The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-05-18
SENATE Special Session.
WASHINGTON, May

ALUMINIUM, May II.
Mr.. Davis of West Virginia, after tho read
ing of the journal, inquired ironically of Mr..
Dawes whether he was not now ready 10 pro-
coed with the consideration of the resolution
for the election of Senate officers
Mr.. Dawes replied that whenever the
majority of the Senate should decide on that
resolution he would not be found resisting the
will of til Senate. If the Senator from West
Virginia had become, from an accidental oc-
currence on the Republican side, ready to sub
NIT to the will of the majority because he be-
lieved that there was majority on his side,
he Dawes had not word to say but was
willing to bow to the will of the majority, for
him or against him.
Mr.. Davis said he was glad that the Senator
from Massachusetts, was willing to proceed
with the pending business which he had been
SO anxious to go on with during the past
month.
Mr.. Dawes regretted that the Senator was
ambitious to expose the ground on which he
stood. One would suppose that when United
States Senator took position so radically in
consistent with the fundamental principles of
the government, that the majority should not
rule unless the majority would do as he want
ed. he would not be ambitious to uncover him
self to the American people. He (Dawes)
would remind the Senator that the scriptures
spoke in not commendatle terms of men who
made themselves bare to the gaze of an in
dgnant public, exposing themselves and their
shame. The Senator had had no higher
ground for his opposition to tho resolution than
that he was conscious that the result up to
yesterday would be against him, and now he
woke up to alarming and new zeal for the
passage of the resolution simply because an ac-
cidental majority had yesterday morning been
turned upon him. So far as he Dawes was
concerned, no motion which the Senator
might make in regard to the resolution would
meet with any opposition beyond the force of
his vote.
Mr.. Davis regretted that the Senator should
have referred to scripture to support him. 1t
did not come from the right direction He
would like to know how long this accidental
majority" was going to continue. The Demo-
Gratis had had this accidental majority" three
or four times. He had asked more in pleasantly
than otherwise. whether the Senator from
Massachusetts, desired to proceed to the con-
sideration of his resolution. He Davis had
no wish to force it:
Mr.. Dawes moved to go into executive ses-
sion and declined to yield to Mr. Burnside to
call up his inter-oceanic canal resolution.
Mr.. Burnside thereupon said he would to-
morrow call it up and ask the Senate to dis
pose of it one way or another.
When the doors were re-opened at 4.05 Mr..
Saunders submitted a preamble and resolu-
tons which were ordered printed providing
for an investigation by the Judiciary commit
tee into relations of the Central Pacific rail-
road to its leased lines aud other corporations
and into other matters mentioned in a recent
letter OF the auditor of railroad accounts in
which that official says:
While the amount of per cent earnings of the
Union Pacific Railroad has steadily increased since
1874, that of the Central Pacific has nearly as
steadily decreased.
Mr.. Bayard offered the following which was
laid On the table for future action:
ReSolred, That committee consisting of two
senators be appointed by the chair to wait upon the
President and inquire if he has any other business
lay before the Senate.
The Senate then adjourned until Tomorrow,