New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-22
Kerr and Cox.

The Washington correspondent OF the
Baltimore american wrltes
The selection of Mr.. Cox as Speaker pro
tenn. of the House provoked quite spirited
debate to. tay as to whether he should sub
scribe TO the usual oath that he would faith
tnlly and impartially administer the duties
of the otf.ce upon which he had entered.
The molten that Mr.. Cox take an additional
oath was made by General Garfield. and
the real object seemed to be more to get the
exnression of the sense of the House as TO
that would be the status of Mr.. Cox it Mr..
Kerr,s physcal disabilities should end IN
his death. As matter Of fact, the oath
administered the Speaker is identical to
that subscribed to by members, that officer
being first sworn in By the Oldest continuous
mem Der, and in turn administering the oaln
to members by State delegations. The
question proved one quite vexatious to
solve, and it was not solved when the pre-
vious question was ordered and debate
cur of Some of the best lawyers IN
the House held that if Mr.. Kerr should
never return that Mr.. Cox would clearly be
entitled to ret ain the gavel until the end OF
the session Others, with much clearness.
SET forth that the selection OF Speaker
pro ten. vas not matter OF law, put mere
Is of propriety. to enable the House to pro-
coed with its business In case OF the dis
ability of the Speaker. There 10 no constl-
tntionsl provision for the election OF
Speaker pro tenn, the only authority pre-.
scribing such an election being the rules OF
| the House 1t was developed, also. IN the
! course of the debate, that the President
pro tenn of the Senate took no oath OF ONCE
other than that of Senator, and that office
was one crea ed by constitutional pro-
vision. All precedents quoted showed that
| the House, in the course OF almost CEN
tury, had elected Speaker pro tenn. only
| four times and in no instance had the mem
| her elected to the y lace taken an additional
oath.
| TIE fact that Mr.. Cox was not called
upon to take the oath seems to nave re-
! lieyed the minds OF many of his colleagues,
who would hardly care to see him the &C.
| tual Speaker Of the House. Many members
| tonight incline to the opinion that had he
subscribed to the oath, he would have been
| the successor of Mr. Kerr in case Of the
| death of that officer Others again pooh
pooh such an idea, and hold that, If neces-
! earv, the House could depose Mr.. COX TO-
| morrow, or at any time 1t saw nt oy eject
ing some one to be the pro TEN. presid-
inc officer that if Mr.. Kerr should die it
would then become the duty of the House
TO elect not Speaker pro TEN, bu1 a
Sneaker. and the fact of Mr.. Cox's position
"a the temporary Speaker would not enter
| into the question or affect the rights OF the
House in choosing q successor.
! MIR. Blaine presented the cleverest pre-
! ceIeot in the case of the election Of Mr..
! P,ymerov to succeed Schuyler Coltax. The
| latter had been chosen Vice President OF
| the United States, and resigned 3 few days
| before he assumed his new duties. MIR.
| Pomerov, of New York, was chosen to sue
| coed him, and took the Speakers oath, out
| the difference between his case and that OF
! Mr.. Cox was that he was elected the actual
and not the pro tenn Speaker, and, indeed:
! in the face OF the tact that Mr.. wilson, OF
| Iowa. who had been elected Speaker pro
| tenn. was at the time of POmerOy's election
| holding the chair
The near friends of the Speaker and his
! pol,,ical admirers are quite approhenslve as
| to his physical condition. bis frame has
! wasted away almost to shadow, ana hle
| face for the past two weeks has gwen evil
denee of much suffering. He has never
been since elected in q condition of health
which warranted him in undergoing the
great amount of mental anxiety incident tG
the nositiou he holds. He has endured the
J RESPONSIBILITIES Of his Office when he should
have been in bed under medical treatment
and only yielded to his physician's ADVICE,
or rather demand, to seek rest, when IL Was
apparent to him that he was straining nis
system too much. He left tor New 1orh
last night, to place himself under ,h1 pro
tessiOnal care of DR.. Hammond. his mos
anuoyirg ailment is a chronic catarrn, "nlcL
annoys him necessarily by day. ana deprivel
him of sleep at night. 1t Is quite acuotiu
whether be will return to duty before
month rolls round.