Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-23
The Petition Of the Memphis Chamber
of Commerce Bill PrOhib-
iting Contributions TO EleG-
lion Funds.
A Warm Debate, In Which Blaine is
Again WOrsted and Governor Wise
is Remembered-Bill Adopted
by a Decided Vote.
SENATE.


was referred.
The morning hour having expired,
the senate resumed the consideration of
senate bill No :, providing for counting
the votes for President and Vice. Presi.
dent.
Senator Morton asked the senate to
remain in session to-day until the hill
was disposed Of
After debate by seDators Whyte and
ThufElEn, Senator Johnston briefly dis.
cussed the amendment offered by him
SELF which read: OF the senate should
vote for counting one certifiCa:e, and the
house Of representatives for another, q
joint meeting Of the tWc hotises shall
finally dsteTmine which shall be count
ed by States, the representation from
each Stale, ,inelu1ipg,senators therefTom,
having one vote; but il ths representa-
ton OF any State shall be e5ually di.
vided, its vote ehail not be counted"
After which the question was taken
on the amendment ard it was lost
yeas, IL nays, 80.
The question was then taken on Sena-
tor Co0per's amendment, which reads
as follows: "And If the two houses do
not sgree az to which returns shall be
counted, then the vote shsll be cCudted
which the house Of representatives,
voting by States in the manner pre-
scribed by the constitution when the
election devolves on the house, shall de-
eide 10 be the true and valid returD;"
ard it was lost-yeas, l3; nays, S5.
The question then recuTred on the fol-
Lowing amendment, proposed by Sens'
tor Maxey: "But il the two houses fail
to agree as to which Of Il returns shall
be counted, t! en- the president of the
senate, as the presiding officer Of the two
houses, shall decide which Is the true
and vslid return, and the same shall be
counted" After de bate the amendment
was lost-yeas, z; nays, 3S.
After a short executive session the
senate dj1uTEed.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Rice, from the committee on in.
valid pensions, reported bill providing
that all pensions on account OF death
or wounds received, or diseases contract
ed in the servi3e of the United States
sipcs March 4, 1871, shall commence
from the date of death or discharge,
and for the payment of arrears Of peE-
sions. Referred to the committee CT the
whole and made the special order for
Wednesday next.
Mr.. Young presented the petition Of
the chamber Of commerce OF Memphis
asking to have the signal service en-
lsrged.
Mr.. Hopkins offered resolution call
iDg on the secretary of the treasury fyr
all CORE spondenc9 on the subject of the
change OF officers in the Gust Omhouse at
Pittsburg; and also for a statement Of
all the Influences which induced the re-
w cation Of his request for the Tesigna-
ton Of the surveyor Of the port Of Pitts
burg. Adopted.
On motion Of Mr.. Atkins, the senate
amendments to the bill to supply the de-
ficiency in the appropriation for certain
Indian tribes were nOn-cOncurred in.
The house took up the bill reported
yesterday from the judiciary committee,
prohibiting contributions to the election
fund by Officers Of the United States
government, the question being on the
an endment OffeTt d by Blaine to extend
the application of the bill to senators,
Iepres entatives and delegates in con-
gress.
Mr.. Blaine proceeded to address the
house. He regarded it as very signifi.
cant and very gratifying circumstance
that the judiciary Committee, composed
of a msjOTity of Democratic members,
and presided over by strict State
Rights Democrat, had reported unani-
mOusly bill proposing to give congress
the right to take cOgnizance Of local
elections, even in counties and districts
He regarded that as 8 surrender o; the
doctrine heretofore held by the Demo
cratic party on that subject. II YVES
admitted everywhere that there. was as
great necessity for legislation to secure
an honest vote and fair count as there
was to guard poor clerks from five-dol-
lar contributions for election purposes.
With that part Of the bill he sympa-
thized. He did not think there had been,
under the Republican regime in WASH
ipgton, any coercion of clerks or any
dismisssls for not contributing; but both
parties were in the habit of receiving
assessments and contributions from Of
fice-hOlders. That was something alto
gether too well known and too notorious
to be denied. 1t might have run into a
great evil. He thanked the judiciary
committee for preparing remedy for
that evil, and he thanked the house for
the very large majority with which it
AAhu NtSLCElaJ LAhlC2AEl us pul pO-C "
strike an evil far greater than that. He
undertook to say that the contributions
msde on congressional elections both by
successful aid Gefested candidates, eX-
ceeded by many times over at every
election the contributions by persons
holding State or Federal offices. He
thought i. was equally notorious, and if
the house designed to correct that evil
and tear it up by the roots, the bill
would have to be SO amended SIS that
neither senator, representative, dele
gste nor candidate for such position
could safely Use money for the purpose
Of securing his election.
Mr. Brown Ky replied to Mr..
BiaiDe's suggestion as to the Democratic
party surrendering its States-rights
principles, and said that the substitute
proposed by himself was not open TO that
criticism.
Mr.. GOOde also replied to some re-
marks made by Blaine, Illustrating the
mode by which some election frauGs are
perpetrated in Virginia, ana which
Blaine had described as playing dice for
an election, with one side using loaded
dice.
Mr.. Blaine referred to distinguished
Democrat from Virginia as his author
ity, and mentioned the name Of Cover
nor Henry A. Wise.
Mr.. GoOde [energetically I'VE don't
recognize him as q Democrat in Vir-
giUiR.
Mr.. Blsine-Very well, he certain ~ is
not on cur side, and, 10 use Governor
Wise's own words to me, "The fraud
WIS one which out-Kellosged Kellogg
which out-csTpetbagged the carpetbsg-
gers, and which out seslswagged the
scalawsgl." Laughter.l
Mr.. SlOwell-Auo thar was in refer
eTencs 10 an election case in which my
colleague (Gcodel was one Of the par
ties.
Mr.. Blaine-I don't say that; 1 have
rot made spy suggestion.
Mr.. GcOie-I will be prepared when
that case comes up 10 meet on or any
one el.e.
In the further couss OF his remarks
Mr.. Blaine quoted the testimony given