Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-03
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.

WASHINGTON, May 2.-The Vice Presi-
dent laid before the Senate the unfinished
business, being the resolution for the cleo
ton Of officers of the Senate.
Mr.. Farley called attention to the large
number Of nominations which were await
Ing action by the Senate, and
moved to 90 into executive session.
The people Of his State, of all
parties, were appealing to thii Senate to
consider the important matters in which
they were directly interested. Petitions
were daily coming from the public
press OF California asking for con-
sideration of the Chinese treaty
In one of those papers he
had observed that he had been charged
with retarding the consideration of the
Chinese treaty. The record of the Senate
contradicted that statement. For many
weeks the Democratic Senators
had invited the Republicans
to 90 into executive session.
Eight hundred or one thousand Cinnamon
were arriving semi-monthIy at San Francis
co. A ship full of Chinamen, and with
smallpox on board, was to-day lying at
quarantine In the harbor at San Francisco,
and the people of California were protesting
against this neglect on the part of the Ser
ate, for which neglect the Republican party
was responsible.
Mr.. Dawes said that he was as anxious to
90 into executive session as any man could
be, but the Record for the past two months
would disclose the fact that the Senator
mir. FaTley) and those who acted with him
had been solely responsible for any delay In
going into executive session.
Mr.. Farley replied that the Republican
party could not escape responsibility for
the evils which had hefallen the people Of
the Pacific coast.
Mr. Dawes reioined that the Senator St ood
here and told the people OF California that
rather than that the Democratic Secretary
Of the Senate be displaced, he would let the
Chinese come and bring all the evils that
they might. The Senator and his party had
been in majority in the Senate aud no one
had touched his harp or pipsd his late in
favor OF considering the Chinese treaties,
but now the Senator came in at this dying
hour as his last chance and uttered male
dictions upon the Senate itself
Mr.. Farley repeated his statement, that
the people Of California were protesting
against the non-aetion of the Senate, and
declared that the Republican party of that
State were protesting against The election
of G0rham as Secretary OF the Senate. He
believed that the other side of the chamber
had at last come to its senses.
There was an opinion on the Pacific
coast that the Sera-Or from Massachusetts,
(Mr. Dawes and his colleagues were op-
posed to placing any restriction upon the
immigration of the Chinese. Whether that
were true or not, time would develop; but
the present action of the Senate would
strengthen that opinion.
Mr.. Dawes inquired to what party were
the people of California indebted for any
merits which the Chinese treaties might
cOntain2 To whom were they indebted for
the fact that those treaties were not to-day
the law of the LAND?
Mr.. Beck tauuted the Republicans with
c0wardice in not going into executive ses-
sion. They had not dared to do so because
of divisions in their party on important
nominations. The Senator from Minnesota
(Nr. McMillan) had declared himself re-
sponsible for the nomination OF Mr.. John
son as Chief Clerk, and the Senator
frcm Virginia (Mr. Mahone) had de-
cldred himself responsible for the
nomination of Mr.. Gorham. II the Senate
went into executive session aud some i'm
pOrtant nomination came up and either of
those gentlemen voted against the nOmina-
ton there would be no more patron
age for them from the administration.
If they voted for it then the stalwars
Republicans would see that none of the men
that they wanted would hold places. There
fore, the Committee of Seven, the Com
mittee of Safety or the Economical
Council, had been appointed to dictate to
the consciences of the Senators. The
/ Republican organ In this city had
/ announced that the Republicans were
going into executive session so carefully
| guarding their action that they would allow
/ no cOntrOverted nomination to be consider
| ed at all. The Democrats were not to be
/ allowed to take any part in the executive
session, but were to sit with arms folded
and let the Republicans settle matters to
whatever extent they dared.
Mr.. Dawes expressed his surprise at what
| he termed the novel announcement that
there was great gulf yawning before the
Republican members of the Sentae. II was
all new to him.
Mr. Salisbury took the floor in denial of
the charge made by Mr.. Dawes that the
Democratic Senators were responsible for
the delay IN transacting public business,
and asserted the contrary to be the truth
He argued In opposition TO the right of the
Vice President to east his vote upon the
question of the election of officers, and
declared that upon such a question the
Democratic Senators would not consent that
the Republicans should be placed in posi-
tion in which the vote of the Vice President
might be used to give them power which
did not belong 10 them. He cOntended
that the Democrats were justified in
all that they had done In resisting
the passage of the pending resO
luton and cognate questions connected
with if. He did not charge that any bargain
had been entered into, but he did assert that
the people of the country believed it, and
would believe that the election of Mr. Rid
dleberger was the consummation of that
bargain. That would tend to cast re-
proach upon the Senate. The c0rrup.
ton and iobbery which had existed for
years in some of the Executive Departments
of the government had been well calculated
to lessen the estimation of the people for
the Executive branch of the government,