Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-12-16
FoRTY.FOURTH CONGRESS-.
Second Session.
SENATE.

| WASHINGTON, December lj.
on motion OF Thurman, the bill to aid the con-
suucuGn Oh railroad from the Mississippi river
10 the Pacific ocean was made the, special order
Ior tne 81 Tuesday in Jan. next. This is the bill
wnlen provides for the establishment of sinking
Iaho n 70 nqaldate the Indebtedness due from the
acme ni H. H. to the government.
The Senate discussed at some length the House
| OH 10 pay electoral messengers and passed il
! without amendment "
Resolution providing for investigation in regard
W 'ue appointment Of Oregon electors then
taken up and Thurman touk the floor
MIR. Dawes called up the resolution fixing COM
pensation of witnesses summoned before the SEN
ate or any of its committees, at 50 per day, and
cents per mile each way for their travelling ex-
penses.
Mr.. Mitchell submitted an amendment proyid-
ing that witnesses residing west of 10th meridian
oe pald seven cents mile each way when place
OF their examination should be east of ihe hissis-
sippi river. Agreed to.
lhe resolution as amended was passed.
ne senate resumed consideration Of unfinished
business, being resolution providing for investiga-
electors.
Mr.. Thurman said his object was to contribute
something to the history of this Oregon case. and
10 show that there wore two sides to it,
ms was resolution calling for an investiga-
uon oy the committee on privileges and elections,
and he was surprised that the chairman of the
committee (Morop) had prejudgcd the whole
case.
The governor of Oregon had not acted so pal
pably wrong as to authorize the senator from In
dana (Morton) to declare that he was infamous.
lhe lneligibility Of Watts was not denied, and it
could not be said that the ignorance of the peo-
pie OF Oregon as to ineligibiiy gave him the right
to the office. If this was true, their Ignorance
was superior to the constitution Of the United
States.
According to the argument of the senator from
Indiana if the voters of Oregon had cast their
votes (,nlIs M MafA tha a
have been compelled to issue certificate of cleo
uon to her. lie argued that the governor of every
state was called upon every day to exercise judicial
power, and the governor of Oregon may have
concluded, as one of the ablest lawyers in the
county had concluded that he had the power to
withhold the certificate from Watts and issue it
TO Cronin, and that it was his duty to exercise that
power.
Pending discussion Mr.. Window called up the
Dill making 40 appropriation to provide for the
expenses OF certain special commissions and on
MS motion the senate non-concured in amend
nents OF the house, and committee of confer
ence was ordered. The chair appointed Window
Logan and Davis.
MIR. Edmunds called up the message from the
House announcing the passage of q resolution
providing for the appointment of q committee to
act with committee of the senate, to advise some
method of counting the electoral vote, and sub
mitted reso luton referring the message of the
house to a select committee of seven senator's with
"
delay, such measure as will secure lawful
count OF the electoral vote, and the best dispos-
ton OF all questions connected Herewith, and
that said committee have power to confer with
committee of the house.
Laid over until Monday, and ordered to be
printed.
The senate at o'clock went into executive ses-
sion and when the doors were re-opened adjourn
ed until Monday.
House.
ln the course of the political discussion over the
bill for the committee expenses the report of the
democratic visitors to Louisiana, was read from
the clerks desk.
The discussion was closed by some final re-
marks from Cox, who quoted from the report of
the House committee of "a, which however Hoar
explained as merely the report of Mr.. Potter of
Kentucky, finally the bill passed As reported from
the committee on appropriations.
The House then went into committee of the
whole (Cox in the Chain on the post office appro-
priation bill, an item as to clerk hire led 20 dis
cusslon, in which the fast mail service came into
question in the course of which Holman quoted
from the Cincinnati Commercial, speaking of it
as more successful experiment, and from the
Cincinnati Gazette. speaking of it as thing of
false pretences, crooked ways and no intelligent
purpose.
system was cheaper than the slow mail system
ton.
After the close of this discussion the committee
rose and reported the bill.
After another hours discussion on S. c. Ouch
ers amendment in increasing the appropriation for
carry ing the mail the Star routes and without
coming 10 final vote the House at 35 O'Clock
adjourned until TO- morrow.