The Portland daily press., 1877-01-18
Forty Fourth Congressional Session.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Jan II.

reported the funds for the expenses of the in
vestgating committees exhausted, and that a
bill appropriating $4,000 was delayed in the
House, and the Senate Committee was now
unable to proceed lin Louisiana for want of
money.
After the passage of several private bills,
Mr.. Morton made speech in response to those
of Johnston and Withers on the occupation of
Petersburg by a company of military on cleo.
ton day.
at reading the two elaborate speeches of the
Senators from Virginia. containing the formal
indictment of the President for sending troops
to Petersburg last fall These troops We're sent
there on the requisition of the U. 3. Marshal,
and to carry out the circular OF the Attorney
General and acts of Congress. The troops were
quartered 10 the custom house. They were not
in the neighborhood of the polls ard took no
part in the election whatever. There were but
twenty four soldiers, with captain AID lieu
tenant He entirely dissented from the view
OF the law as expressed by the Senator from
Virginia.
He then argued the President had right
under the law to send troops into any Estate for
the purpose of enabling the officers of the
United States to enforce the law OF the land
and the fourteenth amendment. The law
authorized the President to have troops at the
polls If necessary to keep the peace, but at
petersburg they were Lot at the polls and took
no part 10 the election. He had then read
affidavits of Geo. I. Marble, Moses Norman.
VIM. Whyte, Daniel r. Butts, Edward Everett
and VIM. Green, to show that violence and
intimidation existed in Petersburg at the cleo
ton in the spring of 1876, and argued that the
President was justified 10 sending troops there
to prevent a recurrence of the bloody outr ages
NO one was punished for these outrages A
naIf-dozen Republicans were nearly killed in
inc streets OF Petersburg, but that was not con-
sidered violence
Mr. Johnston of Virginia said if he was
satisfied that outrages had been committed in
Petersburg, be would be as quick to denoupce
them as the Senator from Indiana, bat he
(Johnston) denied that violence existed in that
city as detailed by Mr. Morton. The testimony
he read was false. 1t bad been manufactured.
The Senator b mself, who was great rec.p-
tace for all reports of Outrages never heard of
any outrage in Petersburg in the spring of 1876
until the resolution of Mr.. Withers, calling
upon the President to know why troops were
sent to that city, was introduced at the present
session.
Mr.. johnston argued that the object of
U. S. Marshal Ramsdel in having troops sent
to Petersburg was not to prevent Any antici-
pated outbreaks; but was to influence voters in
the interest of the Republican candidate.
MIR. Morton said the Senator (Johnston) was
not in Petersburg in the spring of 1876, and
therefore did not know that violence did not
exist The trouble in regard to all outrages in
the Southern States was that they were denied.
mountain
high, and yet they were denied.
Mr.: Withers said unfortunately he had been
called out OF the Senate chamber GA business
and did not hear all of the remarks of the sen.
ator from Indiana He would, however, ex.
anime them in print and reply tomorrow. He
desired to say, however, that while the people
of Virginia were opposed to negro suffrage at
the time it was conferred upon the negroes,
when the amendments to the Constitution
were adopted the people of Virginia accepted
them and they did not expect to have the right
OF suffrage taken from the negroes. He ar
gued that the coored people were even now
beginning to vote with the white people of the
South and this fact was observed by the Re-
publican party. He (Withers) noticed from
the measures presented here and from the ex.
pressions, notably of the senator from Indiana,
(Mofton,) and the senator from Ohio (Sher-
man., a latent purpose on the part of the Re-
publican party to divest the coored people of
the right of suffrage given them by the Con-
stitution.
Mr.. Sherman of Ohio said the senator had
imputed to him an idea which had never enter
ed his mead. He denied that he desired to de-
prive the colored people of suffrage If left to
themselves, the colored people would naturally
vote for that party which gave them liberty and
the right of suffrage. The history of the
whole South showed that the coored people
would SO vote. They had only been induced
to vote the Democratic ticket by means which
freedom of the ballot. The time would come
when the negroes would have the force and
power to assert the freedom Of the ballot box.
Let the negroes exercise their intelligence and
the Republicans would abide the result
Mr. WIthers-So will we.
Mr. Sherman, resuming, said if the whites
of the South sought the vote of the negro
against his will, he Republicans would resist.
He then referred to the occupation of Peters
burg by the military and defended the action
OF the President in that matter.
Mr.. Withers said the authorities of Virginia
were fully competent to control the peace with
in the borders of the state, and until thew
called upon the United States for aid it was
unlawful to send troops there.
Mr.: Morton also denied that he desired to
withdraw the right of suffrage from the negro
and any lively evidence of that fact.
After some further discussion the subject
was laid aside
Mr.. Sargent, from the Committee on Appro.
priations, reported back the House bill making
appropriations for the consular and diplomatic
service for the year ending June Both, 1878,
with various amendments. Placed on the
calendar. He gave notice that he would call it
to morrow.
The report of the Committee on Rules was
taken up.
An amendment was adopted compelling the
attendance of absent Senators to make a
quorum.
An amendment was also adopted that the
Vice President may by his vote determine the
question when the Senate is equally divided.
The report was then adopted, and after the
executive session the Senate adjourned
HOUSE.
A resolution was adopted permitting E. w.
custody of the Sergeant-at-arms for the pur-
pose OF procuring certain kilograms, and re-
curing him to return to Washington with such
kilograms within ten days.
The resolution of the Judiciary Committee to
compel the attendance at the Louisiana return
ing board was taken up.
Mr. Hosr of Massachusetts, addressed him.
self to the simple question of the constitutional
power of the House to require state to give up
Its archives He was struck with Amusement
that it should have ever fallen to his lot to de-
fend the rights of an American state against a
Democratic House of Representatives He laid
down this proposition, that whatever power the
House had to compel the authorities of the
state to deliver up the records of that state and
bring them to the House to be kept according
to Its will. that same authority the Legislature
OF state had over United States officials with
in its jurisdiction.
Mr.. Bland asked if the committee of the
House had not the power to examine the bal
lots in cases OF contested elections for members
OF Congress.
Mr.. Hoar replied that the records which were
now S1ught for were records of local elections
e1Ao ASCoAuo "hiCn ACidtou W eAlSbcDC6 OF
the government of the state Nobody doubted
there was certain class Of records to which
the PRINCIPLES he had laid down did not apply.
but the records of the election of Presidential
electors We're records essential to the preserva-
ton of the government and the sovereignty of
the state itself, and Congress had no right to
lay hands on them and bring them out of the
territory Of the state.
A long debate succeeded, in which Mr.. Banks
OF Massachusetts declared that Louisiana ought
not to yield up her papers except to an over
whelming force, and that the Unted States
ought not to permit her to yield them.
Debate was closed by Mr. Cox of New York,
showing the miserable condition OF Louisiana
under federal bayOnets, and deciari ng that now
the voice of Louisiana was given for liberty,
for peace, for Democracy and for Samuel j.
Tilden.
The resolution was adopted by party vote.
The Senate amendments to the contingent de-
hciency bill were reported by Foster of Ohio,
and acted on by the House, some being concur
red in and some rejected.
The Speaker presented the resignation of
Spencer OF La, as member of the House, he
having accepted the appointment of Judge of
the Supreme Caurt of La
The Speaker announced his decision of the
point raised some days ago as to
whether member reporting measure from
had the right, after occupying an
hour in opening to occupy another hour in clos
Ing the debate. The Speaker had then given
bis opinion against the right aud he saw no
reason, after a consultation with the committee
an rules, to change that opinion. He gave his
reasons for it at considerable length The mat
ter ia to ba omen tn the furt bar consideration oe