The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-18
CONGRESSIONAL.
CONTINUANCE OF THE DEBATE ON
The ARHY BILL IN THE SENATE.
Y00rhlcs Makes strong StRtes.Kf&htS
hpeech-P0Ittical Debate I'm tho House
of the Legislative Appropriation Bill.

SENATE.
| WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE Chair laid
lbefore the Senate a communication from tne
Secretary Of War; In response to a Senate
/ resolution Of recent date as to whether the
4 Pacific Railroad Companies have made uI-
just discrimination against the government
and In favor OF private persons. LAID on the
| table.
| BY Mr.. Hill: resolution authorizing the
Committee on the Credit and Control OF the
| Contingent Expenses OF the Government TO
equaize the salaries and duties OF clerks and
employees of the Senate.
Mr.. Hoar objected to It's present considera-
| tion, but afterwards Withdrew 1t, and the
resolution was agreed to.
| Mr.. Hamln again asked to be excused from
service on the Committee on Nicaraguan
Claims Against the United States, but with
drew 1t on the request of Mr. Morrill,.
| BY Mr.. Morgan: bill regulating the ap-
pointment of United States marshals.
BY Mr.. Grover: A bill to construct Q GUS
toms and bonded warehouse In the city OF
Portland. Oregon.
There being no further business In the
morning hour the discussion OF the pending
amendment to the army appropriation bill
was resumed.
Mr.. Morgan rose and said that when he OBJ
| tained the floor yesterday he was not aware
| that tue Senator from Indiana intended to
speak. He WIS the more willing to give way
| for the reason that the debate bad taken such
| q turn as brought the South rather too promi-
ocratic side had been from the South for the
most part or from the border. He desired at
some other time to submit his views at great
| length, but, for the present, he would prefer
! to have the gentlemen from the other sections
Of the country express their views on the
| question at issue. 1t was not one Of geo
graphical sections at all, but equally affected
| the whole country.
Mr. Wallace introduced resolution provid-
ing that the standing order of the Senate
| regulating the appointment of employees be
| suspended. This would allow the Secretary
and Sergeant-at Arms to appoint their
subordinaIes independently OF the ratiica-
tion Of the Vice President. The resolution
went over on an objection.
| Mt Voorhees, then addressed the Senate on
the army bill He began by calling attention
to several 81 ctiOHS Of the Revised Statutes, in
| their order. having relation to Federal super
that these constituted the first chapter In the
| long history of criminal legislation which is
to be laid at the door of the Republican party,
and has no parallel In the annals of the ma
ton. The powers, thus usurped, clearly be-
long by right, and are guaranteed by the CON
sfituton, to the States Hesaid that the ap-
pointment OF electoral supervisors was q
moekery and an insult to the dignity OF the
people. They were the very spawn of the
party corruption; they stood at the polls con-
stan'ly, with the power to challenge the vote
OF any free man, but, unlike Banquo's
gh st, they never vanished into
GftU dlT. i ne WORTH Ilau IOE centuries reFeTea
the memory of William Tell aud of Hampden
and of other heroes who threw off the yoke of
tyranny. The people are now under a ty
ranny more odIous than any recorded In
history. The people Of New York Were
robbed Of their liberties by John I. Daven-
port, who might be styled the autocrat of the
ballot box. He had witnessed notable scene
In the office OF this same Davenport during
the late election. An old soldier who might
have been with Grant in the Wilderness, or
\ wit II an bic fr, ha
arrested by order Of Davenport and actually
sent to jail because h. had the temerity to
1 vote the Democratic ticket. He had seen
hundreds of other men, waiting patiently,
their business interests neglected, for time
to secure the approval Of this man, who sat
there In his room Like an Eastern pOtentate.
1t was enough to make one invoke the memo
res of Bunker Hill and of Brandywine, OF
these outrages. They are sure indications
that our republic IS drifting into military
despOtism. He would especially call atten-
tion to section 1884 Of the Revised Statutes,
which he thought was more odious than the
others 1t authorizes the commissioners ap-
pointed by the Presi ent to call to their aid
as n posse conaitatus not only the citizens,
but tho army and navy of the United States
How far this Is from the contemplation
that Webster s held that bs mdas ths nhsd tn
nate to the civil authorities. Danger
GUS as this military aggression was, it
was harmless as military aggression COM
pared with the perverted Judiciary for the
former might be resisted, but the latter makes
Its advances insidiously and In silence The
courts OF the country In the hands OF un-
serupulous executives, armed with powers
conferred by bad laws, are among the most
dangerous menaces to human liberty. Since
the time OF Alexander Hamilton the Federal
power has encroached gradually upon the
rights OF the States until. one by one, they
have been absorbed This has been the
result of no accident, but of well laid
scheme. The gentleman on the other side
says 1t was made necessary by war. Ii that
Is true then the North has paid q higher price
for the subjugatiOn Of the South than has been
generally estimated. The laws which 1t is
proposed to repeal have not sectional mean
ing Their scope is wide and far-reaching,
embracing in its baleful influence the people
OF all sections of the country, North as well
as South. The shallow cry Of revolution
raised by the other side Of this chamber will
the sight Of the people then their repeal will
be justified
Mr. Teller. of California, followed in
speech in favor of Biaine's amendment. He
said that he should speak very briefly and to
the point. He would not traverse the ground
already gone over blythe gentlemen on both
sides. He did not care to cite history, either
the history of England or this country. 1t
was not so much the matter as the method
which was prepared by the majority in
bills which he wished to speak of. The i'm
portant question to be discussed was has the
President any rights vouchsafed to him by
t tsasese laws or has henot? II these laws are in
vplation of the principles Of the constitution
tfen LET them be repealed, but they should at
Itfast have respectful consideration. The
laws complained Of kave been on the statute
bobk for many years. TIE Senator from
Indiana has been in public service
for a long time, yet never till
now has he raised the slogan
cry against theEn His political oratory has
sor two years been in the possession Of the
House. yet In all that time no action looking
to this repeal had been taken. No one ever
heard OF the iniquity of these laws till within
The last thirty days, but now it can be heard
from all quarters. 1t is assumed by the ma
orisy that veto would be an anaEloly in the
listery OF legislation. They seem never to
nave heard that presidential vetoes were COM
non in the olden time. In all his reading Mr..
Teller had never seen an instance whsre such
! Veto was secured by the Democratic party.
The veto power is in fact wise provision,
Ind one necessary to that nice equipase OF