The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-05-27
xLVIth CONGRESSES Session
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, May &c.
Governor Brown, Senator Gordon's success
or, was sworn in taking the modified oath.
A bill for the allowance of certain claims
by the accounting officers of the treasury was
reported. They are known as the Fourth OF
July claims
The pension deficiency appropriation bill
was taken up. Mr.. Eaton moved an amend
ment for miscellaneous items exclusive of
labor, SIS, 900 for the year ending June 3Oth.
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. Mendum offered an amendment apprO-
priating 100000 for the payment of fees of
United States marshals and deputies earned
during the year ending June 30, 1880. He sup
posed this had been omitted by oversight, as
the committee knew the courts were being
stopped all over the country for the want of
this appropriation.
The amendment was rejected, yeas. %, nays
33. party vote, Mr.. Brown casting his first
vote with the nays.
Amendents of the Senate committee on ap-
preparation agreed to appropriating $50, 600 for
the propagation of food fishes. $42,5 800 for a
fish Matching, steamer and machinery, $4,000
for vessels for the coast survey and $4,000 for
the continuation of the coast survey. The
amount appropriated for pensions is $9,24O, 900.
The bill was read the third time and passed.
Mr.. Cockerell Oem.) of Missouri introduced
bill amending the act of 1878 regard pensions
of soldiers Of the war of 1872 so as to place on
the pension rolls the names of the surviving
officers and enlisted and drafted men without
regard tO1color, including the militia and volun-
teers of the military and naval service of the
United States who served in the war OF 1872
with Great Britain for fourteen days, begin
ming prior to the date of the ratification of the
treaty of peace or who were in any engage
ment and were honorably discharged. and sur
viving widows of such officers and enlisted
and drafted men. Referred.
The Senate resumed the bill defining the
terms of appOiptpnnt Of the chief
visors of elections.
Mr.. Edmunds proceeded to oppose the pend
ing bill. If the people of the United States,
he said, desire to sweep away every vestige OF
national control over national elections, he
said they have very easy way to accomplish
that object. They have only to give the victo-
ny to the Democratic party in the coming cleo
ton. A bill recently passed took away from
the Executive the appointment OF purely exec
utive officers,--the deputy marshals,-and
placed it with the courts. 1t was argued that
judicial calmness was requisite in the appoint
ment of executive officers and that they must
be of different political parties. Now the ar
gument is that judicial officers,-the supervi-
ors,-shall be appointed practically by the
Senate, that is by majority of one or another
political complexion. In other words while
the executive deputy marshal must be judicial
ly appointed judicial supervisors must be polit-
ically appointed. If they should be appointed
by the Senate why should not receivers, regis
tiers in bankruptcy and all court officers be APP
pointed by the Senate. The effect of the bill
was that the Senate might appoint the chief OF
Tammany as chief supervisor in New York
city and then there could be no supervisors of
elections appointed in that district unless they
were agreeable to Tammany because the court
must appoint them, if at all, from those rec
commended by the chief supervisor The plain
ness of the design of the bill was something
admirable
About an hour was occupied in discussion
between Messrs. Cameron (Wisconsin), Hamp-
ton, Butler, Teller Mcdonald and Kirkwood
as to whether the honor of inventing and first
using tissue ballots in South Carolina belongs
tothe Republican or Democratic party and as
to the manner and effect of their use as shown
by the testimony before the Teller committee.
Mr.. Teller Rep.) made a speech upon the
evidence as to frauds in elections.
Mr.. Thurman said fortunately there was no
rule compelling Senators remarks to be ger
name to the pending bill. for not a sentence of
Mr.. Tellers remarks had been to the point.
He had not shown that the bill weakened the
laws in any respect, but he had started the
campaign of 1880 by Haunting the bloody shirt
and digging up his miserable old report on
southern outrages. This bill did not take
single power from the supervisors. 1t simply
limited the term of their office.
Mr.. Edmunds said the Senator from Ohio
forgets one point in the bill. 1t took the ap-
pointmentS from the courts and put them in
the hands of the Senate.
Mr.. Thurmrn-No, it does not, 1t puts
them in the hands of the man who holds his
office by the greatest frauds in American histo-
Mr.. Edmunds-Is that the reason you vote
for it?
Mr.. Thurman-No, sir. The honorable sem
ator knows very well it is not but that stops
him from obiecting toit
Mr.. Edmuuds-If the President appoint
these menlwithout the consent of my honora-
BILE friend and his political associates.
Mr.. Thurman-The bill answers that If
the President shall do his duty and send the
names in before we go we will consider them;
and does the Senator from Vermont say the
majority of this Senate will not do its duty?
Mr.. Edmunds- to your views but
not according to mine. But is there any con-
stitutional provision by which the President
can adjourn the Senate, and cannot it sit here
uutil next December after election if it
chooses, and thus prevent any appointment
during recess at all?
Mr.. Thurman said that was an absurd posi-
ton. The Senator from Vermont was hard
pushed for an argument against the bill.
Mr.. Edmunds-f he were Democrat ana
held their veiws on this subject he would not
go home till q cerlain hot place froze over
without accomplishing that object.
Mr.. Thurman said the Senator and his party
were more used to revolutionary methods than
the Democrats.
summer as it had right to do under the Con-
stitution, was not revolutionary.
Mr.. Thurman said it was ridiculous to charge
Democrats with not discussing this bill when
the minority had taken up all the time in cam
paign speeches, and had not discussed the bill
at all There was too much important bust
ness on the calendar for the Democrats to en-
gage in such discussion.
Mr.. Humans amendment was then agreed
to by strict party vote.
The bill was then read a third time and
paSsed-yers q, nays Ia party vote.
The committee reported an amendment to
the title, to make it read "Bill to define the
terms ofiotfice of chief supervisors of election,
instead of Certain officials of the United
States"
Mr.. Hoar moved to amend this amendment
to make the title read, bill to deprive the
chief supervisors of election of their powers
and to remove them from Office
Mr.. Beck moved to amend the amendment
~ ~ add, land TO- break up the iron cages of
John Davenport
An ah,,ndment in the third degree not be-
ing IN order, the latter was ruled out
Mr Hoar deraanded the yeas and NAYS on
MS ainendment, WSich was rejected, and the
committees amendnlent was agreed to by a
party vote.
At 7.3O the Senate went Into executive ses.
sion, and when the doors reopen.,d adjourned
HOUSE.
The Senate amendments to the bill ;.cnend-
ing the internal revenue law in regard to Gis-
titled spirits were concurred in.
A bill for the loan of tents, flags and camp
equipage for the soldiers reunion at Muscatine,
Iowa, was passed.
message from the President, urging action
ON the Ute agreement, was referred
The sundry civil bill was considered in COM
mittee of the whole.
Mr. Downey (Rep0 of WYOMING Territory