Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-06
FORTY'EIGHTH CONGRESS.
FIRST DAY OF THE SESSION.
A Quiet Day in the Senate-Fun
Over Contested Seats In the Houae
All the Members SwOrn-ImpOr-
tant Measures BrOeched-WaftiDg
for the Message.

WASHINGTON, December 5. - The first
regular session of the Forty-eighth Con-
gress began to-day, and both Houses were
called to order at noon. In the Senate,
after the usual Interchange of friendly
greeting by the members, the President pro
TEN. Senator Davis, Of Illiuois,) formally
convened the chamber, and after PRAYERS by
the Chaplain, presented the credentials OF
Senator elect William Window, of Mime
sofa, chosen to fill the vacancy caused by
his resignation of the term ending March 80,
1888, said vacancy having been temporarily
filed by the appointment OF ex Senator
lials Senator Window, accompanied bv
senator Hoar, appeared, and was duly quail
ned, and entered upon his duties,
resolutions for committees of notification
to the Hou of Representatives and the
frtsident, informing them of the organiza-
ton OF the Senate, were adopted. The an
nual reports OF the Acting Secretary of the
senate ana the Sergeant-at- Arms, the Chief
Clerk or the Court of Appeals aud the Pub.
lie Printer were presented by the Chair and
laid on the table.
The hour Of meeting daily was fixed at IL
O'Clock m.
Anumber OF bills and resolutions were pre-
sented and laid over, among which were one
by Mr.. Beck to provide for the retirement
OF trade dollars and reeoinsge into standard
dollars.
By Mr.. Logau-To place Gen. Grant on
the retired list OF the army.
BY Mr.. Sherman-TO provide for the issue
OF three per cent. bonds to the amount of
three hundred millions, the proceeds to be
half's.
By Mr.. Garland-To provide for a tariff
commission. This bill is a substitute for
the Eaton bill of 1880.
Also, by Mr.. Morrill-To investigate the
tariff question.
By Mr.. Grover-Restricting Chinese i'm
migration, it being mainly coDv Of the We
toed fifteen passenger bill of 1879.
By Mr.. Coke-Allotting lands In severaltY
to Indians on various reservations aud for
other purposes.
Mr.. Pendleton gave notice that he would
tomorrow introduce his civil service rC-
form bill.
A recess was taken from 1:15 to 2:30,
Upon reassembling, Mr.. Edmunds offered
resolution continuing the committees as
now constituted.
Mr. Pryor offered an amendment, re-
questing the President OF the Senate to de-
eide whether the committees should be di-
vided equally between the two political
parties or not.
Without a decision the Senate adjourned.
The message will not therefore go In to
day.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
Two hundred and twenty members
answered roll call. The absentees were
Morse, Scales and Deuster. The vote for
Speaker was: Keller 14S, Randall 1919, Ford
8. Necessary to a choice 143.
FulkersOn and Paul, Virginia Readjusters,
voted for Keifer.
Upon calling the States for swearing In
new members, Mr.. Jones, OF Texas, objected
to the swearing In of JosephWheeler.o OF Ala
bams, and, after some dispute, Mr.. Wheeler
stepped aside.
Mr.. Springer, Of Illinois. objected to Mr..
Cuts, Of Iowa; Mr.. Van VoorhIs, OF New
York, to Mr.. King, of Louisiana, and Mr..
King to Mr.. Van VoOrhis; Mr.. Springer,
also, to Mr.. Wadsworth, OF New York, and
Mr.. Calkins, Of Indiana, to Mr.. Dlbble, of
South Carolina.
Next Mr.. Moore, OF Tennessee. in a deli
cate fashion. objected to Mr.. Chalmers, Of
Mississippi.
Mr.. Bragg, Of Wisconsin, initiating the
words and tone OF Mr.. Moore, in turn
objected to Moore.
der were sworn in, snd Mr., Jones, OF Texas,
took the floor to state his obiec ions to Mr..
Wheeler, and offered resolution referring
the matter to the Committee on Elections
when appointed. Tabled on motion of Mr..
Randall, by an almost unanimous Oied OOce
vote.
The objections were then Withdrawn in
all cases except those Of Messrs. Chalmers
and Dibble, and all but those two were
sworn. Mr.. Chalmers was also sworn after
some further skirmishlng.
Mr. Cslkins then called up the case of
Mr.. Dlbble, of South Carolina, and offered
a resolution referring the matter to the
Committee on Elections when appointed.
BE gave a statement of the circumstances
under which Mr. Dibble was elected, and
contended that there was no vacancy, mas
much as 1t might be that MsckeY had origf-
nally been elected.
Mr.. Brown, of Indiana, took the opposite
ground, and argued that Mr.. DIbble had as
good prinlG .tdcie right to a seat as any
other member.
Mr.. Evans, Of South Carolina, moved to
lay Mr. Calkins' resolution on the table,
and it being sgreed to, Mr.. Dibble appeared
and qualified.
Mr.. Mcpherson was then elected Clerk,
the vote being Mcpherson 14S, Adams 129,
De LaMatyr 9. Messrs Hooker, Brownlow
and Sherwood were then elected Sergeant
at Arms, DooIkeeper and Postmaster on
one vote, aud all the officers were sworn in.
Messrs. Hiscock, Orth and Reagan were
appointed Q committee to wait upon the
President. Rev. Frederick ID. Power, of
Washington, was then elected Chaplain.
The House then adjourned.
Nothing now intervenes to delay the
Presidents message but the swearing In OF
the Territorial delegates, which will be done
10 few minutes.
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
The report of the Department of Justice
is given to the public. l. recommends the
abolition of fees to United States District
attorneys and their assistants and placing
them on salaries. THe estimates for the ex-
penses of the United States Courts for the
fiscal year 1888 are three million five thou
sand dollars. II recommends that one ses
sion each of the United States Court for the
District of Mississippi be transferred from
jackson to Vicksburg. 1t also recommends
an appropriation for the payment OF special
deputy marshals at last YEARS. elections.