National Republican., 1878-06-18
.FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
| [C0nliNuod Irom EYrt Pane.

FUkI-flfIH CUNdktSS.
tContiHucd from First Pugel
authorized by the Constitution and tho laws
without going into the items, he would say
that u anybody had induced the national banh
to embark It's funds In this commission, II wa,
not the duty Of the Senate TO introduce q pro
vision In an appropriation bill to lcgalize the
commission. lie hoped that his brcvity had
not caused him to be understood by implica
tion that the President had not right to with
draw the troops from Louisiana or use them
for other purposes. To do what these five men
were sont to do was not only beside the Consti'
tuition and law, but in violation Of tho Consti.
tuition and law.
Mr.. THURMAN stated the condition Of
things In Louisiana as he saw II to be, that
Packard claimed to be tho Governor, and some
men claiming to be the Legislature recognized
Packard as Governor. 1t was admitted on all
sides that there was not q quorum that was
legally elected In either branch. At the same
time General Nichols claimed to be Governor,
and body of men claimed to be the Lcgisla-
turc aud recognized him as Governor. In
point Of fact there was but ono Legislature
and ono Governor, for Packard and his Legis.
hturc were coOpcd up In one building aud had
no powers outside Of which they were shut
up, and in which they were protected by
United States troops, so that the dc fdcto gov.
ernmcnt was Nichols and his Legislature.
The Packard government only existed by
the support Of Federal bayonets. He denied
the right Of defeated candidate to appeal to
the President to be set up against the declared
will of the people. 1t was the duty OF the
President to find out what government he was
to recognize, Congress not being in session.
Mr.. MCMILLAN desired to correct one or
two statements Of the Senator from Ohio. II
was true that Packard was confined In the
State House, but 1t was by revolutionary
mob. The only part tho Federal troops took
was to preserve the peace. They had implicit
orders to refrain from taking part with either
faction. So far they went in protecting Pack
ard but no farther.
Mr.. ECSTIS said the Senator was mistaken
in his statement that there was an armed mob
There was no armed mob In Louisiana ut any
time that threatened Packard and his so.called
Legislature. At no time did Governor Nichols
prepare to threaten the State House. lie pre-.
ferred they should stay there, and they could
have stayed there till this time.
Mr. MCMILLAN said he was present In New
Orleans Us member Of the committee of in.
vestigation, and he saw the armed mob pass
under window Of q room In the State House
In which he was sitting, as it went to dispcrsc
and dislodgc the Supreme Court of the State.
Mr.. KELLOGG said he had not prepared to
mix in the debate; but there was one point in
the speech of the Senator to which he desired to
call the attention Of the Senate, which was that
the Packard Legislature was not a legal Legis.
laturc and was not recognized by the people OF
the State. ~
The Legislature met on the 1st of January,
as provided by the constitution of the State,
with quorum in both Houses. The fact that
ffty-seven of those members were recognized
by the Nichols Legislature under the arrange.
ment OF the commission ought to be evidence Of
this fact. In the Senate there was a quorum.
but he would admit 1t was on certificates OF
election. Here was the Legislature meeting at
the time and In the manner prescribed by law,
with an nndisputed Governor-for there was
not an officer from the Arkansas border to the
gulf that questioned his (KelloQg' title This
Legislature had besa recognized by him, aud
when the Nichols government applied for
recognition he had refused, for he had q short
time before recognized the Packard Legisla.
turc.
Mr.. BLAINE said he would not do anything
that would look like spite, but there was
question here, and to make the appropriation
would be to recognize the act of this commits.
sion. These men were sent down to Louisiana
to toll of enough men from the Packard Leg
islaturc to make quorum In the Nichols Leg.
islature. He did not think the President had
the right TO send them there for that purpose.
He repeated what he said last spring, that II
Packard was not elected, the President was not
elected. There was but one man in the world
that could cast doubt upon the Presidents
title, aud that was tho President himself
:. These men never made q suggestion to build
mp the Packard Legislature. They mover sug
gested to any Of the Nichols Legislature The
action Of this commission had thrown into con-
fusion and chaos the constitutional results OF
the Presidential election, and it was response.
bic for all the mischief which had followed.
He was not disposed to pay and thereby
recognize their loyalty. The Governor Of
Louisiana sits In his chair to-day placed there
by mob.
Mr.. MCDONALD asked ifthc vote by which
Packard was elected was ever counted.
Mr.. BLAINE replied as much so as tho vote
for President Of the United States. According
to the doctrine laid down here, Abraham Lin.
coin could mover have taken his seat. He
would have been prevented by q Democratic |
mob. Washington was filled with Democratic |
mob that were hostile to him, and would have |
prevented Inauguration but for the troops. |
lie eulogzcd Winfield Scott as a noble, brave |
patriotic, grand old soldier who had stood over |
a battery In front of the Capitol when Lincoln |
was sworn into Office and pursuaded tho DEM
ocratic mob that would have prevented 1t.
Mr.. BECK read the letter Of the Secretary
of the Treasury recommending the appropri.
alton. and said, whether the President erred
or not in sending the commission, it looked
mean to refuse to pay the money now. Admit
there was no law for It, the Government had
its secret-scrvice division, and all the bureaus
had their special agents, and 1t was belittlng
in Congress to refuse to make the appropri-
stion. lie was sorry 1t had come in here and
If he had been one of these gentlemen he
would have drawn his check and paid the
money into the Treasury.
Mr.. SARGENT said the Senate could not
afford the time now to discuss the Louisiana
question, and he therefore moved to lay the
amendment on the table.
Mr.. BLAINE. Nor can We afford to pay
this bill.
The question was taken on tho motion to
lay on the table, and it was agreed to-ycas,
81; nays, 22-as fellows:
YcNs-McSsn. Allison, Barnum, Rcck, Blaine,
Booth, Cunklng, Davis OllD, Dorsey, Eaton. Eust!s
tDvyr, Hereford, Johnston, Jones ulU.J. Kellogg |
MCCIcery, Mcmillan, McrhcrSon, McrrimOn
Mitchcli Morrill,, Uglesby Patterson, Plumb Ran.
dClIh Rollins, Sargent, Spencer, Teller. Whytc
Wmdum, and Withers-Et
Nays-MCssrs. Anthony, Armstrong, Bailey, hay.
nrd, Burnside, Butler ChTstiamCy, Coke. DawCs |
Gordon, lluuls, Ill, llUAr, Lamar McDonnld |
Matthews, MuigGu Paddock, Salisbury, SuundyIr, |
Voorhees,, and WallacG-2l.
Mr.. HOWE offered substitute for the
amendment directing the Secretary of the H.
terror TO ascertain on what terms the ground
east of the Capitol could be purchased for the
site Of library. His amendment appropriatcs
Sl5O,OOO for the commencement Uf u new
library OH Judiciary Square.
Pending action on the amendment,