The Portland daily press., 1881-02-03
XLVITH CONGRESS-2d Session
SENATE.


After reading of the message of the Pres-
dent on the Poncas Mr.. Hoar referring to the
concluding sentence in which the President
expresses desire that full reparation for the
wrong done to the tribe shall be made during
his term OF office commended it as a most
On motion of Mr.. Kirkwood the message
and papers were referred to the special Ponca
committee.
A communication was received for the
Secretary of the Interior in response to two
Senate resolutions transmitting the Ute COM
mission report and CORES pondence with the
Governor of Colorado concerning the Utes.
Ordered printed.
Several reports from committees were
placed on the calendar
Bill appropriating 81 900 600 for the search
OF the steamer Jeannette was reported
The Senate took up Morgan's electoral
count resolutions and at his suggestion they
were amended so as to make them concurrent
and to provide for two tellers instead of one
on the part of the Senate Morgan in ad-
vocating the adoption of the resolution as
plan by which peaceful and regular count
would be secured remarked that they followed
the precedents in former similar instances and
were in accord with precedents running back
to 1887.
Mr.. Edmunds of Vermont said as the plan
proposed avoided any disposition or decision
upon disputed questions he desired upon such
an understanding to have the ceremony pro-
assembling of the two Houses in the Senate
chamber instead of the hall of the House.
He referred to the constitutional direction
that the president of the Senate shall open the
electoral votes. There was but one place
where the president of the Senate was SUM-
posed to be and that was the Senate chamber,
therefore, it followed that the House should
come to the Senate, rather than that the Sem
ate should go to the House. As the President
of the Senate was the custodian of the electo-
rprfItinatQg al hat +I<C
Chamber was the proper place for their depos-
it. The time might come again, as it had
come before, when the carrying of these arch
ives distance of an eighth of a mile to the
nall OF the House through great crowd OF
men, whom the Senators did not know, and in
time of great excitement, would be an act
imperiling their safety.
MIR. Thurman opposed the amendment. For
more than seventy years the electoral vote had
been counted in the House, and no Senator in
going to or returning from the hall, had ever
been molested. He was especially opposed, at
this time, when but seven days remained be-
fore the Senate would be called to attend the
count, to introducing subject about which
the two houses might disagree.
During the debate Mr.. Blaine, in addressing
the Senate. said:-The Senator from Alabama
(Morgan) had spoken in rather reproachful
terms of the fact that he (Blaine) had not
brought in measure on this subject, and he
would now give notice that if an extra session
of Congress was held he would move for
committee to sit during the recess to consider
and to report by the first Monday of next De-
cember remedy for this evil. He would also
suggest that the committee should be composed
OF two Republicans, two Democrats and the
Senator from Illinois Davis for chairman. 1t
would thus be organized, to say the least, as
fairly as was the electoral commission. Mr.
Blaine went on to enumerate the changes in
the law which he thought such commission
ought to recommend. He would so modify the
present system rpOuira the of
idential candidates instead of those of electors
to be printed upon the ballots and establish the
district system.
After further debate Mr.. Edmunds' amend
ment was rejected by party vote.
Mr.. Eaton moved to amend that part of the
resolution requiring the tellers of the two
houses to make a list of votes "as they shall be
declared" and substituting in lieu thereof the
words ''as the certificate shall be opened by
the President of the Senate. This, after con-
siderable discussion, was rejected.
The resolutions reported by Mr.. Morgan as
substitute for the original resolution was then
adopted.
HOUSE.
A joint resolution was passed appropriating
$4,000 to aid in the erection of monument to
commemorate the Revolutionary battle of
Bennington.
resolution was adopted asking the Secre-
tary OF the Interior for all papers filed during
the last 1S months containing complaints and
charges against Indian agents or others in the
Indian service, and what steps have been tax
en- to prosecute them.
The Speaker laid message from the Presi-
dent before the House, transmitting the re-
port OF the commission appointed to ascertain
the facts relative to the removal of the Poncas
to Indian territory. After qnoting from the
reports of the Secretary of the Interior, agent
e. A. Howard and the Senate committee on
the subject, the President says:
The report of the commission appointed by
me, and the evidence they have reported show
conclusively that the Poncas now residing in
that territory, 521 in number, are satisfied with
their new home; that they are healthy, com
Portable and contented. The evidence roport-
ed also shows that fragment of the Poncas,
100 in number, is still in Dakota and Nebras-
ka, and prefer to remain on their old reserva-
ton.
The following is the closing paragraph of the
message:
AS the chief executive at the time when the
wrong was consummated, | am deeply sensible
that enough OF responsibility for that wrongly
attaches to me to make it my personal duty
and earnest desire to do all can to give to
these Indian people that measure of redress
which is required alike by justice and by hu-
manity.
The District of Columbia appropriation bill
was passed with an amendment giving the
United States Treasurer certain discretionary
po ers in connection Herewith.
The legislative, executive and judicial an
preparation Dill was reported. 1t recommends
an appropriation of $17 ,181 900.
Mr. Reagan demanded the regular order of
further consideration of the Interstate com
merce bill
Mr. Cox asserted his right to call up an ap-
preparation bill as privileged question, and
Mr.. Sparks moved to proceed to the business
on the calendar for the purpose of calling up
the FitZ John Porter case.
The House refused to consider the inter-
State commerce bill.
The Speaker laid before the House a mes
sage from the President, transmitting for con
sideration and appropriate action by Congress,
letter from the Secretary of tn Navy recon-
mending an appropriation of 100000 for the
establishment of a naval station ON the Amer
lean Isthmus Referred to the committee ON
appropriations.
The House then proceeded to the considera-
tion of the apportonment bill.
Adjourned with final action