The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-04-20
XLVIIth CONGRESS.
Senate-Exec utive Session.

WASHINGTON, April 10.
The Vice President laid the resolution for
the election of Senate officers before the
Senate.
The usual motion for an executive session
was lost yeas IS, nays 81.
Mr.. MCPHERSON presented a petition of the
Paterson Parnell Land League, relative to tho
case of Michael Boyton, which was referred to
the committee on foreign relations
Mr.. Harris presented similar petition,
which was referred to the same committee.
MIR. Blair offered the following:
Resolved, That in the Judgment of the
senate, the public interests require that Con.
gress be convened in public session immedi-
ately. -o"'
Mr.. Harris-Let that 90 over.
Mr. Bair-T offer it merely to be- read for
information at this time.
he sent to the clerks desk and had read n
circular OF the Treasury Department. relative
10 70 a. late decision of the Supreme Court in one
o W Iaie cases brought against G. A Arthur,
coiiector OF New York, as to the tariff upon
i knit goods, and said that he had received a
letter TINS morning from the largest firm en-
gagged IN the manufacture of hosiery in
Mr.. McPherson-Does the Senator wish to
read mat letter to show why there should be
an extra session?
r Mr.. Blair-Yes
Mr.. McPherson-Then my New England
friend has become aware of the fact that a
AOtioiOH VI tll0 tdFllI Is ueeUou!
Mr.. Blair-Yes.
Mr. McPherson-To the monopoly features
of it?
Mr.. Blair-Where they exist, yes
Mr; Blair then proceeded to read the letter.
which asserted that the decision of the
supreme Court meant ruin to the hosiery and
knit goods industry of New England, and
suggesting an extra session of Congress as
relief: He (Blair) had originally thought that
session OF Congress was needed by the in
terests OF the country. He had not believed
and did not believe that any legitimate public
industry was likely to be disturbed by the fact
that Congress was in session. He was sure
the commercial and industrial interests of the
country would not feel alarmed if there was a
session OF Congress to consider public measures,
especially when legislation will be controlled
by Republican majority so that general
principles and irrespective of the peculiar cir
cumstanceS in which the Senate finds ITSELF
and OF this decision of the Supreme Court
with regard to this special industry, he thought
that there ought to be special session. The
business affairs of the country were growing
larger every year, and he thought that con-
tinuous sessions of Congress would be no more
than adequate to the consideration of public
questions. He called the attention Of the
chairman OF the committee on foreign relations
to the fact that De Lesseps was digging his
canal to-day, and it was becoming a vested
right. There would be no remedy for this if
immediate action were not taken unless it be
by war. There were other considerations
which made it almost imperative that there
should be an extra session, and that as soon as
| the House could be called together The
Senate was booked until December. The
Senators on the other side had taken their
position, and it would be cowardly for them
to retreat from it. The Republican Senators
| had taken their position, and it would be
| cowardly for them to retreat. He offered this
resolution without any consultation with his
colleagues. Let the deadlock be broken In the
way in which the Democrats would consent to
| have it broken.
Mr. .Logan made speech in refutation OF
the charges made and which helcharacterizes
as ISLANDERS that he at any time sympathized
with secession. He read in support of his
denial of the charges, letter which he had
| received from Sen ators Lamar and Pugh who
served with him in Congress at the outbreak
of the war bearing testimony to his (Logan's)
| loyalty to the Union at that time. He also
| quoted from speeches made by him to show his
| opposition to secession and challenged any
body to show any speech in which he had un-
held the rebellion. He denied explicitly the
| various charges that he had raised company
| to join the rebels and read letters to prove
| those were absolutely false.
! Debate continued until p. M when the
| Senate adjourned.