Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-05-14
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.

MAY 2.--Mr. Farley called attention to
the large number of nominations awaiting
action, and moved an executive session. He
said petitions were daily coming from Califor.
mia asking for the consideration of the Chi
nese treaty, and other important matters.
A debate ensued between MessTs. Dawes and
Farley the Chinese question receiving con-
siderable attention. Senator Beck said the
Republicans had not dared to go into execu-
tive session because of divisions in the party
on important nominations. The usual motion
to go into executive session was defeated.
MAY 3.-Mr Davis, of West Virginia, took
the floor with speech upon the debt ques-
ton between the vlrgnias. promising his re-
marks with an expression of regret that the
speech made by the Senators from Virginia
and Ohio (Mahone and Sherman) should have
compelled him to discuss in this chamber
what he considered to be purely a local mat
ter. The debt question in Virginia had never
been made political one, and he regretted
that the Republican Senators should make
statements rejecting upon the action of the
Democrats of that State on the question. Mr..
Davis gave history of the debtcomplication,
and said the Virginias and their people will
pay their debts and the sooner the better.
He hoped the two States would soon come to-
gether and settle the question.
MAY 4.-The Senate opened with the
formal announcement from Mr.. Dawes that
the fight should go steadily on as before. He
arraigned the Democratic party as obstruc-
| tionists, who had paralyZed the efforts of the
majority OF the Senate to complete its organ
iZation. He declared the Democratic minority
revolutionary, but mt the close of his remarks
Mr.. Dawes said it would not do for the Re.
publicans to neglect their duty elsewhere
while they were resisting the minority. Rec
| ogniZing the necessity of this he would move
| to drop the fight for q time and attend to 9TH
er pressing business. This created consider.
| able amusement on the floor and in the
galleries, even Republican Senators not re.
| framing from smile at the way the question
was finally put. There was some little spar.
ing between Pendleton, Dawes and Beck, and
the motion for an executive session was car.
| ried unanimously. The executive session
was very duh indeed, being mostly devoted tC
nese treaties. The following were confirmed
by unanimous consent: Robert Hit, Illinois
| Assistant Secretary of State; Hiram Price
Iowa, Commissioner of Indian Affairs; Alfred
NJ. Jones, United States Marshal, Northern
District Illinois; Sanford A. Hudson, Wiscon
sin. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court o
Dakota; Joseph o. Jones, Postmaster, Terrt
Haute, Indiana.
MAY 5.-The Senate transacted a remark.
ably large amount of business in executive
session, clearing the calendar of treaties ant
taking final action on eighty tour nominations
| in about four aud n half hours. The firstmat
| ter DISPOSED of was the Chinese Immigration
treaty, which was ratified without amend
ment by practically unanimous vote. The
| Chinese commercial treaty, after brief discus
sion, was also ratified without amendment
| Proceeding with the calendar of treaties, the
Senate next ratified in quick succession the
extradition treaty with the United States o.
Co ombia; Consular convention with Italy
modifying and defining the judicial powers
| of certain consulates the convention witt
Morocco respecting the taxation prerogative,
of the Moorish Government and the treaty
with Japan, prescribing reciprocal duties
for the Japanese and United States Govern
ments in case of shipwrecks upon their re
spective coasts
MAY 6.-Mr. Dawes made an attempt t,
speak on the resolution for the election o
Senate officers, but the Democratic Senator
resumed the tactics of alternating motions t,
go into executive session anu TO adjourn
until hIr. Dawes gave up the fight for the day
and, upon his motion, the Senate went int,
| executive session.