National Republican., 1881-12-13
THE SENATE YEsrERpAY.
bills Observation-Disclosures mIl1er's seat
The TarfH DIacussiOn.

Mr.. Hampton appeared in his seat in the Senate
for the first thine this session yesterday. a.,
A communication was received from the Secre-
tary Of War, transmitting reports relative TO the
proposed new building for Pension once in
Washington. Referred to the Committee on APP
The Chair submitted memorial from the Leg
slature Of Minnesota for an appropriation tor the
| improvement Of the Mississippi River from st. AM
| thongs Falls to New Orleans. Referred to the
Special Committee on Mississippi River Improve
Messrs. Edmunds and Hampton presented petit
tlons for the abolition of the tax on bank checks
Referred to the Committee on Finance
| A number Of bills were introduced and referred
| to committees, among which were the following:
| BY Mr.. Rollins: To enable the yestTy OF the
parish of the Ascension to sell and in fec simple.
| 10 convey the land in square 375 in the city of
Washington conveyed to said vestry, To District
BY Mr.. Harrison: For delivery to the Society of
the Army Of the Cumberland OF condemned can;
non TO aid in the erection OF statue OF General
| Garfield. To Military Affairs.
BY Mr.. HarrS For n municipal code for the
District Of Columbia. To District Of Columbia;
lThe latter, numbering 800 odd pages, Is identical
with the bill as reported from the District Com
missioners in the last Congress)
| communication from the President Of the
resolution of Nav II. ISL, The report Of the secTe
tary of State touching the Geneva convention for
| the relief of the wounded in war was received
aud referred to the Committee on Foreign Re-
| lations
Mr.. Hill, of Georgia, from the Committee on
Privileges and Elections reported buck certain
memorials from members OF the New York Legis-
lature affecting the right of the present Senators
from that State to occupy seats IN the Chamber,
and asked thaLthey be tabled and the committee
discharged from their further consideration. He
sthtcd briefly the committee did not think any one
nor all Of the five reasons alleged by the me-
moriaists as invalidHtinR the election were sufi-
cient to justify further investigation or did in fact
invnldate 1t. As to the first, II had appeared that
there was some controversy as to whether the Leg
is0ture did proceed In separate bodies to vote on
the second or third Tuesday aitcr notice ofthe va.
cancy by the Governor, but in amy view II was not
thereby UpuriNpu right to elect
As to the second, that IT, as asserted there was not
q quorum present atone ofthe sessions otone ofthe
Of its right, provided there was n quorum present
TO vote on that day oj elections and no allegation
had been made that there was not II quorum on
that occasion. As to the third the committee did
not think II necessary for majority OF all the
members.elect of each body to vote, as
casions st referred to. and a majority voted
As to the fourth, charging that Mr. Miller Is guilty
Of conduct in violation OF sections of the Revised
Statutes which dIsqualify member so guilty from
holding any office under the United States, u was
sufficient to say that that Senator had never been
convicted therefor and that. by the language oftho
sections, conviction and not mere allegation was
t. work disqual fcatlon. As to the last ground OF
} objection, that there were rimOrs of bribery in
procuring the election, the committee regarded
mere allegations and rlmors, unnccompnnicd
with evidence, as insufficient to warrant action
by them, especially as many of the scandals that
had arisen In connection with the New York sena-
torial election occurred before the two members
now holding their seats were elected.
Mr.. Garland asked that the report lie over under
the rule So ordered.
The tariff commission bill was then taken up.
Mr.. Garland said an express grant of over had
been given to Congress TO lay and collect taxes,
, impost, and exciseS, without which the Govern
nicnt created by the Constitution could not be
carried on; that these were to be Uniform through
out the United States that to guard against abuse
of this power the Constitution gives the House the
sole authority TO originate bills for raising rev.
enuc After quoting IN interview iIom the tariil
speech of MI. voorhees, Mt Atlanta, he said the
overriding aTgumcnt-that which was affecting
this country to-day in regard TO the tendencies OF
the protective, policy-was that they were but a
pressing this country beyond all Others to It's lii.
Jury. There was the difficulty and danger. II
might be covert and secret, but It's march in that
direction was as inevitable as II was for water u
seek Its level,
Mr., Beck followed Mr.. Garland and replied to
+ Mr.. Morrill, That Senator had argued, he said
that we are getting rich because we are exporting
more than we are importing; but we would only
have to turn the protection wheel little moro and
, we would have no imports At ALL IL would be al
1 Mr. Morrill, said the Senator mfr. Beck had SC
, often denounced the present tariff rs abOminable
that hhnt Senator now really believed In what ht
said. That Senator had shown that we had moi
!. yet supplied the demand for home consumption
and tint fact established, that we had not reached
that position In which twas possible for to have
a geamount of exports: He suggested that when
i. the subject came back from committee, Senator
! desrous ofdscussing 1t further would have ample
! opportunity to do so.
On motion OF Mr.. Morrill,, the bills on the sub
: ect were then referred to the Committee or
Finance.
The civil service reform bill of Mr.. Pcndleton
was then taken up and laid over as the unfinished
business for o.morrow.
e Mr.. Grover introduced a bill authorizing fil
= pay to Lieutenant Schwatka u. S. A., while OF
leave to serve III command Of the franklin searcl
| expedition in the Arctic Ocean. Referred to Com
e mittee on Claims
h Mr.. Davis OF Illinois, introduced bill to es
a tablish court ofappeals. Referred to Committed
: on Judiciary.
Mr. Davis, Of West Virginia, introduced a bill 4
O repeal certain laws relating to the payment of in
definite appropriations. This bill was Introduce
; by Mr. Davis in the last Congress, and passed tn,
y Senate. II makes the larger number of the 80
called indefinite or permanentn appropriation spe
cinc appropriations. Referred TO Committee oil
| Appropriations.
The bill on the subject introduced by Mr.. Cam
i eron, OF Pennsylvania appropriates $4,000 to b
distributed proportiOnately among the officers auC
. crew of the United States steamer Montauk,
n The bills and joint resolutions introduced In tn
!, | Senate yesterday numbered over eighty.
= At half.past two O'Clock the Senate went int
, | executive session, and a few minutes later ad
r journed.