National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1877-01-06
FORTY4FOURTH CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.


Mr.. WRIGHT, from the Committee on Claims
reported adversely on the claim of Mrs. Light
heart for occupation Of buildings and lands during
the late war. Adopted.
BY Mr.. BOOTH: A bill authorizing the accept
ance of property bequeathed by the late Charles
Fox. To Committee on judiciary.
By Mr.. BURNSIDE: A bill to authorize the
President to restore the name of John Fa1on to
its place on the army rolls. Committee on Mill
tary Affairs. ....
Mr.. INGALLS, reported adversely on the bills
to grant pension to Sam. Caper and Mrs. I. w.
Hewitt.
Also, introduced bill granting pension to
Mrs. Sarah A. Chandler. Pensions.
Mr.. HAMILTON, from the Committee on Pen
sions, reported adversely on the petition of Rose
Miller Adopted.
Mr.. BRUCE, adversely on the petition of Hart
MT MORRILL,, from the Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds, reported bill TO au-
west of the Capitol, adjoining the Capitol
grounds. Public Buildings and Grounds.
Also, bill to grant title to square 100 to the
city of Washington for school purposes. District
OF COLUMBIA.
THE OREGON TELEGRAPH OPERATOR.
Mr.. MORTON called up the resolution in rels-
ton to the recusant witness, VIM. NJ. Turner.
Mr.. KELLY said he lhoped the resolution
not. 1t was certainly proper that written commu-
nications should sometimes be brought before the
courts and committees, and there might be occs-
sions when kilograms ought to be. This operator
had certainly disclosed something; he has been
leaky even though he is telegraph operator,
knew. He (Mr. KELLY was satisfied there was
nothing improper in any Of the kilograms. He
was present in oregon, and was quite certain that
He deprecated the assault made upon Gov.
Grover yesterday by the Senator from Iowa,
especially when the Governor was present, but
oQnId nn m
Iowa was mistaken in his facts and mistaken in
his law, and he had gone out Of his way to vitu-
elected to seat in this body, and who was the
peer Of any of them.
MT. Wight said it was furtherest from his
thoughts to vilify or abuse any one much less
the Governor of Oregon. He spoke from the facts
and the law as he understood them, and had
based his remarks upon those facts. He took
that would do such an act as he understood had
been DONE and his opinion on that fact was IN
1t was the act of an official, and he felt It to be
his duty to criticise it in such language as he
deemed best, and he took no word back.
Mr.. KELLY repeated that the Senator from
Iowa was mistaken in his facts and his law; tina,
1t was the duty Of Governor Grover to act as
conservator of the peace and he believed that the
decision in the Indiana case was justification
for the action of Governor Grover. But whether
or not he saw no occasion for the use of yitupera-
tive language. 1t was not called for, and did not
Mr.. WRIGHT said he .wasI familiar with the
law and all the cases cited, and did not agree
with Governor Grover. There was not q de-
cision justifyng the Governor, any person
acting In mere ministerial capacity, TO exercise
any judicial power and decide who was elected in
a case like the Oregon case.
MIR. EDMUNDS interrupted the discussion to
move that when the Senate adjourn to-day 1t be
to Monday next Agreed to.
Mr.. MAXEY asked If there was any precedent
in the history of the Senate on this question.
Mr.. MORTON said he did not think there was,
but he believed it was time that 1t ought to be
settled by the Senate.
MI. C0NKLING said some Senators had al
luded to the law of Oregon upon this question,
and he desired that some one would give them
the law of Oregon, that they might know whether
there was any penal statute in that State, or any
other State, against divulging the contents Of
Mr. INGALLS, said that as early as 1851 q
code was passed in Pennsylvania prohibiting the
diyulging of kilograms, but it did not apply to
Tor kilograms.
THE OREGON QUESTION.
The Oregon question was further debated by
Messrs. WRIGHT, KELLY, BURNSIDE and ED
NUSDs in eolloquial manner. when
Mr.. SHERMAN called the attention OF the
Senators to the question before the Senate, which
was how far the Senate ought to go or had power
prepared to say that this case justied the Senate
in taking steps to break down the ordinary bar
riers of protection over communications and tele-
in such cases would justify the courts in calling
for such documents If this resolution was
passed, he hoped Its operations would be confined
The question was about to be put, when
Mr.. EATON demanded the yeas and nays;
The CHAIR announced the expiration of the
morning hour, and laid before the Senate the
regular order. which MI. MORTON asked might
be laid aside temporarily to allow vote on this
resolution. So ordered.
Mr.. BAYARD was heartily in favor of all dis
closures, and was disposed to go as far as was
necessary to get at the truth, but believed there
was no safety for any person unless they kept
within the law. He was not prepared to say Just
how far they ought to go in this case. He be-
lleyed when foundation had been laid in an in
vestigation for some particular telegram then it
might be called for but he did not believe in ask
ing questions in a drag-ne manner and then call
for q batch of kilograms to find out something.
MIR. CONKLING read the law of Oregon and
said it was designed to punish wilful act Of dis
closure Of the contents of kilograms. The ques-
tion, therefore, stood upon the general points
upon which such question should be decided. He
would not say that he would not vote for the
broadcast reso luton on this point, but he thought
it would be wise for the Senate 10 pause before it
acted, and find out just how far they ought to go
and Just what they.were about. He said there
were ''too many empty seats filled by Senators In
their usual manner to justify them in proceeding
to a conclusion in this matter to-day. The same
question before another forum, and had not
Yet been decided there, and he repeated that it
would be best to see their way clearer before
pressing this question.
sylvania law, and said the only difficulty in these
cases vas that the telegraph companies ought to
destroy the messages which passed over their
wires. These messages were not of the sa ne
character as letters. To make them such would
be to state 10 the Postmaster General the SUBJ
stance of your letter, have him write it down,
send it away, and have it rewritten at its destina
ton. Letters and messages were entirely differ
ent, and persons who put them on the same foot
served the messages for their own convenience,
and they should destroy them, and If courts or
committees wanted the contents of them let them
call upon the parties who sent the messages.
Mr.. CONKLING said If a rule was laid down
and a law passed to compel telegraph companies
to produce their messages they would be sure S to
stroying the messages or disposinS of them in
some other way.
punish the divulgence of telegraph secrets, but
he believed it was competent for the Senate to
pass law on this point.
Mr.. EATON opposed the resolution, and
thought there were too many questions involved
in II for the Senate to take action upon IL now,
and moved that it be referred to the Judiciary
Mr.. SHERMAN opposed the reference, and
said that SO many members Of that committee
were absent that the matter would be delayed
altogether too long.
Alter some further remarks Mr.. EATON with
Mr. WALLACE, Mr.. wHYTE, and Mr..
CAMERON, Of Pa, advocated the passage in
briet remarks.
MI WRIGHT said if it could be understood
bring out matters pending before 1t he would vote
for the resolution. He believed 1t would be
proper for the committee TO connne itself TO the
subjects under investigation, and call for only
such kilograms as had q bearing upon the sub
lect.
Mr.. COCKERELL said he had found q pre-
cedent in the johnson impeachment case when
the Senate called before them MIR. Tinker, man
ager Of the telegraph office here, and he should
sustain the resolution.
The question was then taken and resulted as
follows:
Yeas-Messrs; Allison, Bogy, Booth, Boutwell,,
Cameron; OF Pa, Caafee, Clayton, Gockerell,
!toh, Jones, Of Fla; Kelly, Herman, McCreery,
Prise. Randolph, HANSON; Robertson, Sherman,
Spencer, Wallace, Whyte Vithers, Wright-8
The CHAIR said that no quorum had voted,
uhereupon. on motion Of Mr.; Edmunds, the Sen
ate, at z:45, adjourned till Monday.
House of Representatives.
number of bills, mostly of q private nature,
were introduced and referred by unanimous con-
sent.
Mr.. WOOD, ofN Y, from the Committee on
Ways and Means, reported a bill to provide RENE