Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-16

senate chamber. All were present excap
| Senators MRxey, Jonas LA. and Hampton
| is. G. The object of the caucus was to con
slider the formation of standing committees
| Senator Wallace was reelected chairman
and Senator Beck secretary OF thar caucus
Inc following named senator's were ap
| pointed a committee to rearrange standing
| committees and report to adjourned meeting
Monday noon: Wallace, M'Donald. Eaton
Ransom, Cockrell, DAVIS Nv. Va. Garland,
Grover and Pendleton. After some discus
sion the following basis was agreed upon fol
the reorganization of committees: First
Seniority. Second-The choi.e q
committee by one having two or more
chairmanships. ThirG-The arrangement
of chairmanshIps for vacancies Accord
ing to this programme Senator Eaton. senIoi
Democratic member of the commi toe On
foreign relations, sill be its chairman !;
finance, Bayard; military affairs, R sndolph;
Donald; Indian affairs, Coke; pensions,
WIthers; claims, Cookrell, District of Co.
lumbia, Harris; patents, Herman; territories,
Garland; mines and mining, Hereford; on
revision of laws, Wallace. Salisbury has the
choice of chairman of three committees.
namely, privileges and elections, postofices
and post-rOadS, and public buildings and
grounds. Davis, of West Virginia, has the
choice of the craftsmanship of appropriations
and agriculture; Johnston, of manufactures
and revolutionary PENSIONS; Gordon, OF COM
merce and education and labor; Whyte, OF
civil service and retrenchment, naval affairs
and printing; Ransom, of railroads aud
library.
Ia addition to these committees, there me
ten select committees, of which only 70 haze
Democratic chairmen-DAvis, of W.sa We
ginia, anu Harris The Craftsmanship D!
committees other than those named wi be
arranged by the caucus. The committee OF
the Republicans will be furnished with a list
Of the Democratic members placed on the
committees. The subject of changing the
elective officers Of the senate was not acted
upon.
The postmaster-generalh has appointed J.
n. Tyner, first assistant postmaster general ,
and G. F. M'Donald, superintendent of the
money-order office, to meet the treasurer of
the United States and the chief clerk of the
treasury department, to arrange for the dis
trlbutIon of the four per cent refundIng GER
II Gates, which will be ready for issue on the
first of April.
Lending Offices IN the E1Ouse ana
Senate.
Washington Post, of Thursday: The
Randall headquarters were opened at the
National hotel yesterday, aud during the af-
ternoon and evening the ex-speaker was
present in person. VIXEN the Post called
there early last evening, Mr. Randall was
closeted in the next room" with friend,
bat Rapre sentaGives Atkins, Cobb, Kenna
and WhitthOrre were visible, and they en-
tertaued visitors with their usual courtesy
Talking about the relative strength OF the
two candidates, Randall and Blackburn, Mr..
Kenna said he was very sure the estimate
for the latter, published 10 yesterdays Post
was not correct.
Wherein vas it wropg?" asked the seeker
after truth who represented the Post
"Well," replied Mr.. Kenna, I'm very
sure it was wrong as to West Virginia. Il
was put down as two for Blackburn, and |
know it is solid for Randall. Ali three of us
are for him, and no later than last night Mr..
Wilson assured me that he believed Randall
ought to be re elected, and he would vote for
him."
The other side say Randall Is a Tillen
man"
That Is only said to beat him, said Mr.
Kenna. ''In my opinion the only chanc, for
US to nominate western man for President
In 1880 is to elect Randall now. If we elect
a western man speaker, then it will be
claimed that we ought to take an eastern
man for President"
Mr.. Atkins also said that the Blackburn
figures were placed too high, and the Post
asked him to give the latest Randall esti-
mate.
at is just about correct as the Post pub
lsaed it this morning." was the reply.
"Tbere may be several put down for Randall
who are against him, but in the end that
count will be found to be correct"
Mr.. Randall himself seemed rather exclu-
sive, and received his company in a room TO
himself which the reporter did not enter
The Blackburn headquarters were next WIS.,
tied. Among those vino were surrounding
Nj. Blackburn the scribe noticed Senator
Beck. Colonel Manning, of Mississippi; Cen
eral Hunlon, OF Virginia; Mr.. Mills, of
Texas; General Clarke, of Missouri, and half
q dozen other members of congress, besides
Henry Watterson and his father and other
friends who are not In congress- A TELEGRAM
was received from General Williams. senator
from Kentucky, saying be would be here in
a day or two to work in the Blackburn cause.
Colonel Stoddard Johnston, OF Kentucky.
had established a rule that there should be
no liquor of any kind dispensed at the Black
burn headquarters. Late last night a prom
inent member of congress moved TO suspend
the rules and allow one round OF drinks be-
fore going home.
''No, sir; no, SIR said Colonel Johnston,
with Kentucky p0sitiveness; there shall not
be any drinking in these rooms"
''All right" retorted the member of con-
gress; IF you won't put the motion to sus-
pend the rules, can't help it," and if the
crowd got any drinks they had to go else
where.
A great many members of the house will
arrive to-day, and then there will be some
basis for calculation as to the result. AT
present both sides are confident, and each
counts votes enough to win
Owing to Lpe re5icence of senators On one
hand and the sanguineness Of candi Iaies on
the other, it is almost impossible 70 obtain
anything like reliable information as to the
probabilities of the distribution Of the senate
patronage. The contest for the position of
sergeant at arms seems to be narrowed down
to General Duncan S. Walker, Richard J.
Bright, of Indiana, Ex-C Congressman Jere N
Williams, OF Alabama, and L. Q. Washing
ton, of Virginia. General Walkers strength
is based upon his efficiency as a political
worker and manager, demonstrated by his
discharge OF duties as secretary of the ma.
tional campaign committee in the last cam
vass, there being general conviction among
senators that, next to fitness for the Official
duties Of the place, capacity to serve the
Democratic party IN every honorable and
legitimate way should take prscede1ce over
all considerations of locality or personal
obi cation. General Walkers friends en-
brace some OF the most active party man
ayers In the senate, and he has assurances of
support which it might be embarrassing
both to him and his friends to specify, but
which will undoubtedly be sufficient to give
him fair start in the caucus.
Mr.. Bright, of Indiana, up to day or two
ago. "dS Cld5Seu DIS an aSplrd0t Tor the same
position in the house, and hence his strength
would be difficult to estimate. He will be
supported by the two senators from his own
State, and has a national reputation as an
active political manager and sound Demo.
crat.
The contest for the. secretaryship presents
a much wider field for speculation. At the
head of the long list of candidates the vener-
able Harvey Watterson claims sixteen sena-
tors pledged to support him, and is admitted
by the best informed Of his competitors to
nave eleven. The eleven senators said to be
pledged TO Mr.. Watterson are Beck, Will
lIams, Voorhees,, Lamar, Butler, Hill. Coke,
Randolph, Withers, Salisbury and Herman.
The five claimed by Mr.. Watters5n in addi-
tlcn to these are said to De Bayard, Hamp-
ton, Houston, Johnston and Gordon Next
comes ex-senator Dennis, with three sure
and claiming seven, Then ex-Auditor Burch,
of Tennessee, proprietor of the Nashville
with two certain, and claiming
indefinitely from len to a majority. Then
franklin, of Missouri, with
two certain, and six or eight more probable.
Then ex- Congressman Stenger, of Pennsyl-
yanla with one sure and three more conf