The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-31
Eorts-s5xtis Eengress---First Session,
WASHINGTON, March %, 1879.
SENATE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The question raised by MIR. Reagan yes
terday, 20 the effect that there were no rules
governing the action Of this House (none
having yet been formally adopted), was
brought up by the Speaker immediately
after the reading of the journal.
The Speaker said that he was not present
Yesterday at the time the point was made in
| Committee of the Whole, and he stated
| that under Rule III the rules OF the pre-
ceding House were declared TO be the rules
OF every succeeding House until otherwise
ordered. lie quoted the ruling OF Speaker
| Grow on that subject, and said that he was
not aware OF any other ruling at variance
| with il. It's reason and object were to fur
nish the House with 4 set of regular rules
| instead of committing it to the wide sea OF
general parliamentary law. The subject
was discussed at considerable length.
The House, at 1910 r. NJ, went into
| Committee Of the Whole on the army ap-
| propriition bill, and the discussion was re-
sumed, Mr.. Stephens, OF Georgia, opening
| it. He argued in favor OF the relevancy
and admissibllity OF the section, but init
mated his dissent from the theory that the
rules OF one House governed succeeding
House unless readopted. There was no
question in his mind but that the pending
section was german, and was in tile dIrec.
tion OF retrcnching expenditures. Re
trcnchment was not only possible and pro-
babIe, but certain. He discussed the laws
OF 1886 and 1907, and argued that they did
not apply to the use OF troops in civil
cases, hut only in cases of invasion
and instruction. In civil cases troops
were furnished on the call OF the marshal as
posse cOmifatuS, but such provision as
authorized the presence OF troops at the
polls never existed on the statute-books
until 1865, and all the change Of legislation
| proposed by the section in question was The
repeal OF that law. Public sentiment, North
and South. was against the employment OF
troops at the polls. There was no need for
such thing. The country had got along
without it for three quarters Of century.
There would be no harm done, therefore,
| by the repeal Of the law. MIR. Stephens
spoke for over twenty minutes in a strong,
clear voice, aud attracted great attention.
After argument by Mr.. Reed, Of Maine.
against the section and in support Of the
point of order, the Chairman made dtci-
sion everything the point and holding that
the section was german and would re-
trench expenditures. An appeal was taken
and the decision sustained by vote OF l25
| to 1Q7.
The general discussion was then opeueu
bv.Nlr. Garfield. the agreement being that
| no vote would be taken today.
Mr.. Garfield made 4 very strong speech
AGAINST tie uohcv OF the Democratic party
| in Congress, declaring it 10 DC utterly reVr-
| lu!ionary and tending TO the sllbIerslnn OF
the Government. He shaved how, by TIC
abstcntion OF the I'M oritY III either mouse
from the performance Of their legislative uu-
flies. the Government could be broken M,
and declared that tins Was the trst fiiEc Ill
American history, and tic first tine III TWO
centuries in England. that il had been pro-
noscd or insisted upon that those voluntary
mowers should be used for the destruction
Of the Government; and yet that was the
programme announced to the American
people to-day. II the pending proposition
was the simplest and most lnoftenslve, stlli,
when it was demanded as q matter OF co
ercon, it. had to be resisted. 1t was not
against the proposition itself, but against
the Democratic methods, he spoke. and
the want OF the law on the repeal Oh
which the Democrats now insisted al the very
peril OF the national life. It was law, pro-
posed by Democratic senator (hr. POWELL
of kentucky, reported against ny kepuo-
hy majority of the Democratic votes, d
majority OF the Republican votes being
u"uinst it. He named as voting for il Sem
otors Hendricks OF Indiana, Davis Of Ken
tucky.. Johnson of Maryland, Mcdowell, OF
California; and among the Democratic
representatives, Messrs. Randall .,oi Penn:
syIyania, Wood Of New York, and Pendle-
ton of Ohio. -, -, ,
MIR. Garfield said: "Eyery leading man
in the Democratic party voted for li-toe
hi, ~ 1854 authorizing troops at the polls
aud not one against it. In this House lew
Republicans voted against it. ] was one OF
the few" .s :. A..
Mr. Stephens, Of Georgia. asked il: 10 mr..
Gartield's OPINION, the ceuntryis .Ilkeiy ~
he reyolutionized and the Government de'
stroyed by repeating q law that tae gen
tleman voted against. II i..;fis., Il; la.,, g..
! Mfr. Garfield. replied, "That was; not Tue !,
que. tion. f T,c Democratic members ,l1 e. OF
the House hold that II they are not per-
Z 4 .