Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-25
TELEGRAPHIC.
A Red Letter Day for Senator
COnkling, of New York.
He Gets in a Mastery and Telling
Speech on the Army Bill.
Wild and Scattering rawlings of the
House Greenbackers.
A Crazy Lunatic Attempts the Life
of the Actor Booth.
XLFI CONGRESS.
SENATE.

SEN
WASHINGTON, April 24.-There
was an unusually large gathering of
spectators present on the meeting
of the Senate, the ladies gallery
presenting an especially brilliant
appearance, and the diplomatic gal
lery having a fair number of occu-
pants, and numbers of prominent
visitors, including many members of
the House, occupied seats on the
floor of the Senate
Mr.. Dawes, of Massachusetts,
presented petition from
Mrs. Caroline Webster, widow
of Col. Fletcher Webster, ask
ing an increase of her pension
from $50 to $50 per month. He
said this lady was the only surviv-
ing representative of Daniel Web
ster's family, and had been rendered
poor by the destruction Of the
Marshfeld property. The bill was
referred to the Committee aR Pen
sions.
Mr.. Conkling spoke on the Army
bill.
The discussion OF Mr.. Wal~
lance's resolution occupied the
morning hour, after which
the Army Appropriation bill was
taken up.
Mr.. Conkling began his remarks
by saying that of 1886, 100000 of
revenue collected during the last
year by the Government 1921, ,000,-
900 came from tWenty~seven States,
and S13,600,000 came from eleven
States, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, of
which So, 100000 was from tobacco
taxes of Virginia. Both Houses he
continued have now q Democratic
majority, and no proposition is
heard to change the existing reve-
nue. laws. This vast revenue is
collected to pay pensions, made
necessary by the rebellion, to pres
serve the Government and protect
the laws made at an inestimable ex-
pense. To divert from the uses to
which the people have dedicated, it
would be perfdious. There is but
one way by which it can reach these
objects, by appropriation. The
Constitution commits to Congress
only the discretion as TO how much
is to be appropriated, its command
to make some appropriation are i'm
perative. The refusal to vote money
to defray the expenses of the differ
ent branches of the government
was, therefore, unconstitutional.
If members of the Judiciary or
Executive departments failed 60 do
their duty under the Constitution,
they would be liable to impeach~
ment. If members of the Legisla-
tive branch were likewise amenable
to punishment for direliction Of duty,
it would be a braver, if not less
guilty act, to violate their exalted
trust.
Mr.. Conkling, continuing, said
a resort to separate bills might
even have checked the sinister de
sign of the legislation and that
view would have been wise policy
for the other side. In the case
pending, the face of the bill itself
shows that the legislation is not
such as the Executive can rightly
approve. 1t shows the design to be
to coerce the Executive into vio-
lating his sense of right, in order
to permit the Government to live.
Thus far the achievement of the
Democratic majority had been easy,
but the trial was yet to come.
1t would be more difficult. The
party had got themselves
INTO a predicament, and unless
the Executive let's them out they
will have to back out. He said
Let the rufianism at polls in the
interest of the other party cease,
md there would be no need of
iurther expense in executing the
election laws.
Mr.. COnkling spoke for three
hours. his speech in the main beinU
N arrignment of the Democratic
,arty and an earnest support of the
Federal election laws. Gen. Sher-
nan and Attorney General Devens
Tere among the number of his att
entiYe auditors.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Gillette, of Iowa, made a
peech from a Greenback stand
Joint, in which he denounced the |
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