New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-05


day Of the next session of Congress, under the
direction of the Clerk to be used in his discretion
for the preservation of order. In view of the fact
that the parties will be very evenly balanced in the
next House of Representatives,, and that the ne
pubcans, in spite Of n small Democratic majority
still hope to elect their candidate for the Speaker
ship this amendment to the rules may have a very
important influence on that contest.
The pressure of the private bills for recognition
last night greater than is Usual even for the ast
night of a session. The number of them passed
during the closing 81 hours was greater than during
the whole of the Winter before. Nobody knew what
was in these bills Many of them had never been
reported by committees, and generally they had 10
be accepted if at all on the assurances OF thelr
movers that they proper bills to pass.
On the whole Speaker Randall preserved very good
order He could not prevent 30 or 100 men from
constantly gathering in the area immediately IN
front Of the presiding officer and with ul-turned
faces and extended arms demanding recognition at
the top of their voices; but he repeatedly drove
them back to their seats and suspended the business
of the House until they took them. During the
whole time Mr. Holman rarely left his seat, and his
unfaling objection was heard to every measure
which he did not understand. These objections had
a cash value every one of them. They put veto on
Jobs without number and saved thousands, perhaps
millions of dollars to the Treasury. Now and then
some bill would receive the requisite twothrds vote
by which the rules could be suspended ana the
measure passed in spite of all objections but these
instances were comparatively few. In most cases
the objection was sufficient to kill the bill.
The first conference committee on the legislative,
executive and judicial appropriation blIl agreed Oh
all points except in regard to the salary OF the
President of the United States The House had IN
It's orr ginal bill reduced his salary from S0o,ooo 10
$25, 900 a year, the rate at which 1t was hAed Dy
law before the passage Of the salary grab four
years ago. On this matter they could not agree
The subject was brought before the House early on
Saturday and that body voted by very large ma
iority 70 insist on the reduction Two more confer
euccs were appointed. The differences were IRE
conslablc, and at half past one this morning Mr..
Holman reported that unless the House receded the
bill would fail The fact then brought mp that
the House would certainly not carry its point If it
insisted on the reduction and allowed the bill to be
defeated If no act passed before II o'clock To-
day changing the presidential salary 1t would nave
10 remain a. it now is until the close OF President
Havcs's term Put in this light it was seen that the
House was powcrless in the premises, except Ia eX-
hiht its petty spite, and it surrendered with good
grace.
About the coolies. thing done during the night scs-
sion was the request OF G.. Wiley Wells of M,ssis-
,Ippi that the House should suspend the rules and
Yass a bill refuudng the cotton tax. The sum which
II was thus proposed to appropriate was only TGS,-
600 coo. Very few of the members voted for it.
When if was discovered at ABOUT o'clock on
sunday morning that all of the appropriation bills
except that for the army were III good condition ana
likely t. be passed and that a continuous session
world NOT facilitate an agreement that Mr.. liol
man moved a recess. Some of the members thinking
there was still n chance for their private bills OPP
10 md
Then AT haf-past = the House suspended session
until x o'clock this morning.
The dav session of the House Saturday con-
tinued from 10 in the morning until IN The even
ing and throughout had all the appearance OF a
closing day of Congress. There WIS the same
anxiety Of members to get the Hoor l"r
the introduction of private bills, the same
gathering in the aislc5 and areas, the same
load clanor for recognition, AMI the same
almost infinite variety Of motions. the spectators
who had witnessed the exciting scenes OF the last
month the session was almost devoid OF interest No
great question was trembling in the balance, no
measure in which the country had much interest
was peLding and the scene simply that of 800
men, members Of The House, clamOring and shouting
ana GLOWING each other their anxiety to obtain
a vote OF the House on some petty claim or private
bill
The Democrats certain that Judge Cartier of
the District Coart would release the members of the
Louisiana Returning Board upon writ of habeas
corpus, and knowing that their prison door must be
opened at Il to-day, whether sucn a release was
granted or not passed resolution giving them their
freedom, but passed it with a very i'll grace. The
habeas corpus suit was Immediately dismissed i'll
the court.
The Democrats could not resist the temptation of
putting on record III formal their assertion
that Mr. Tilden was elected 10 the Presidency They
did this by adopting resolution from Proctor
Knots Committee declaring such to be the fact;
but they only did it after the unsuccessful attempts
of yesterday to commit the House TO disgraceful
assautupo the Republican members the late Flee
toral Commission. The resolution passed did not
have tquiteas much ofthe partisan jingle of fraud,
and was not a libel on the Judiciary of the country,
rs the Tilden men would have been glad to make it.
The leading Democrats who voted for these rcsOlu-
tions assert that they were simply passed for the
purpose of putting on record the opinions OF mein-
beers of the House. There is intention, they say,
of following them up by any attempt to installG Gov
Tilden. They were simply intended as braium Jdt-
men, The vote on the resolution stood 1877 in the
affirmative TO S. in the negative strictly party
vote, with the single exception that Mr.. Raymond OF
Indiana voted in the negative with the Republicans.
Barely 30 members of the House appeared in their
places at the expiration of the recess this morning,
and even these showed the effects of the recent late
sessions in their pale and haggard cOuntenances.
The galleries unoccupied and about half a
dozen strangers went about in lonely manner upon
the floor The few Representatives who were on
hand apparently came in in the hope of getting some
of the private bills i'll which they were especially
interested agreed to by the House before
the more important business of the morning
,yas takcn nm But Mr. Holman of Indiana