Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-04
Morton on Common Schools in Texas
Third-Class Mail Matter -Spen-
GERS Election - Pinch
backs Case.
Morton Is able TO Forget Belknap and
sour Minister" Schenck, and In
dulge In Review Of LOul-
siana Elections.
Remarks Of COlOred Senator Bruce =
The Revenue Frauds The Action
Of the House In Belknap's
Impeachment.
SENATE,

SENATE. y A
WAsaINaToN, March 3.-SenatC
Morton presented petition from th
coiored men of Texas, repu senting ths
the present State government of Texa
denied them ample school facilities, an
asking for such legislation IS will CON
pei the State to maintain q system {
| free schools. Referred.
A bill was introduced by Senate
Hamlin fixing the rates of postage Of
third.elass mail matter, and for othe
purposes, proposes for all third elias
| matter.
| Senator Morton submitted n lIutiOl
appr0pristing fifteen thousand dollar
! out Of the contingent fund of the senat
| to teiTay the expenses Of investigating
| into the facts attending the election O
Hon. George 3. Spencer as United
States senator from Alabama, now be
ing made by the committee on privi
leges and elections. Agreed to.
Senator spencer, from the committee
on the District of Columbia, reported
faVorably on the senate bill to amend
section 993 OF the revised statutes Of tht
United States relating to the District O.
Columbia, so as to make the twenty sec.
onG of February legal holiday, with ar
amendment making the twelfth of Feb.
ruary, the birthday of Abraham Lin,
coin, legal holiday also.
Senator Spencer asked for the present
consideration OF the bill, but Senator
Withets objected, and it was placed
on the calendar.
The committee from the house sp-
peaIed before the bar OF the senate and
demand d, in proper form, the impeach.
ment Of Secretary Belknap.
After tue committee retired, Senator
Edmunds Vt ], who had been speaking
in opposition to the admission of Pinch
back, resumed his argument. Senator
Edmunds eaid that there was no such
thing as a TOri7aG .f0cie Gaze before the
senate. The constitution compelled the
senate to judge OF the election OF this
man as Weilss the certificate he pre-
sentedj the legislature which elected
Pinchback may possibly be the legal
legislature of Louisians, but it did not
come before the senate with that boon
Of peace and equality which might have
been under Otner circumstances. He
then referred to the frauds in Louisiana
at some length, and said that the ad-
mission Of Pinchback, in the face OF all
the facts, would inflict blow on our
constitution which would last it to its
grave. The senate was bound to
come to q result which he
would be glad to have otherwise.
He Edmunds1 did lot tdink senators
could excuse themselves from facing this
question by the idea that the lapse Of
tune had healed the case of its infirmi-
ties, if it had infirmities. 1873 it had
intirmities, and the fatal infirmity was
the fact that the body who elected the
claimant was not the body ii Lrstended
to be. He could not allow any hopes O:
party, or heat Of fact, to draw him away
one inch from the spirit Of the constitu-
ton and letter of the law. If they were
given up, there would be nothing else to
rely on. The senate should pause before
taking the first sad step in making sen.
atOrs, instead Of deciding on the legality
of their election.
Senator Morton said that from the be-
ginning this question had been govern
ed by political considerations, and ne
before the case was concluded,
to speak OF it in its political aspects and
and be would do so fear
lessly. IN 1872 the Republican majority,
in Louisiana was from siXteen to twenty
thousand. 1t was then that conEpira-
cy was formed to overcome that MAORI
ty by violence. The great question be-
fore the senate was whether that con-
spiracy should be success; but to re-
fuse to admit Mr.. Pinchback would be q
declaration that it had been success full.
what took place at Colfax in
cold blood, look at the murders a5 COu-
shatta, and the frequent murders in the
State from time to time. He next re-
lerred to the Wheeler compromise, and
said that the Democrats had violated
the law, and now they proposed to real
lzs the results Of murder, violence and
fraud, which had begun as far back as
1866. II the senate should reject Pinch
back it must declare that there was a va
csncy, and the present legislature
would have the right to fill
II. The Democrats understood this,
and when Pinchb2ck should be
rejected they would demand the ad-
mission Of Eustis. The rejection OF
Pinchback would be the contamination
Of a bloody scheme insugurated in that
State; it would be the trsmpling down
Of every precedent of the senate, and to
satisfy the people of this country that
u n action was Just would be an ardu-
BUS task. The recent history OF LOuisi-
ana showed that the White-line Demo-
,rats kept no faith with the Republic
,ans. They had recently attempted TO
destroy Mr. Kellogg by impeaching him
IN the mcst frivolous grounds. The SEN
ste knew what they were doing in Mis-
Iissippi, and it would give them aid and
comfort.
Senator FTeliDghuysen said he pro-
)osed to vote against the amendment Of
ne senator from Vermont.
Senator Bruce spoke in favor of seat
ng Pinchback. He said that when he
uttered on the discharge Of his duties in
he esnate the question had been elab. |
'rately discussed, and it was not neces-
sry for him to make any extended re-
marks; he believed that whatever sesm- |
ng Irregularities might be attached to |
be manner in which the will OF the |
people in Louisiana was ascertained, |
oinchback had a majority of the legal !
yotes and was entitled to his seat in the |
enate. If the senate should refuse to |
.dmit Pipchback it would be an admis- |
ion that the legislature which elected |
linn, and which had been making laws |
or the people, was a mob. Louisiana |
vas entitled to full representations on
his floor, and the senate could not ig-
lore its obligation to give that State a
ull representation. Whatever wrongs
lad been done in Louisiana, the present |
rider Of things in that State had been |
ccepted by the nation and the people OF |
he State. He thought Pinchback |
hOuld be admitted In the interest of |
,ood will and good government.
After executive session the senate ad. |
burned till Monday.
HOUSE.
The judiciary committee this morn.