The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-31
VOLUME XXvII.-NUMBER 1876.
CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, January 80.
SENATE.
EpNuNp's sREsoLvrloN ptscrssrp.

| bENATE
EDNuNDs sREsoLurioS DISCUSSED.
After the business OF the morning houl
had been disposed OF the resolution ol
Mr.. Edmnnds, declaring the validity OF the
18th, l4th and 10Th amendments 10 the
Constitution, were taken up and Mr., Nor,
gan advocated his substitute Of January
10th.
e.. n Mr.. MORGAN SAID .
Tho Senator from Vermont was unable Ia
set his resolution before the Senate until
aided by Senators on the Democratic
side. No Senator has been sworn
here who did not understand that bis
oath Of Office included tho 18th, l4th and
loth amendment, no matter whether he
came from the north, south, east or West,
and no Senator had by any vote, motion
or speech indicated that he did not In.
tend to support tho amendment as q part
Of the constitution ,of his country. The
Senator wanted the Democratic Senators
now to pledge themselves by the resolu.
ttont keep their oaths to supporttho 18th.
l4lh and 10Th amendments.
Mr.: Morgan then argued that the con-
stitution4l amendments had been solemn.
y ratified, and there was no necessity for
bringing this matter back TO the attention
OF tho Senate to declare by resolutions
that the amendments were valid, State
after State had changed It's constitution 10
conform to the fifteenth amendment. and
yet the State OF Vermont and other North.
ern States had failed to do SO. He then
explained his substitute for Edmunds' res.
olution,. and said the substitute did not
seek to bring before the country any har.
rowing question, but rested upon the
ground that the amendments were part
OF the constitution and as valid as anv
other part Of it. The Democratic party.
and he hoped that every American con.
Cured with the Senator from Vermont
that the amendments were valid. Was
that not enOugh2 What more could they
do? The real quarrel OF the Senator from
Vermont was with the Supreme Court OF
the United States. It was Democratic
doctrine to support tho decisions OF the
Supreme Court. The resolutions Of the
Senator from Vermont now before the
Senate were an attack on that doctrine,
and therefore an attack upon tho Demo.
cratic party, and when that party failed
70 meet such an attack 1t would amount
to naught.
The people Of Alabama never consider.
ed that they had any interest in the en-.
torcement Of the constitution in the
State OF Vermont. So far as Congress was
the agent oil the people to enforce the con-
siitltion for the good OF all and by legal
methods, the people were interested, but
the people OF Alabama did not claim any
right to send remonstrances to Vermont,
complaining OF her ncts. Ifa man should
be deprived OF the right OF trial BY a iury,
orof the right to vote in that Slate, the
people OF Alabama had no right to COM
plain. A common right was the right en-
ioyed by all, therefore any little State
might be called to account, by another, for
any net deemed unconstitutional.
Mr.. Edmunds said he did not say in
his resolutions the people had the common
right. He said they had common
interest, &c.
Mr.. Morgan argued that the Executive
was simply tho right hand of the iudicia.
ry to enforce its decrees. II the Senator
meant that the President Of the United
States had the right to use the army of the
United States when no court required its
use-it he meant 10 give to the Executive
Department authority to go by other agen.
cles than those prescribed BY civil law
then the Senator and himself differed as
to the constitutional powers of the Exec.
utive.
Before Mr.. Morgan concluded his re.
marks the Senate went into executive ses.
sion.
During the executive session the doors
being constrnctively opened Mr.. Burnside
moved to amend the bill recently reported
by him from the joint committee on the
army reorganization, by withdrawing Ger
tain portions to be referred 10 the Com.
mittee on Military Affairs, and leaving the |
balance to stand as that reported hy the |
committee. Agreed to and the bill was
ordered to be printed us was proposed 10 |
amend it.
Adjourned.
HOUSE.
The postofFice appropriation bill was
passed, after many Of the amounts were
increased. The struggle of yesterday for
the morning hour was then renewed.
A motion to go into Committee OF the
Whole on the army appropriation bill was
deteated-lOl TO 0B, and the yeas and nays
were ordered. Districtbusiness is in order
at 2 o'clock.
The motion to so into a committee Of
the whole was defeated-yeas lI3, nays
l23, Mr.. Hewitt changed to tho negative,
and moved to reconsider the vote, and
this was promptly followed BY a motion
to lay Mr.. Iewitt's motion on the table,
and on that vote was tnken.
The hour Of two having arrived Mr..
Speaker interrupted the roll.call, stating
That the floor was at the disposal Of the
Committee on the District OF Columbia.
A resolution was adopted providing
that Monday, February the l0th, the scs.
sion OF House shall begin at II a. NJ.
a number OF bills were introduced and |