The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-03-07
UNITED STATES SENATE.
extra SESSION.
WAsHIEGToN, March c

| WAsHINGToS, March 6.
Mr.. Wallace submitted resolution
that the credentials of L. Q. q. Lamar
Senator-elect from Mississippi, be taken
from the table, and that he be sworn.
| Mr.. Anthony moved that the Senate
adjourn.
Rejected by the following vote: Yeas,
Is; nays, SO, many of the Republicans
voting with the Democrats against the
adjournment.
Mr.. Blaine said that Mr.. Larmar's
credentials were entirely regular. and he
was Just as much entitled TO be sworI in
as he [Blaine] or any other Senator
sworn in yesterday.
A lively debate ensued on Mr.. Wal
lace's resolution, and Mr.. Spencer called
for the reading of the report of Mr..
Boutwell's committee on Mississippi af-
fairs, submitted at the last session, bat
the Senate refused to have the report
read.
MIR. Dawes advocated the swearing
in, holding that Mr.. Lamar presented
himself with proper certificate.
Mr.. Blaine urged that the report on
the Mississippi case might show that the
legislature which elected Mr.. Lamar was
not legal body, bat he should be sworn
in now, and all this was matter for sub
sequent inquiry by the Senate. 1t was a
dangerous thing to stop u Senator from
taking the oath who presented himself
with proper certificate.
Alter further debate, Mr.. Spencer said
he was opposed to seating Lamar, because
the Legislature which elected him was q
fraud. He then sent to the Clerks
desk and had read as part of his re-
marks the report of BoutwelPs commit
tee on mississippi stfsirs.
Mr.. Harlem, from the committee 10
notify the President the Senate was or
gsnized, reported that the President
would communicate tomorrow in regard
TO eqecutive business.
After the reading of the report of Mr..
Boutwell's Committee the discussion was
continued by Messrs. Morton, Wadlelgh,
Dawes, Mcmillan and others when Mr..
Spencer moved to amend the resolution
OF Mr.. Wallace so as to refer the cre-
dentials of Mr.. Lamar to the Committee
on Privileges and Elections. Rejected;
yeas /, nays 5S.
MIR. Thurman said he would be sorry
to believe that the faculties of the Ssna-
tor from Indiana were failing, but he
must say that the faculty of memory in
that Senator, Judging from his remarks,
showed weakness which might we'll give
concern to his friends. he Thurman
said that in Goldthwaite's case, in Pinch
backs case, and again now that where
the man had been elected by that body
which was confessedly the legisla-
ture OF the State, and brought
with him the credentials prescribed
by law, there was not in the whole bis
tory of the country preceden: which
would prevent him from being sworn in,
but it made vast difference as to
whether a man had been elected by the
legislature or by mob. According to
the report Of the Committee on Priv
ileges and Elections of the Senate the
legislature which elected Pirchbsck was
not the legislature of Loulsisr a, and 1t
was upon that ground, and that ground
alone, that the Senate said his credentials
did not make a prinG facte case.
Mr.. Morton said the election OF Pinch
back was certified to by the Governor
acknowledged as such by every depart
ment of the federal government. The
Legislature which elected him was
acknowledged as the Legislature of the
State, and had enacted hundreds Of
statutes, and besides it was recognized
by the Supreme Court of the State. He
argued that the report IN the Mississippi
case might show that the Legislature
which elected Mr.. Lamar was not the
lawful one of the State. What took
place in Mississippi during the campaign
of 1876 presented scene OF carnage, and
that cection WAS fraud and an outrage
from the beginning to the end. 1t was
not in the power of man to turn-
ish an excuse for the Outrsgcs
committed in Mississippi in 1875.
Mr.. Blaine said that he had been IN
the Senate just long enough to know now
unpleasant it was to have record. He
was glad to see his friend from Ohio
Thurman coming over TO the right, but
ne begged his friend from Indiana Nor
ton not to get wrong just at the moment
when his friend from Ohio was getting
right.
MIR. Morton asked what objection the
Senator had to Mr.. Kellogg being sworn
in?
Mr.. Blaine replied that he had prepar.
ed aIresolution on that very subject. Let
this case be disposed Of and the Senator
would see how he stood in regard TO the
Kellogg case.
Mr.. Morton said so far as his record
was concerned he proposed to take care
of it. The Senator from Maine would
have quite enough to do to take care Of
bis own record. Laughter.
Mr.. Christiancy read from the testi-
mony taken by the Boutwell, Committee
to the effect that 70 branch OF the State
or Federal government had questioned the
legality of the Mississippi Legislature.
He argued It's legitimacy had been re
cognized by the Supreme Court OF the
State: No doubt there had been intImi-
ds.lon in some parts OF the State, but a
majority OF the members Of the Legss-
ture were legally elected, and they had
a right to pass upon the returns OF the
other members in cases of contest from
districts where violence existed. He
argued that this case was not like that
of Plnchbsck, n in that case a commit
tee of the Senate had reported there was
no legal Legislature in the State. He
could see no objection to the admission
OF Mr. Lamar.
Mr.. Thurman said that no mstter
what was contained in Mr.. Boutwelps
report, there wGs nothing to alter the
primq fac1e of Mr.. Lamar to q seat in
the Senate There was not one word II
the report which touched the question
| before the Senate and 1t was out OF or.
der to call upon the Senate to sit here
an hour to listen to the reading thereof.