New-York tribune., 1879-04-26
LEGISLATION BY CAUCUS.
7HE UNIFIED STATES SENATE DUMMY TO RECoRI
THE WILL OF A PARTY CAUCUS.
IBI TELEGRArM TO InE TRIDuNEA

7HE UNIFIED STATES SENATE DUMMY To RECORD
THE WILL OF A PARTY CAUCUS.
IBT TELEGRAPH TO THE TRTBUSEL
WASHINGTON April 25.-BOth the Wallace resou-
ticn aud the Army Appropriation bill were disposed
Of by the Senate to-day without auy debate
of an exciting character The day WIS. EowcNoL
fruitful in records which served 10 define mole
clearly than had been done before the Inc Of con-
duct and the principles Of the two great larti,s
Two amendments 10 the Wallace resolution, winch
were voted down by a solid vote of the y, mocrats
serve TO illustrate the feeling entert7in,d by
that party toward IL SO who fought Ia the
Armies of the Union. Mr., Edmund~'- an endmcnt,
providing q at one who had served in tic Ia. NJ
Armies should bc dismissed except for cause stt.
in writing and approved invritug by the President
OF the Senate was first disposed of with
out debate. Senator Carpenter then moved
that no vacancy created by the removal Of
Union soldier should be filled bv person who had
ever served IN the Armies Of the COnfcderaCy. This
TOO. was lost, every Democratic Senator voting
against it, The Wallace resolution was then passed
by a strict party vote.
The Army bill came up at ! O'clock. the pending
question being Mr.. Paddock's amendment. This
was provision for the partial repeal of the posse
comitaus clause Of last years Army bill MI
Paddock made an earnest speech In sup
port of his amendment, which was in no sense
"a political measure. The experience, as
he showed IN large portion of his own and in sew
cral Of the neiGhbOring frontier States since the
passage Of the measure year ago, which prohibits
any portion of the Army from being used as posse
comitatus had been most disastrous. One of
the greatest industries of the Northwest, that
Of cattle grazing, had been almost destroyed
because of the want of protection which
could he afforded 10y the Army, but which under
.1l
Plumb, Logan and Carpenter then pointed out de-
fects in the ninth section, and made them so plain
that everyone could see and understand their
serous Some Of the provisions Of the section
are rendered meaningless la
BILE to a variety of interpretations, and others
are highly mischievous. General Logan called
pointedly upon Senator Wlthers. who was In charge
Of the bil aud represented the Appropriations Com
mttee, TO explain the meaning Of certain express
kiOns.
This Mr.. Withers said he was unable to do ex
ccpt in the words of the section itself.
In the subsequent discussion General Logan made
Il apparent TO. every listener that the ApproPria-
tons Committee had passed this section WITH
ont amendment and without knowing what
it really meant No one can doubt that The
design ot the Ecpublcan Senators was 10 bring ont
and place more fully UPON the record the eau
Gus detcrmiu alton of the Democrats not to allow
any amendment 10 DO made to this bilI. how,
ever IncritcrloUs. The amendments proposed bad
doubted merit aud but for the rule of b" caucus
several of th,m would have been passed. The
exceeding jealousy manifested 10y the Srnai .
in declaring and maintaining the constitutional
right of the body To amend appropriation bills
has always been a marked feature OF its proceed
ilgs whenever the question Of the rights Of the
two houses has been considered. This absolute sur
render 10y the majority OF the present Senate Of
this important night, at the command OF Demo
cratic caucus is IN itself revolution OF no trihng
proportions. .
Take. for example the case Of Nebraska. None Of
her Representatives. are admitted to the Democratic
caucus and under the new plan she has no innr-
eicc in shaping the Army bill, III some of the pro-
visions of which she las 80 great au interest. As
shown by Mr.. Paddock to-day, great business in
t,r,sts are gong to ruin for want of Congressional
action To which no one would Object but winch
could only be obtained through the Democratic
CauCus. To sum up tO-days record, tie United
StatCs Senate is q dummy.