Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-06-10
FORTY-SIXTH CONGRESS-.
Extra Session,
The Senate.
THE SILVER BIIJ..

WASHINGTON, June Ex-senator Coke's reso-
luton to discharge the finance committee from
further consideration of the Warner silver bill
and to declare it before the Senate for action
was laid before the Senate, but was postponed
till tomorrow. On motion of Senator Voor-
bees the motion by Senator Burnside for an
executive session was rejected 10 to 81.
AMENDING TITLE.
The Senate concurred in the House resolu-
tion to instruct the committee on enrolled bills
to amend title of an act to amend an act
making appropriations for the construction,
etc., of certain works on rivers and harbors re.
GENTLY passed, by substituting the words sap.
proved March Sd, 1872 for approved March
4th, 1879"
GEN. SHIELDS PENSION.
Senator Vest introduced and asked unani-
nous consent for present consideration Of the
bill to continue the special pension of $lOO per
month granted to the late Gen. Shields, to his
widow until her death, and if she leaves any
minor children, to said children during their
minority.
Senator Edmunds thought the bill should
take the course usual with such bills, and on
his objection to its present consideration it was
placed on the calendar.
sUNDRY CIVIL. BILL.
Senator Eaton, from the committee on appro-
priations, reported back the House joint reso-
luton repeating certain clauses of the sundry
civil appropriation act passed at the last SEES
sion, with a recommendation that the Senate
non-concur in the House. Amendment
agreed to.
THE ARMY AND ELECTIONS.
On motion of Senator Harris the Mcdonald
bill, authorizing the employment of the mil
itia and land and navy forces of the United
States in certain cases, was taken up and Har-
ris made speech in support of the bill. Sem
ator Harris said the constitution gives the
States exclusive control over the qualifications
of voters. It gives Congress permission to
make or alter, etc., the time and manner cf
holding elections, but it is conceded by all i'm
partial commentators that this power was in
tended to be used only as means of preserya-
tion in case States should fail to make such
regulation. The language is mandatory to the
States that they shall prescribe qualifications
Of voters, etc. 1t is only permissive to Con-
gress that it may" make or alter, etc. The
word manner" of course, only refers to the
methods, that is whether by ballot or viva
voce, or other similar methods. -
Senator Harris quoted the decision of the
supreme court in the case of Miner VS.. Happier.
set, and in the Cruikshank case, that the GEN
eral government has NO voters of its own in the
States, etc. Yet, ostensibly, under the clause
OF the constitution above cited and the elab-
crate sy stem of election laws, has grown MP
under which the government has assumed the
dictation of the qualifications for voters in the
States. Deputy marshals and supervisors are
appointed, as claimed to prevent fraud. This
has taking sound and would be effective were
it not known that instead of preventing
fraud, those officers have extended and intro
duced new phases of it. Of what use is it.,
asked Senator Harris, for the States to pre-
scribe qualifications for voters, as it is their
duty, when these federal officers whose chief
claim to appointment is their bad chal acter
and partisan zeal, are authorized to override
such qualifications and decide according to
their own pleasure who may or may not vote
There was no State, he said, SO corrupt as not
to be able to preserve the purity Of its own
elections and he denied the usefulness, as
we'll as the constitutionality of the laws IN
question.
When Senator Harris concluded the Senate
djourned.