, and
of the duty of the military and civil
authorities. We see Ihen that the
question was not unknown to him,
aud he has not acted without proper
and sufficient information upon the
subject. II be has been informed of,
and acted and carried out tao order or
telegram that / have reSd. he must
have understood IL, and have known