The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-05-01
SEN ATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, April 23.-Mr. DAVIS
presented the petition OF Mrs. Caroline
Webster, widow Of Col. Fletcher Webster,
| asking an increase OF her pension from $50
| To $50 month. The lady is the only living
representative OF Daniel Webster's family
aud has been made poor by TIE destruction
of the Marshield property. 1t was re
ierred TO the committee on pensions.
The discussion of the Wallace resolution
occupied the morning hour, after which
the Army Appropriation bill was taken
up, and Mr.. Conkling began his speech,
the floor and galleries being crowded.
Mr.. CONKLlNG said that The vast rev.
enue OF the country is paid for three uses:
10 pay debts in which we have been in
VOWED by the rebellion; to pay the pensions
Of The widows and orphans and of the Grip
pies made by the rebellion; and TO main
tain the government preserved at an ex-
pense not to be estimated of life and treas
ure. To exsct a measure that forbids the
u-e for which the people had paid would
indeed be perfi1ious and abOuinable. There
Was only one medium by which it could
reach such uses, and that Is an sppropria-
ton by law The Constitution permits no
discretion to a msj)rity in Congress
whe Ter il make neediul appropriation or
not The Constitution, however, does COM
uit TO Congress the discretion TO ascertain
how much money is needed; but the COM
maud to appropriate is positive and ALSO
lutte The command 10 mate an sppro-
Pris;ion il plain and presumptiye; and
refusal TO do 80 is revolutionary and trea-
sOua5le. So, TO. when the constitution in
vests Congress with the power TO provide
morsy to pay debts and provide for the
def, zee and general welfare. The plea
maGe that Congress shall do this thing and
a refusal to do this Is disObedience to the
constitution. If the members of the Judi
ciary and executive department failed to
10 their duties under the constitution, they
would be liable to an Impeachment.
Members of the legislative branch
were likewise smenab!e to i'm
parchment for direct violation OF
duty. /; would be a bTaver, If not a less
guilty act, TO violate that exac;ed trust in
ordinary times. An occasion has risen,
unparalleled in American history, and, so
far So be knew in British history. II a
President could be found, it should not be
in country possessing written cOnstitu-
ton, plainly defining the rights OF all liv-
ing under it Ii was not 10 be trsnsplanted
but to live behind the traditions Of the
struggle between subj cts and rulers, that
our fathers flew to thts shores. Ii was to
render impossible tn, caste distinction Of
an i'll adjudgsd society. The party
spirit, auimosity in this debate, if it was
anywhere understood, wss mistaken.
by the debates on this subject one would
think that the majority were arraigned
simply because they were acting uncUnsti-
tutiOnally in putting legislation on apprO-
priation bills. This was not the case. For
himself, he knew Of no better reason than
common sense ard the danger of Iog-roll-
ing combinations, 10 forbid putting all ap-
preparations on a single bills bill en-
bracing such mass of homogeneous provis
ions. III no objection to the separate parts
was found, il was difficult to see on what
ground veto could stand but the objec-
| ton to this legislation would be az strong,
| if it had taken the form OF indie
pendent bills. \ reason Tor a separ
ate bill might have even cloaked
the design OF the legislation, and that VIC
| laiion would have been wiser policy for the
other side, in the case pending. The face
| OF the bill itself shows that the legislation
| il rot such as an executive can rightly ap
prove. Ii shows the design 10 be TO caerce
| the executive into abandoning his sense Of
| right, in order to permit the Government
10 live. Thus far. the achievements Of the
Democratic majority had been easy but
the trial was yet to come. 1t would be
more difficult. The party had gotten them
selves into predicament, and unless the
executive let them out, they would have to
back out. They had been told that if the
| President refused TO accept these bills.
| with all their political excrescsnce, and
| vie / to a msiOrity, they will vacaie
| Their seats and leave the government
mClsyless. If the majority should make
such an attempt, he (Conkling) hoped and
trusted they would be called baC a. lOrg
a. need be until they reliBgui-hed their
monstrou- pretension and abandoned their
reasonable position. The army bill was
not the same bill in some OF Its features
that was presented az the Nltimatum Of the
DemQcratic party a few days ago. The
pending bill condemned its predecessor. 1t
needed il badly. The bill Of the last seq
sion lacked provision which now
comes 10 cave the right of the Pre-i-
dent to aid the State in the contin-
gency contemplated by the constitution.
| Without the proTisO, a. the bill was pre-
viCusly dram it would punish the PTesi
dent and the General Of the Army and
Others whom it might concern, for obeyiDg
the Constitution of the United States, under
two acts OF Congress, one Of which was
signed by George Washington. Shorn Of
| its ab-urdity, il the bill became a law, il
would be the first statute Of the kind found
on the statute book Of the United ; 'a,es-a
century, with all its action and party
strife, and passionate discord and dishonest
policy, with all its patriotism and treason,
had never yet produced majority who be
;ieyed that such a statute was TT to be
enacted.
The effect of this bill il TO prevent the
suppression Of any violence by any armed
men, acting under nationsl authority, upon
election day. In New York, every thug,
sho1lder-hitter, carr er of the dirk or bowie
knife, every graduate OF rat pi ?, bucket
shops and slums, nurseries oil what is &C
kuowledged Democratic, and every
man from Keys Bridge to the Battery, il
advised beforehand that no enormiiy Of his
will b. checked by law or officers Of the
government. Sensation Another bill
10 oe brought forward provides that even if
elections are turned into bloody burlesques,
National authority must keep away,
though White Lesguers may take an sctive
parf, armed partly with muskets furnished
by the government. II there ever was a
time when such Law would be safe, that
tine IL not now.
Al the conclusion OF Mr.. CONKLING'S
speech, Mr.. Blaine moved to strike out the
sixth section. The motion was lost
yesa, %; navs, 35-a strict party vote.
Mr.. BLAINE then offered an amend
ment previously offered aud Withdrawn by
him, which was rejected by the same vote
O,her amendments we're offered and OBJ.
jsc,ed to.
After some discussion, it was finally
agreed that the vote on the sixth section
I should be taken at thee O'Clock p. m, to
q morrow.
e Adjourned.