The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-04-02
XLvIth CoNGREss-Ist Session.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, April L.
The report on the subject of assessments for
political purposes was ordered printed.
A bill to establish semi-monthly steamship
service between the states of the Mississippi
valley and Brazil went over.
Bill for relief of Defrees, the public printer,
was placed on the calendar.
Resolution appointing special committee
to examine into the condition of the manage
ment and discipline and financial condition OF
the Soldiers Home in the District of Columbia
went over on objections.
Bill appropriating $4,000 for preparation OF
an Iowa circle in Washington for the base for
statue of Admiral Dupont, was passed.
Senate resumed immediate deficiency bill,
question being ON final passage.
Mr.. Edmunds made speech against the
cleanse providing fer the pay OF special deputy
marshals and for their appointment by the
United StatesCircuit Courtlwhen inHsession and
District Courts when the Circuit Court is not
in session, with provision also that one be APP
pointed from each political party. After re-
viewing the action of Congress at the extra
session in the matter of appropriations for pay
of marshals, he said
After Congress has been in session four
months we at last reach what is called the de-
fcency bill to pay these marshals the sums
they have advanced to carry on the govern
ment, and the condition on which we are only
now willing to pay this past due debt, which
to the shame of the United States has existed
so long, is that we must have further attempt
at paralysis or emasculation of the election
laws.
In relation to appointment of marshals by
| the courts he said:
Marshals were executive officers and were
properly appointed by the Executive depart
ment. To have them appointed by the judi
clal department was to violate the principles
of independence between the separate depart
ments of the government. He was opposed to
arraying political parties before court and
compelling courts to devote their time to
choosing partisans to carry out the laws. This
measure was palpably mere temporary party
expedent. The deputies now appointed are
responsible to the marshal and he controls
them. These officers proposed to be appointed
by courts would not be deputy marshals and
would not be controlled by the marshal. This
was another skilf1l attempt to weaken the
laws. These partisan officers would be indie
pendent of any executive control. Nobody
but the courts could remove them, consequent
ly if the court adjourned before election was
over they would remain in office until the
| court convened again. He saw in the provis-
| ion allowing District Courts to appoint when
| Circuit Courts are not in session, another de-
| sign to make the provisions of the present
laws dead letter, and the provision requiring
deputies to be members of different political
parties he charactized as absurd and said that
this system where there was disposition to do
wrong was calculated to turn over the ballot
box to the absolute authority of mob. ballot
box suffers or governor and council Oft state
perhaps This whole measure is only one link
in the chain of propositions intended to reverse
everything that now exists for the security and
protection of the people under the
Constitution.
Mr.. Eaton then said !: The re-
marks of the honorable Senator of
Vermont are probably, to use favorite ex-
preston of his, made with the "design" to
affront another department of this government
Time will show the effect of the argument
that he has been made to-day. The Demo-
cratic party which has been assailed by the
Senator irony Vermont is the party of the consti-
tuition. 1t always stands by the constitution
and laws made in pursuance of the constitu-
ton and when we find laws on the statute
books that in our judgment are Objectionable
and which conflict with the constitution we
with the bill because it says Especial deputies
shall be appointed in equal numbers from diff
ferent political parties, and that they shall be
OF good moral character" The honorable
Senator OF Vermont finds fault with the bill
in that regard, and 1 don't wonder at it.
Under the laws heretofore there have been ap-
pointed as special deputies and supervisors,
keepers of houses of prostitution and convicts
just escaped from the state prisons, and I beg
to say that the Democratic members of the
Senate intend to put an end to that class.
The bill then passed by party vote.
The Geneva award bill was then taken up
thus restoring it to the condition of unfinished
business 1t was then laid aside and the
dSrtom6uG Will bu0 OL0 luuldUS was taken
up.
Before action was taken however the Senate
went into executive session, and when the
doors were reopened adjourned.
HOUSE.
bill to complete the Pacific railway sys-
tenn was ordered printed and recommitted.
A resolution for printing $4,000 copies of the
committee report on the Chinese immigration
was agreed to, not however without some OBJ
jections
Morning hour was dispensed with.
House passed Senate bill amending census
act with committee amendments which elimi-
nate from the Senate bill the following Sec
tons:
Section two, which strikes out of the census
act so much as provides'for inquiries as to nat
uralization of foreign born persons.
Section seven, which requires each supervis-
or to forward one set of returns to the COM
sioner's office at Washington and to file the
other in the Office of the Secretary of State of
his State.
Section eight, which appropriates $35O,OOO
to pay enumerators for extra services.
House went into committee of the whole on
Star service deficiency bill but adjourned
without action.