The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-04-21
NEWS BY TELEGRAPH.

Vice-President laid befo. : Inc SEN
ate the unfinished busin -. b. -
the resolution for the CON Of
Senate officers.
Harris referred to an :: ie r.
Gently quoted by the VI IN; ~
correspondent of the Int IL u
Reeietc, to the effect that e. la e.
Tennessee had repudia..l Sc a
millions of her debt, and assert Il
that there was no truth in the asscr-
ton. Tennessee at no time repudi-
ated one single penny of her debt.
1t had been stated that Porter, of the
Census Bureau, was the author Of
the statement. Porter had indeed
been the author of the statement.
but had, in a communication to him
(Harris), denied that it was an olli-
cial statement of the debt of Ten
nessee. He corrected various mis-
statements in the article referred to
above.
A motion 10 go into executive
session, made by Harris, was lost
yeas 20, nays 81.
By unanimous consent Johnston
was permitted to offer resolution,
which was adopted, calling on the
Attorney-GeneraL for certain papers
in relation to the report of G. c.
Lancaster, special agent of the Treas
ury Department touching the wes-
tern judicial district of Virginia.
Some time wasconsumed in roll call
Dawes. said that he was con-
sclous that the public business
had been much INSTRUCTED by
the pending of the resolution which
he had, offered but attributed
the o obstruction to the action Of the
Democrats in resorting to every
motion known to parliamentary law
to defeat that resolution. This was
a struggle, whether it was the Sen
ate or the minority Of the Senate
which was 10 control the public
| business. He did not care IA cop
per whether one officer or another
was in office, but he desired to have
it settled before the country whether
this was government OF majority
| or not.
Dawes remarked that he was here
TO make a last appeal to the judg-
ment and patriotism of the other
side not to overthrow the funda-
mental principle of the government
ia fighting over matter of minor
importance-the selection of a cou-
pie of officers,
Salisbury expressed regret that
this should be the last appeal. lie
always enjoyed il, for it was ANUS
ing to listen TO the solempity with
Il snI
sets presented his views, as if
everybody did not know that at The
beginning of the present Senate the
Republicans had resorted to dilato-
ry motions in order TO proven a
clear majority from organizing the
Senate. Was it not singular that
Senators, in view of that fact, should
attempt to lecture Democrats? He
quoted from the newspaper report
of a Republican caucus, held last
session, where methods were con-
sidered as to how the will of the
majority could be defeated and
where the timidity ofthe Democrats
was alluded to, if there had ever
been any timidity, thai timidity was
now gone. The Democrats had
!! learned that it was their duty to
the country, as we'll as to their party,
to resist with a determined pur-
pose the methods so wrong, and one
as they believed this to be.
Beck argued against the right of
the majority to elect Senate officers
at an extra session, apd in answer to
the question by Morrill,, declared
that in December next, they would
be willing to consider the resolution,
bnt in his Judgment, Riddlebarger
would not in December, be sergeant
alarms. The Virginia election
would then be over, apd if the Re-
publicans did not tender, somebody
else would tender for SER
geant-at-arms some one who
was q conservative Republican,
who had fought through, who was
in the federal service and who would
be here with his wound on him, and
then the Republicans could choose
between the Confederate repudiator,
Riddlebarger. and the man who
would be rendered to them. He
thought like the Republican senator,
that it might as well be understood,
that in December next the Repub-
licans would not put Riddlebarger
in, and any promises which he might
make in Virginia would prove falla-
cious.
Brown denied that the Democrats
by their action had violated any rule
Of the Constitution or Gs the gov
crnment aad repealed the charge
that thcy were obstructipg legisla-
ton by unconstitutional use of their
power, and they were acting an
strict conformity to the constltu-
tional law, and they promiscd to
continue TO act thus as long as they
thought the public interest required
il.
Blair commended that the minority
should yield its position, though
they were not opposed to II pro-
longation Of this debate. He did
rot want this deadlock to close till
December. So far as he was con-
cerned. every nomination might rest
where it was till the will of the ma
jority of this body had been ell
acted. t<
Brown, in replying to Blair, said
that the people believed there had
been ~ fraudulent bargain, which
statement was denied by Burnside.
Drown.-Do you believe any Re-
publican paper hascondemDcd your
course? @
Burnside-A good many, but they
are changing very fast. L received
a pile Of letters this morning telling
me to stick.
Brown--I get letters all the time
saying stand never yield. laugh
ter) | get them from the north,
east, west and south.
Logan inquired whether if il were
wrong now to elect Riddlebarger, it
wouid not be equally wrong in De-
cember2 What would change the
state of affairs by. next December if
the same men were before the SEN
ate?
Brown replied that the wrong
was now of the character that il
could be very properly resisted in
December. There might be some
thing of such Importance before the
Senate that the Democrats would
feel compelled to allow the Repub-
licans to pass the resolution and take
the responsibility. There might be
usages at the regular session, which
would make it proper for them
to withdraw their opposition
There were reasons that it did not ex
cite now, besides, they had no idea |
that they would be troubled with
Riddlebarger in December.
Hampton said that he had been
informed that while the Republican