Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-03-14
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, March 8.

WASHINGTON, March s.
Mr.. Wallace called up the motion
to seat Grover.
Mr.. Sargent submitted substitute
that Grover, having credentials regu.
lar and in due form, and there being
no contestant, was entitled to admis-
sion to this body in a a,,im a tacie case,
despite objections of petitioners, and
that therefore Growers credentials be
taken from the table, and he be sworn
in (; that the petitions of Oregon citi-
zens lie on the table until they can be
referred to the Elections Committee
with instructions to investigate the
charges made.
Mr.. Wallace accepted the substi-
tute.
Mr.. Conkling moved to insert the
words 'and there being in said State
but one body claiming to be a Leg
islature, and but one person claim
ing to be Governor, and there being
no dispute as to the existence of one
legal, rightful State government .
The amendment was accepted by
Sargent.
Mr.. Conkling said he had heard it
affirmed that the same reason which
entitled a Governor to be seated up-
on a prtma facie case entitled Kel-
logg to be seated. If that position
was sound in law and sound in truth,
itproved conclusively the caprice of
those who voted to refer his credcn-
tials yesterday. He denied there
was any analogy between the two
cases. The Oregon case was one in
which there was an ascertained con-
stitutional legislature and necessarily,
but the other one was case in which
there was an ascertained and ac-
knowledged Governor, because the
Constitution did not acknowledge q
dual executive in any State. Facts
in the case of Grover made up q
p,'ima .facie case, and the claimant
was entitled to his seat. Afterwards
any investigation could be made as
to alleged vice lying behind the cer-
tificate The Senate knew, the world
knew, that in Louisiana two rival
bodies, hotly contesting, restrained
from violence and tumult by the arm
Of power, had been asserting each
against the other the attributes of
the Executive of the State. The es-
sential question concerning Louisiana
was whether there was a legal legis-
lature and lawful Governor. The
Senate must decide that. The Senate
could not have decided it yesterday
without hearing a word of the tes-
timony which the Senate Committee
had taken. The late illustrious Chief
Magistrate, after three months exam
inatiOn, could not decide Packard
Governor, or that his Legislature was
legal. He thought, therefore, proper
that the testimony be heard. The
Senate was not bound by the decision
of the electoral tribunal, which had
decided that it was constitutionally
debarred from going behind returns.
The Senate was bound by no such
provisions, but was compelled to in
quire into the legality of the elccting
body. This question had some sig
nificance, too, in tho light of events
swiftly before us. Addressing the
Vice-President, he said: The other
day you were on the eastern portico
of the Capitol, overlooking an i'm
mense conc0urse of people; saw the
oath of Office administered to the
Chief Magistrate of the Republic,
whose election under form and SUBJ
stance Of law all parties and all fac
tons, whatever their convictions may
be, peacefully acquiesce in. Stand
ing to be endowed with power of
Chief Magistrate, he uttered to his
cOuntrymen something of the princi-
pies, purposes and inspirations which
would actuate his administration.
Mr.. COnkling then quoted from the
inaugural address of President
Hayes in regard to Southern affairs,
and resuming, said:
Can it be that the Chief Magistrate
who uttered those words does not
design with conscientious aim at
right, to find out, to declare, who in
truth ON the 7th Of November last
was chosen Governor of Louisiana /:
who, in truth, of these contestants
were entitled to sit and constitute a
Legislature ?and If the Chief Magis-
trate freshly annointed with his great
duties does not mean as we are bound
to believe he does, by means provi-
dcd in the Constitution and law to
ascertain the very truth Of the cleo
ton in Louisiana, shall il be said that
on the threshold of his administration
the Senate, in order to be consistent
and allow Grover, the Senator from
Oregon, to be sworn in, must proceed
without any investigation to COM
mittce-to close the door in the face
Of the President or leave him if his
Judgment requires him to do ito
attempt to recognize one State gov
ernment although the Senate had
recognized another, or bow before the
hasty assertion of the Senate, made
without investigation and before
closed by Judgment no matter how
repugnant to his Judgment 1t may be.
He said he thought ii was consistent
to refer the grave and serious issues
in the Louisiana case to the Commit
tee ON Elections and to refuse to refer
1.-THE credentials of Grover involved
entirely different principles.
Mr.. Morton claimed the Kellogg
case was regular on its face, and be-
came proper certificate signed by
the Governor, and therefore had q
psimd tacie case.
Mr.. Thurman said tho charges
against Grover in the petition were as
vague "a it was possible for language
to make them, but Grover desired
him to say he courted the fullest in
lvestigation. He would therefore
vote for the resolution offered by
Sargent lEi