Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-04-05
THE SENATE.
Report Of Proceedings Of the Sen
ate in Extraordinary Session.

ate in Extraordinary Session.
WASHINGTON, April 4-The Senate
resumed the consideration Of the
pending resolution for the election
of Senate officers, the motion made
by Mr.. Pendleton, having been lost,
yeas 26, nays 20.
Mr.. Johnston took the floor. He
quoted extracts from the Virginian
newspaper edited by Riddleberger
to prove the Democracy of that
gentleman, and of his colleague, Mr.
Malone, and from the ''Riddleber-
ger" bill to show that the Republi>
cans were now found supporting 6
man for Office who had announced
in that bill that the adoption of the
18th, 14th and 18th amendments
was equal in it's terrible effect to the
war itself.
He went, with some minuteness,
into the question of the debt of the
State of Virginia, contending that
any failure to pay the interest on the
State debt was not attributable to
any desire to repudiate, but to the
unfortunate condition of affairs which
had prevailed in that State imme-
diately after the war.
Mr.. Dawes inquired whether the
Senator agreed with his colleague in
holding that West Virginia ought to
part of that debt.
Mr.. Johnson replied that he agreed
with his colleague, and with the Su-
preme Court of the United State, in
holding that West Virginia should
be responsible for one third. Leav-
ing the question of the debt, he ine
quired of Mr.. Dawes where and
when in Virginia anybody had had
to wade through blood to the bal
lot-box, as had been stated by that
Senator
Mr.. Dawes replied that the "Mis>
sissippi plan was a general term !;
specific names were attached to diff
ferent phases of it in different South
ern States. In Virginia it was called
" opposition to vagabond suffrage"
Did the Senator pretend to say that
nobody had got hurt at Petersburg
in vain attempt to his right as a
voter?
MIR. Johnson replied that the
charge that there was any smother
ing of Republican votes in Virginia
was absolutely false. IF any tissue
ballots had been used in Virginia,
they had been used in his colleagues
district.
Mr.. Johnson, continuing, confined
his remarks to the local question,
commenting upon and vindicating
the measures adopted in Virginia by
the funder Democrats, In conclu-
sion, he said, judging from the
speeches of the Readjusters, and
from articles in their journals, the
platform of that party was first, a
deluge of greenbacks second, to
place clause in the Constitution
that no contract between individuals
shall be enforced third, to burn the
law libraries, and fourth, to re-
pudiate. Mr.. Saulsblry appealed
no longer to the sense of duty or to
the patriotic feelings of the other
side, but to it's party fealty to
ground it's weapons of rebellion
against it's own administration. If
any one needed commisseration it
was the President, who had been
treated with such marked disrespect
by his own friends. Even Hayes,
whom nobody beloved to have been
elected, commanded some respect at
the beginning of his term.
Mr.. Jones, of Florida, briefly de~
MED the statement made on Friday
last by Mr.. Logan, that political
outrages were perpetrated in Flor
ida.
Mr.. Harris moved to lay the
resolution on the table, Rejected;
yeas %, nays 27.
Then roll call followed roll call in
quick succession upon dilatory mo-
items, Mr.. Dawes inquiries as to
when the Democrats would permit a
vote to be taken on the resolution
being always met with the response,
son the first Monday in December"
Finally, Mr.. Dawes, remarking
that it had become evident that a
majority of the Senate was opposed
to postponing the consideration of
tnis resolution, and expressing the
hope that the minority would come
tomorrow prepared to stay until
the will of the majority was bowed to,
moved to adjourn, which motion was,
at AS, agreed to.