Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-12-09
SENATE.


| Senator Ingalls, submitted a resolution re-
questing the secretary of the interior to report
| to the senate Immediately what efforts have
been made to remove the Sioux Indians from
| their treaty reservation to the Indian Terri
| tory, and what negotiations are now pending
| between the government and the said Indians
| together with the object and purpose thereof
Agreed to-
Senator Mitchell called up for reference the
| resolution submitted by him yesterday, di-
rectmg the committee ON privileges and cleo
| tons to investigate the facts attending the
appointment of E. A. Cronin as Presiden-
| tial electOr by the governor of Oregon, and ii
was referred to the committee on privileges
and elections without debate.
On motion of Senator Hogan, the bill in
trOduced by him at the last session to provide
for the issue Of silver coin, and to make
the silver dollar legal tender, was taken up
from the table and referred to the committee
on finance.
Senator Morton moved that three additional
members to the committee on privileges and
elections be appointed to aid in discharging
the duties imposed by the resolution of Sena-
tor Edmunds providing for investigation into
the recent election IN Mississippi, South Car
DINA, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Lou
lied to appoint the new members.
Senator Harvey submitted a resolution au-
thorIzing the select committee to examine into
the several branches Of the civil service, and
to employ clerk and send for persons and
papers. Agreed to-.
Senator Edmunds moved to take I'D the
JOINT resolution proposing an amendment to
the constitution of the United States in re-
gard to the count Of the electoral vote by the
supreme court.
Senator Merrimon objected, and read the
twenty-frst Joint rule, providing that unfn-
ished business left over from one session shall
not be taken up for action until a lapse of six
days from the beginning OF the subsequent
session. He made point Oforder that under
that rule the JOINT resolution could not be
considered now.
Chairman Ferry overruled the point, and
announced that the Joint rules were not in
force, besides this subject was covered by SEN
ate Joint rule fftytwo, which he directed to
be read. 1t provides that at the commence
ment of the second session business shall be
resumed and proceeded with as if no adjourn
ment had taken place.
Senator Merrimon appealed from the de-
cision Of the chair, and said he had no obiec-
ton to taking up this Joint resolution if it
could be done properly; but if the twenty
first JOINT rule was In force, as he believed it
was, the resolution could not be taken up.
The JOINT rules were in force, and If it was
not competent for the senate to abolish them
without the concurrence of the house, neither
house could withdraw its assent to these rules
without the concurrence of the other. He
read from the proceedings of congress at pre-
yIOus sessions to show that the twenty-frst
joint rule has been frequently enforced. The
JOINT rules had been IN force since the exist
ence of the government; they had never been
questioned, and nothing had ever been said
about their readOpti0n till at the last session
of the senate.
Senator Johnston said that although it was
cOntended now, and had been at the last ses-
sion, that there We're no joint rules in force
before the senate and house, yet they acted
under them every day; the business of con-
gress could not go on without them. He
quoted at length from the joint rules, and
SAID that the authority to appoint confer
ence committees was derived from the JOINT
rules, and the transmission of messages from
one house to another was In pursuance of the
Joint rule.
Senator Edmunds said that there was a
general parliamentary rule providing for
committees OF conference.
Senator Johnston agreed that there were
various committees appointed under the joint
rules, among them the committee on en-
rolled bills and the committee on library and
others.
Senator Sargent said that when the list of
the committees we're reported the other day
it was accompanied by resolutions authoriz-
ing the committee on library, public huild-
ings and grounds, and printing and enrolled
bills, to act concurrently with those commit
tees Of the house, this showed that the SEN
ate did not recognize the Joint rules under
which these committees might act
Senator Davis said when the committees
we're reported he inquired of the senator from
Iowa Wright, who reported them, as TO
whether there was any change in the usual
custom Of appointing committees, and was
assured by him that there was no change.