The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-04-10
FREEDOM OF DEBATE.
Gag Law By No Means Proposed In the LsgiBla-
tive Bill Debate.


tive Bill Debate.
Washington, April S.--WhOn Mr. Atkins, Chair.
man of the House Committee on Appropriations
arose this afternoon to move to go into Commit
tee Of the Whole for the consideration OF the
Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Appropro
priation bill, Mr.. McLane Dem, Md moved
that the Chairman ofthe Committee OF the Whole
be in tructed to award the floor in accordance
with the rules Of the House. and not be bound by
any list On the Speakers table
Mr.. Hooker (Dem,, Miss.), in support Of the mo
ton, said that session after session he had seen
he.pOwer OF the House centralized in few great
committees and he was tired oft
Mr.. Kelley (Rep., Pa, said that It was evident
that the majority on both sides were determined
that there should be DO Monday to initiate legls
lation, in fact that legislation was to be confined
to the two appropriation bills. Now let the House
fight 1t out, and let the country know how thor.
oughly Pickwickian the cry Of Revolution and
revolt was. Applause on the Democra ic side.l
The subject having been referred to the Com
mittee on Rules, the House went into Committee
Of the Whole on the Legislative bill, Mr.. Atkins
explained that he had introduced the bill on the
basis of the conference report the last Congress
as nearly as possible. The entire money portion
Of the bill had not been agreed to by the Con.
ference Committee, but very nearly all of 1t had.
In regard TO those parts upon which the Commit
tee on Conference had not egreed, the present
bill conformed to the bill as 1t had passed the
House at the last Congress. He should not at.
tempt to apply the gag TO the House in the mat
ter Of debate but he would suggest that the
money portion of the bill should be considered
under the five minutes rule, and that the general
debate should be reserved for the political por.
tions of the bill.
This suggestion was agreed to- Mr.. Blackburn
the Chairman said that he was informed that
there was at the desk a list of seventy odd mem.
bers who desired TO speak upon the pending bill
He desired to be fair in recognizing gentlemen
and he therefore would not recognize any liS
except such as was made up after he had assumed
the duties Of presiding officer.
The Clerks desk was Immediately surrounded
by members who desired to place their namel
upon the list Of speakers. After order had beer
restored, the bill was read by sections for amend
ments.
The bill as 1t stands appropriates SIS 36O0 600
An important amendment was adopted TO. day
which requires that the Public Printer shal
furnish annually an itemized statement of his
expenditures. He has not been required to this
before, and his accounts have been found in
great confusion, and have left him open to thu
charge of corruption. The House will scarcely
reacRpolitical portions of the bill to morrow.
The Senate passed Mr.. BsysTd's resolution call
ing upon John Sherman to communicate to the
Senate the amount Of all moneys paid TO John
! Davenport in 1870 and subse quent years.
Mr. Bayard (Dem.. Dell, introduced bill to re
peal the act passed in 1862 providing test OATH
al disqualification Of jurors in courts of the
the United States. He asked for its mmediat
passage. The effect of this act, he said, was Il
exclude persons OF character ard intelligence
from jury service, in the Southern States particu
larly. The Senate had already passed such bill
as the one he now introduced, He did not de
sire to debate the BILL but off red it for the sake
of justice and the promotion Of good feeling
among all his cOuHtrymen
Mr., Edmunds (Rep., Vt), said he was not aware
that the Senate had passed bill to repeal section
S2l. II the Senator's bill should go to commit.
tee. substitute for that section might be framed
| hhtlhldClOEy W luus tbCdpluB tue 6Vle
which the Senator thought might arise should
the law stand. Section S20 however, was repeal.
ed by both Houses in 1876 but somehow it after.
ward found its way into the Revised Statutes
The Senate had, since that time, passed an act to
repeal that section, but it was not acted upon in
the House.
The bill was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary, the objection of Mr. Edmunds having
prevented its immediate consideration.
The senate then resumed the consideration Of
the New Hampshire Senatorial election.
Mr.. Carpenter tRep., Wis.,, congratulated the
Senate that this question was 10 be decided on Its
merits, and not on partisan grounds He then
gave his views on the pending question, arguing
against the admission Of Mr. Bell, there being no
such vacancy as the Governor could fill. The
vacancy caused by the expiration of Mr.. Wad.
leigh's term Of service must be filled by the Leg.
| islature.
Mr.. Groome tDem., Md, briefly gave the res.
sons why he should vote to seat Mr.. Bell, taking
the ground that If the Legislature was not in de-
fault the vacancy could be filled by the Governor
whether by reason of the expiration Of Senate.
term or by resignation or otherwise.
Mr. Herman Dem, N W, opposed the omission
Of Mr.. Bell, denying that the Constitution con.
ferred on any Governor the power to appoint q
Senator to begin a new term Of six years,