Daily Republican., 1881-10-14
usrrEDsrATss saNATE.
Tho q uostion of the Standing Com
ESistees.

Esistees.
! WASHINGTON, Oct. l3.-Mr. Lam;
offered resolution requesting the Pre-
ident to advise the s6enate whether an
action has been taken by the govern
ment since the last ses sion OF the Senat
toward protecting the lights and intel
ests of the United State in the projel
Of an interCceanic can al at Panama
Laid on the table for futu re action.
Mr.. Etmunds called ul1 bis resolu
ton continuing the standln ng commit
tees Of the Senate as they were consti
tuted at the last session.
Mr.. Garland offered an al uendmen
providing that only the folio" 1ng com
mittees shall be continued:
Foreign Relations, Finance Com
meree, Military Affairs. Ju,ac ary
Post Offices and Roads, Public lands
Pensions, and Indian Affairs.
He contspded that the com myttees
named were the only ones which Wculd
have any " ork to do during the spscial
session.
Mr.. E'lmnnds opposed the aLuead-
ment. There were committees tat
were not provided tor which, ia his
opinion, would be necessary in order to
perform the work OF the session. fsn
lnstanced the Committee Oh Privileges
and Elections a. one which should be
organized. There " as on the t, ole now
a petition reported by the Senator from
New Jersey McPhersou), said to Sc
riously affect the right of Senator
from New York to take seat in this
body. That ought to be inquired into.
There was the Committee on Railroads
which might have work to do. 1t was
known from public report thai there
had been an important officer suspend
Ell for some supposed failure to perform
his duty, and by law it was required
that such suspension should be made
known to the Senate The Committee
on Contingent Expenses was also a no
cessary one. Mr.. Garland stated that
he would modify his amendment so as
to continue the Committee on E.rivi-
eges and Elections and Contingent E1-
penses. He thought that he would in
clude all the committees which it was
necessary to organize at this time.
Mr.. Garland's amendment WAS re-
jectel-yeas35, nays 31--Davls Of Hi
nois and Malone voting with the Re-
publicans.
Mr.. Elmunds' resolution was then
adopted-yeas, 81; nays, 81.
The Standing committees ar there
fore continued az constituted at the last
session, and the President pro te u. is
authorized to fill any vaca ncies which
may exist.
DAVID DAVIS FOR KEESI SIDENT PRO TEN.
As soon as the result was announced,
Mr. Logan rose and offered d resolution
for.the election of David Davis, u Seua.
tor from Illinois, as President pro TEN
of the Senate.
Mr.. Pendleton asked that the Tesol9-
ton lie over one day, under the rules,
and it was so ordered.
The Senate then, at r. 40, went into
Executive Session.
WASIISGTON, D"t. l2---Wheu the
doors were reopened at o'clock, the
Chair was occupied by Mr. Harris Of
Tennessee, who called the Senate to
order.
Mr.. Pendleton then rose and said:
When the Senator from Illinois Lo-
GAM offered his resolution for the elec.
tion OF Il President pro tenn, inasmuCh
as it was offered without previous
notice objected TO its ilnmeLiata con-
sideratiun. S,nce then, upon consul
tation with Senators on this side Of the
chamber, have concluded to withdraw
my objection.
The presiding officer, Mr.. Harris,
stated that there being no further Oh
jections, the resolution was before the
Senate.
Mr.. Joues of Florida said that before
the resolution WAS -ubmiJted 10 avOte
he wished to relteratc q protest which
he had once made here on this subject,
by denying the power of the Senate to
do this thing. 1t was said that this
question was no longer open, that - pre-
cedent had been established in the
Forty-fourth Congress, by which the
right of the Senate to choose at will the
presiding officer, had been affirmed.
He hoped that that action of the Sem
ate would not be regaded as q prece-
dent. Congress by the act of 1892
had declared that the presiding officer
of the Senate should succeed III certain
contingencies to the office Of President
Of the United States. He COntended
that the President pro TEN. having once
been elected, the Constitution fixed the
tenure of his office.
A more unwise precedent had never
been established by the Senate than
that which declared that that body
should have the power in case anything
unfortunate happened to the present
incumbent of the Presidential office, to
enter into contest for the Presidency
of the United States.
The vote was taken on Logan's reso-
luton, and it was adopted, yeas, 36;
nays, 81.
Mr.. Davis of Illinois refrained from
voting and Mr.. Bayari, when his name
was called, said 81 propose to with
hold my vote; have never attained Of
flee by my vote, and | never shall re-
tain it by my vote; am glad the ques-
ton is taken up to- day
MIR. Davis of Illinois was then es-
corted to the chair by Messrs. Bayard
and Anthony, the respective Demo-
cratic and Republican candidates for
the same office.
On taking the chair Mr.. Davis said :
"Senators, the honor just conferred
comes, as the seat W which now occupy
in this body, without auy expectation
on my part, If it carried any party
obligations should be constrained to
decline this high coml. .liment. do not
attribute it to any personal merit, but
rather as - recognition OF the independ-
ent position which l have long occu-
pied in the politics Of the country. l
am proudly grateful for this lark of
and it shall be my endesv-
or as it shall be my duty to administer
the trust with impartiality and entire
fairnesa Nnt having been trained in