The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-10-19

TIE LOUISIANA CASES IN TIE SENAIE-Niof-
rORD'S CASE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE
on PRIVILEGES AND ELECTI0Ns-REPUBL1-
CAN MAJORITY IN THE SEHATE-THE DEMO
Gratis WILL STAND RY TEE RECORD.
IFrom Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, October 1S.-The Senate
chamber was the centre OF attraction to-
dav. The knowledge that the Louisiana
cases would be taken up drew full Senate
and attracted many members OF the House,
so that the floor of the Senate chamber was
comfortably crowded. The attendance in
the galleries was slim.
The result Of the days work can be sum-
med up very briefly. The Republican sem
ator>, by strict party vote, have referred
the case Of Mr.. Spoiford to the Committee
on Privileges and Elections. They have
refused by a strict party vote. to limit the
time which that committee may take to con-
slider. They have refused to fix time
when il shall report. and they have shown
an evident intention to treat the case of Mr..
Eustis the same way. There can be but
one Interpretation OF these several acts.
Beyond a peradvcnturc it means that the
fepuDltCan party III tHc Scu'''c ''S
DETERMINED TO CLING TO PARTY POWER
TO the last gasp, and that the Republican
leaders in the Senate, knowing that they
could not depend on their following to vote
Kellogg in and Spotiord out, have deter
mined to keep both out as long as they can
by pigcon-holins the contested cases in
the Elections Committee. In the accidental
chairman OF that Mitchell, OF
Oregon-thcy have Il willing agent, who,
without 1.-THE OF Morton's ability, has, If
possible a greater partisan bias. The al
most certain result will be that no report
will he made on either OF the contested cases
from Louisiana or the one from South Car
olina until the regular session. Then Sharon
will be here, and possibly Morton, andavote
may possibly be allowed if in the meanwhile
the Republican leaders shall become alarmed
ly the cIamor OF public opinion.
In the voting to-day Senator Davis re-
corded himself against reference to the
Elections Committee, and after it had been
decided to refer he voted in favor Of in
structing the committee to report on or be-
fore the 1st OF November. In private con-
yersation he told Stanley Matthews that all
this talk about needing more time to con-
slider these Louisiana cases was what they
call out west
"POPPY-CoCK.'
His votes and his words make it apparent
that If he gets chance he will vote to admit
Spotford and Eusts. 1t also makes it appa
rent that the Republican majority in the
Senate is even more narrow.than was sup
posed. A full Senate voted on Mitchell's
motion 10 refer Spofford's case to the Elec
tons Committee, and with the exception OF
Morton and Sharon, who are absent for the
session. and Of Johnston and Window, who
are paired for 4 few days, the result was
Sc for reference and 33 against, showing
that the Republicans have now only ma
iorty OF three, and would have only five il
Morton and Sharon were both here.
TIE DEBATE on sPOFFoED's CASE
was short. sharp, and decisive. The mat |
ter came up as unfinished business on
Mitchell's motion to refer Mr.. Spoflord's
credentials and all the papers in his case to
the Committee on Privileges and Elections,
and the main tight was made on that mo-
tcn. The argument OF the Republicans
WAS simply that it was the custom to refer
all matters OF importance to committee,
and that this was Il matter Importance.
Thurman, and Bayard, and Whyte OF
Maryland, declared over and over again
that the Louisiana question had been inves-
ti"ated and discussed until threadbare;
that the facts OF history were too sclf-cvi-
dent TO admit OF refutation, and they each
and all plead cloquently for justice to Lou
isiana. But it was useless. The Republic
can. knew their vantage-ground and kepti it.
They knew that while some OF their num-
Der dare not vote 10 admit Kellogg, or even
directly to exclude Spotlord, those same
senators could explain and excuse vote in
favor OF reference to a committee, and hay
ing such an opportunity to explain and
loop-hole Of escape,
WOULD NOT DARE TO BOLT THE FIAT OF THE
PARTY LEADERS,
and not array party against party. Know
ing they had the Elections Committee all
right, the Republican leaders risked all on
motion to refer, and won. Some expected
non-partisan vote from Booth or Christian
cy, and some one from Stanley Matthews,
but there was no boiling on the part OF any
Republican. Christancy thought it right to
explain that his vote to refer was simply be-
cause he wanted more light, whence the
opinion prevails that he would Of necessity
vote to admit Spotiord and Eustis after he
gets light.
The Democratic senators are OF course
indignant, but are decidedly OF the opinion
that the record which the Republicans have
made to-day will make thousands OF Demo-
cratic votes. Bayard says they Qhe Repub-
licans] could not have done anything more
certain to aid the Democratic party before
I the country il they would. He can only
account for their action by likcuing them to
1 Il man condemned to be executed, who will
/ sacrifice everything else for a few days more
4 Of life. All the Democratic senators unite
3 in saying that they will not attempt to carry
their point in any unfair way, but will SIM
ply stand by the record and bide their time.
TIE COURT OF ST. JAMES.
There is very good reason to believe that
Wayne McYeigh, OF Pennsylvania, has
been selected TO succeed Pierrepont at the
& Court OF St. James.
3 Associated Press Report by telegraph to the Dis
q patch.l
q THE GOVERNMENT COTTON REPORT.