National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-10-04
Population Of liz National Capital. 10000.
Preccdcnts Concerning the organiza-
ton of the Senate.

after the election OF lTcsldent pro tCmpOfc |
They claim that the statute forbids the |
admission of new Senators except upon
the oath being first administered by the
President of the body. This could be
obviatcd by simple rule of the Senate,
pending the adoption of which and the
admission Of Senators under it the Chief
Clerk could preside, as he has done be-
fore. But, if this view is not taken, upon
what possible pretext could the tenn
porary majority exclude the new
Senators after the President pro tempore
is chosen? Not because n Sec
retary is indispensable. On the 9th
of April, 1889, John Langdon was chosen
President of the Senate for the sole pur-
pose of counting the presidential vote
But no Secretary was chosen. The same
gentleman was then regularly chosen
President pro tcmpOrC, but still no Secretary
was chosen to certify the fact. These
proceedings of the Senate were dHhen-
ticated by the presiding o6icer, and sent to
the House of Representatives Jy hc hands
Of Mr.. ERsworh, a member Of The Senate, UNI
der an order of that body. And here we
pause to call attention to the fact that
next Monday will be the @cof,d occa-
sion in the history OF the Govern
mcnt when the Senate meets with
out presiding officer or Secretary.
The first occasion was at the first meet
ing of the Senate above referred to. The
first President and Nice-Presldent had
been chosen, but the electoral votes had
not been counted. A President of the
Senate was then absolutely necessary
under the Constitution for the opening
and counting of those votes, just as one is
now necessary, if statute is binding upon
the Senate in the matter of its organiza-
ton, for the swearing in Of Senators. Let
us see what the founders did. They
chose n President of the Senate I" for the
sole purpose of opening and counting the
vote for President and Nice-P President of
She United States"
This established precedent for choos-
Ing President Of the Senate from the
body for the performance of a single re-
qtircme,t Of lar, and for that sole pur-
pose." When that duty had been done
the person so chosen was .fttnctuS o6icio.
II was John Langdon, of New Hamp-
shire, who was so chosen, and when the
joint meeting of the two Houses for
counting the electoral votes had dis
solved the Senate journal says:
"The Senate then proceeded by ballot
to the choice of President of
their body pro tcmpore. John
Langdon, esq, was duly elected"
1t is an interesting fact to be remem-
bered in the present situation, that Sen
tor Langdon was chosen President of the
and fiat e HS" &as ele cled ragRidh id thtt gEe
day as President pro tempore, not because
John Adams had become Vice-President
and er-obicio President Of the Senate, for
he was not notified until some days after
ward, and did not take his seat for fifteen
days from that date, but because the SEN
ate saw fit TO choose President of the
body to do an acSrequired to be done by
him, and that act being done, it saw fit to
invest him, by new vote on the same day,
with the Office of President pro tempore.
If the Democrats Of the Senate really
desire to avoid denying to New York and
Rhode Island their equal suffrage in
the Senate" and if they are convinced
that the statute which requires the oath
to new Senators to be administered by
the President of the Senate cannot be SUI
perseded by a rule Of the Senate, how
easy it would be for them to obey the law
and at the same time avoid any curtail-
ment Of the rights Of those States by sim
ply following the precedent of 1889.
This would be done by the adoption OF
such resolution rs this:
Resolved, That be, and is hereby,
chosen President Of the Senate for He sole purpose
Of administering the oath Of Office to the Senator's
elect from the States Of New York and Rhode
Island.
The new Senators would then be sworn
in, and the first business in order would
then be, as in 1880, the choice of Presi-
dent pro tempore. The tie in the Senate
would then render certain an amicable
understanding as to the organization.
This tie would exist in any event as
soon as the new Senators were sworn in,
and if it had meanwhile been forestalled
with reference to q presiding officer it
could not be with reference to any other
questions. The first Senate, as already
shown, recorded its own proceedings, au-
thenticated them, and communicated
them to the lower House and to the Presi-
lent and Vice-President-elect without
the aid of a Secretary. No Secretary was
chosen until the Sth of April, 1889.
A reference to the accurate compilation
known as "Hickey's Constitution" will
show that on later occasions the Senate
authorized its chief clerk to act as Secre-
tary until such an officer should be
chosen.
The seventh standing rule of the SEN
ate is as follows:
The presentation Of The credentials Of The Senator'S.
Rect and other questions OF privilege shall always
be In order, except during the reading and correc
lion of the journal while question of order or a
motion to adjourn Is pending, or while the Senate
dividing; and all questions and motions arising or
made upon NE presentation Of such credentials shall be
proceeded with uRW disposed ofJy he Senate.
There can be no higher question of
privilege than the right of y member to
his seat.
The New York State Convention.
The New York Tribune and Times pre-
tend TO think that the. enemies of Presi-
dent Arthur have already chosen a ma,
jority Of the delegates to the State con-
vention, which meets tomorrow. This
is brazcn falsehood and gigantic bluff
The threats Of Ellis Roberts, Dittenhoefer