Daily globe., 1879-06-07

to the action of the committee or supporters
of the bill, he moved to recommit it.
Senator Conkling thought this made yalu-
| able addition to the comedy of errors for which
| this session was SO distinguished.
Senator Thurman said there was no occasion
| for this exhibition of petty triumph. Every
word in the bill was right, but there was some
thing wrong in this government else it would
obliged to look not only to what is right, but
to what is practicable. They did not propose
toIeave room for thelsophistries of this chamber
| to be echoed from the other end of the avenue.
They could survive the sneers of the Senator
| from New York.
Senator Blaine, in the course of some remarks
on the bill, asked Senator Thurman how he
knew the President would veto the bill if passed
| as reported from the committee.
Senator Thurman said he had no such infor-
nation, and if he had it would be violating a
plain rule of the Senate to state it.
Senator Blaine-The Senator has already VIC.
lated the rule. He has said that the bill should
be amended as not to encounter objection
the other end of the avenue.
Senator Thurman-I only spoke my own in
ference, and those inferences were amply found
ed on the fact that, in my opinion, bills have
been vetoed, notably the army bills, because
members of the Republican party in both
houses of Congress, by no means very friendly
to the incumbent of the Presidential chair-I
will not use the slang language of the day.
will not talk of bulldozing-have coerced the
executive.
Senator Edmunds raised tho point of order
that Senator Thurman was out of order. The
words were taken and read by the reporter.
Senator Edmunds stated that his point was
that the words imputed unconstitutional and
improper conduct to the President and mem-
bers of the Senate. He would not regard the
words relating to the House.
Senator Harrington asked under what rule
the point was made. We were getting to q
point where no legislation could be had with
| out consulting the executive, but he did not
know we were forbidden to speak of him.
Senator 'Whyte-The other side have been
making charges of coercion against us all
| along.
Senator Edmunds-It is one thing to say
what the effect of measures will be, and
another to say in 30 many words that Senators
coerced the President, thus charging them with
a political crime.
Senator Thurman referred to his own decis-
ion on the point of order raised against Chand-
| Ter some time ago, namely, that the charge
that Senators held their seats by fraud did not
impute dishonest motives to the Senators them
| selves. he then said that by coercion he did
not mean duress or personal violence, but he
had used the expression ''coerced' because, in
| his judgment, and he would be willing to 20 to
his death upon it, the Republican Senators and
Representatives, by the course they had taken
on these bills. by leaving the merits of the
| subject and raising the cry of revolution" :"
| waving the 'bloody shirt" talking about this
being question between secession and the
Union, and by their whole course on the sub
ject, had made a mamie would not say weak
| man, for he meant to be respectful to the
President-but made man veto bills that, if
left to his own judgment, he would not have
| vetoed.
| In the discussion that followed several
Democratic Senators pointed out cases where
| Republican members had renounced the Presi-
dent and Reverdy johnson as despotic, and
Senator Thurman alluded to decisions of
Blaine when Speaker of the House, that q
member was not in order in using accusatory
| words of the President.
| Senator Blaine said there was latitude al
lowed to the immediate representatives, of the
people who only could present articles for inn
peachment. .3
Senator Edmunds finally said he was salts
fed with Senator Thurman's explanation of
the sense in which he used the words objected
to, and withdrew his point of order. In doing
so he wished to deprecate the growing freedo m
| with which the actions and motives Of the ex-
ecntive were being brought into debates.
The question recurred on Senator Bayards g
! motion to recommit the bill.
| Senator Voorhees, opposed the motion.
Senator Davis, of Illinois, favored it, and
was surprised th at there was any opposition to
it. The object was simply to perfect the bill.
All he wanted was repeal of the sections and to
get good jury law.
Senator Conkling said he would withhold his
vote on the motion, and let the Democrats set.
tie their quarrel among themselves. The vote
on the motion resulted yeas %, nays 8, not q
quorum voting. Most of the Republicans re-
Trained from voting, and most Of the Demo
Gratis who voted voted aye.
Senator Conkling said he did not withhold
his vote with view of producing no quorum
He would now vote nay. Many Republican
Senators who had refrained from voting rost
and their names being called voted nay. Sew
eral Democratic Senators thereupon changed
their votes from yea to nay, and others vote6
nay The result of the vote was yeas Is, nayl
27, so the motion was lost. The bill the1
passed-yeas %, nays 16, a strict party vote
Adjourned until Monday.