The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-25
Administration Senators Lukewarm
and Democrats Indifferent.
THE POWER TO ORIGINATE REVENUE BILLS.
Interesting Constitutional Issue Between
the Senate and House.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.


PORT OF THE COMMERCE. COMMITTEE sEcRE-
TARY sHERMANs CHARGES AND GENERAL AR
THURS FEELING AMONG SENATORS.
The determination of the Commerce Committee to
report the nomination of General Merritt adversely
to the Senate became known this afternoon. and
there is doubt that the Senate Will reject the NOM
nation 1t is rumored that Secretary sherman de-
sires to make reply to the answer of Collector
Arthur, and that he may send this reply to
the Senate in advance Of it's action the commit
tees report The rumor adds that Mr.. Sherman
regrets he did send his charges against Gen.
eral Arthur the open Senate and that if he moves
further the matter he will ask that his next letter
shall be read open session. General Arthur's
friends said to be not at all averse to this, but
will doubtless accept Mr.. sherman's challenge to
publicity if he should make one.
The Secretary has been confident that General Mer-
rift would be confirmed and has undoubtedly labored
to that result but in spite of reports to the
contrary it is impossible to that he has been able
to exercise any influence Senators in favor of his
wishes. The proceedings in the Commerce Commit
tee have been kept very secret but the impression
prevails that General Arthurs defence has been
stronger than Mr. Sherman's accusation aud that the
defence has eaced the impression made at first by
Mr. Sherman's letter.
So far can be gathered from the very cautious
uerances of democratic Senators they feel but little
interest in the contest Some of them say that if the
administration had at it's back fifteen twenty Sen
ators zealousy determined to defend it's nominations
the democrats would think it their part to vote for
or against General Merritt the facts of the
might seem to each Senator to lead him,
but that when prominent republicans care
to defend their administration democrats can
not reasonably be expected to fight its battles. 1t is
not their administration and they cannot be expected
to the entire responsibility of its acts. The
Roosevelt and Prince nominations showed them that
the few so-called friends Of the administration in
the Senate have neither zeal energy, courage.
1t is matter of common conversation that while
few republicans defended the administration in that
struggle they did so in lukewarm, hestating and
apoogetic way which did much anything else
to defeat the nominations. and which undoubtedly
discouraged any democrats from thereafter taking
conspicuous part on the administration side in such
disputes
On the other hand. it is urged by friends of
the administration that after next 4th of March the
President and his Cabinet will be the only republ-
can representatives in the federal government,
and that this consideration ought to weigh
with republican Senators and ought to lead
them to draw closer to the administration. But this
argument has not, so far one ascertain. much
weight The Senate may become democratic, but the
fact that the six newly elected republican Senators
all INSTRUMENTATION encourages the opposition
to the President in his party to hold together and
discourages the few who have. after . very
fashion. pretended to support him.
CONSTITUTIONAL POWER OF THE SENATE TO
ORIGINATE REVENUE DILLs-ATTEMpTED RE-
WAL OF TIE POSTAL ROUTE BILL LAST
sEssIoS-ESrEREsTISG DEBATE ON THE SUB
JECT.
In the Senate to-day curious and not unimportant
dispute between the two houses, dating from last
session, revived The difference involves the
question whether the Senate has constitutional power
to originate revenue measures and practically it con-
attempt by the Senate to revive the franking
privilege and to make appropriations for a
subsidy for a. Brazilian steamer line. On
the 18th of last April the House passed
bill ITO establish post routes in the several States
herein named" II was sent TO the Senate where its
title changed and it called can act to estab
lsh post routes and for other purposes and it was
amended by changes in the book postage by clause
reviving the ranking privilege and another granting
subsidy of So, 100000 to two steamer lines to Brazil
In this shape the bill passed the Senate and was re-
turned to the House the 9Th of June. and there
Mr. Cannon. of Illinois. raised question of privilege
and moved that the House return the bill to the
Senate a part of said amendments was
in the of and constituted a bill. This
motion was adopted by-yeas 169. nays 50. The bill
was. therefore, returned to the Senate. and that
body, on the 14th of June. adopted resolution in
which, after rcciting the action of the House, IL
solved to appoint conference committee to meet
similar committee from the House and confer
touching the matters Of difference between the two
Houses indicated in the House resolutions.
This conference committee to no conclusion
second also failed TO agree and on the 18th of June
in the House. Mr.. Wadieu, of North Carolina, hung
out flag of surrender. He moved that new con-
ference COMMITTEES be appointed. this time to con-
slider the Senate amendments to tho House BILL "as
though the had been disagreed TO by the
House" but Mr. Carlisle of Kentucky. Immediately
raised q point of order that it mot
pctent for tho House to empower a
ference committee to consider and report
upon any matter except such the two
houses had actually disagreed upon, and that the
journal showed that tho House had never disagreed
to the Senate amendments TO the said bill. but had
refused 10 consider them because. the opinion of
the House. they involved invasion Of its constit
tonal privileges and that therefore the only matter
which the conference committee could be authorized
TO consider and report the question of privi-
lego now pending between the two houses"
This point OF order conclusive that the
House not asked TO vote on it; Il was
waived, and the House refused to appoint another
conference committee at ALL The bill was therefore,
no more heard OF at that session.
To-day Senator Ferry tried to revive IL by the ap-
pointment OF new conference committee. and on
this arose lively discussion. Senator Herman said
the clause allowing books to in free under the
international Postal treaty which the House regarded
as revenue bill. not the only objectionable
feature of the bill. that it contained also rs
amendments hitched ON by the Senate, clause
rcviving the ranking privilege and another granting
q subsidy TO n steamer line 10 Brazil He did not
wish to see such measures hitchcd to post route
I'm VIII N m Senatorg M fad
for their constituents and the necessity Of passing
which was calculated to Senator's to for it,
no matter what else it contained. lie wanted the
revival of the ranking privilege and the subsidy
scheme TO be presented as distinct measures,
as the latter was in 1874. TO DO