Daily Republican., 1881-10-11
CONGR ESS.
Thomas +. Bay arc Elected Presl
dent pro. tenn of the senate.

AhO'An" NM 0E~ AAcSaou HSe"A
dent pro. tenn of the senate.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10.-The assemb
ling of the special session Of the Senate
was witnessed by large number OF
persons, who as early as II O'Clock filled
the galleries.
The Senate was called to order by Mr.
Harris, of Tennessee, who, after prayer
by Cha plain Bullock, alluded in q
feeling manner, to the death Of Presi
dent Garfield, Senator Burnside, and
Secretary Burcl, said:
"The Senate will please come to order
and the clerk will report to the Senate
the message Of the President ronvenipe
this session OF the Senate
The Presidents proclamation having
been read Mr.. penoleton moved the
adoption Of the following resolution
That Thomas + Rayard, a Senator
from the stare Of Delaware, is hereby
chosen president pro t.m Of the Senate.
| Mr.. Edmund, said that, Of course, h.
did not object to the present cousidera
tion of the reso lion, but he thought
| that under existing circumstances il
was his duty TO present the credentials
of the senator's eject, which he there.
upon did.
The credentials having been read, Mr..
Edmunds moved that the oath of Office
be administered TO those gentlemen by
Senator Anthony, the senior senator.
Mr.. Penile,ou moved to lay the II 0.
ton on the table. Carriei; yeas 3G
nays "a.
Mr.. Davis Ill) voted with the re.
pubicans in the negative. Malone did
not vote and P!att and Fair were pair.
ed Mr.. Edmunds said that Do reason
had been given why the senators elec,
should not br allowed 10 take part in
I he organization Of the Senate, aud he,
therefore moved 10 amend Mr.. P.ulle-
ton = resolution by providing for the
immediate qualification of h. senators
elect, the oath Of ctfice to be adiuinis-
tered by Senator Anthony.
No reason, he continued, had been
given tor the attempt 10 eXC.ude two
5 ates from any vLlce in the orsanlAit
ii n Of the Sena:e. So he would take
the liberty 10 state The rras,n h'us-
self
The Senate had met undcr pxtraor,li-
nary circumstances. ocrasioned by
events the consequences oi which IN ght
have put it within the legal t'cnnirai..
lies Ot u bare majority q! til" States,
cnn !itiunaNy TO plovidn for the pre~l-
denti.l succession, aud 10 provide for it
when, il their sister S'ate- were con.
suited, different provision might h"
made. To provide Tor 1t now, Was to
exclude the chosen representatives. OF
tw 0 States who stood here ready to dc
their duty. 1t had been stated by the
newspapers that the law of Congress
required that the OATH Of office to sena'
to's s elect should be administered by
the president Of the Senate. He CON
tended, however, that when n nst exi-
gency arose this body WAS entitled to re.
ctlve members for The first question a,
well as the last one without taking al
oath at all. Why should not the oath
b- administered tn the sanators-elect
Did the statutes forbid ito He denlel it.
Was it contrary to prectdenl' He de.
MED it. He believed that If there WAS
not some question ulttr'or ~ this mere
one of electing prrSidins officer there
vas not a single tnator who would
vo'ed "No,' upon his proposition
Mr.. Garland drcIiued 10 make any
reply to tn. intima'ion that the jIemc.
cratic Senators had some ult"rior object
in view. They believed that they
were acting lawfully, and had no apol'
ogy to mako To The Senator from Yer.
me mt or any other person Or body ol
persons. If they made a mistake Ii
VAS mistake which they would re
gret What was the Senate here for to
day? What was the purpose OF callint
this body together" The only object, 81
far as the country knew, was 10 place
some ono between this Government anc
possible ana chy, in case of the deatl
or taking away by any means OF The
present President IF the United States
HeGCe it was a high duty and a great
duty whicn preceded all others in i'm
portance to elect at once a president
pro TEN.
1t ranked the question Of swearing in
Senator; it ranked all other qurs.
tions The Democratic side proposed de-
Gently, and in order, and according IL
law, to nil a possible gap at the earli
est possible moment. OF course he did
not deny that by unanimous consent,
the law of 1876, to which the Senator
from Vermont had referred, could bt
set aside, but he asserted that the Dem.
ocra,lc side preferred to stand upon the
statute in performing their important
duty.
MIR. Edmunds contended 1t was COM
petent tor the Senate to do to-day,
what it had doue in 1853, when the
oaths of office were administered by q
senator, not the presiding officer. To be
sure, then the prize (if that vscan,
cy could be called a prize which was
won in the lottery of assasSinat.or) was
not the conditional power in a contIn.
gency TO administer the office Of preSi-
dent of the United States. ltwas mere
ly brize of honorable mention. The
senator from Arkausa AGarlAn ~ hai
admitted thai it was competent tor TIE
Senate to admit the senators-elecL be-
fore the election Of a presiding officer.
Rnt She Sena or bad also stated that tlt
Democrats wOdld not permit that course
to be followed; because il the senators
were now sworn in 4 aquestion of great
importance might te decided differ.
entity from what it might be If they
were excluded.
TIE amendment offered by Mr.. Ed
munds to NJ. Pendleton's resolution
gave rise to short discussion, but was
finally rejected; yeas, 50; nays, "a !;
Malone and Davis, Of Illinois, voting
with the Republicans.
Mr.. Edmunds then proposed an
providing that Thomas f.
Bayaru shall be elected presiding Off.
Ger for this day only, and argued in
support of his amAndme. contending
that it would comply with both the
letter and sn,rit ofthe law, and would
low the States of New York and
Rhode Island to have voice in the
election ofa permanent president pro.
TEN.
A yea aud nay vote on Mr.. Elmunds'
resulted in its defeat ny a
vote of 80 10 "a
Mr.. E,imunis then offered another
substituting the name OF
Senator Anthony for that of Senator
Baynrd az president pro-te'npore