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

cnNAAE fhOGEEO4ndSs
WASHINGTON, D. c., March Ain
the Senate, at the evening session
Of Thursday, the conference report on
the sundry civil bill was adopted.
Included In the bill are the follow
ing: $4,000 for q revenue steamer for
the Southern coast; SIS, 600 for the Pensa-
cola navy yard, and items for buildings at
Annapolis and Norfolk.
At 2:30 motion for an executive session
showed less than quorum present Up to
4:4o all attempts to go into executive ses-
sion failed.
At o'clock a. M, after repeated but in
effectual efforts by the majority for an ex-
eeuttve session, a sufficient number of Re-
publican Senators declining to answer upon
yea and nay votes to enable the peint of no
quorum to be made, recess was taken un-
Ill $3.50 O'Clock. Owing to the failure of
quorum TO appear at the hour appointed,
recess was substantially prolonged until
l05O O'Clock, when the Joint resolution,
offered BY Mr.. Butler, for an extra months
pay to the Senate officers and employees, was
briefly debated and passed.
Inc galleries were meanwhile thrown
open to ticket holders, fully three-fourths
OF whom were ladies, and their unrestrain-
ed conversations soon caused so much con-
/
moments all further attempt at legislation.
Inc Vice President announced the signing
OF the enrolled sundry civil and deficiency
appropriation bills.
AT 1850 O'Clock Major General Hancock,
with Colonel Mitchell, of his staff, under
me escort OF Senator Blaine, entered from
sne west door OF the Senate, and was vel
coined with long continued applause from
the galleries and ON the floor, The first on
| the moor to greet him was Senator Conk-
ing, and the cordial hand-shaking initiated
by them was repeated by all Senators pres
ent, who pressed eagerly forward for that
purpose.
Meanwhile the applause of the galleries
swelled to tumult and subsided, and the
distinguished visitor finally took a seat to the
left of the CHAIR.
The arrival of Lieut.. Gen. Sheridan, some
moments later, was the occasion for a re-
newal OF the enthusiasm, though the de-
monstration was devoid of the spirit and
significance of that which preceded 1t.
At l1:20 O'Clock the Diplomatic Corps en-
tered aud occupied the seats Of the Senators
! on the right OF the chair.
Later the Chief Justice and Associate JUS
tees OF the Supreme Court entered and
were seated in the space Immediately in
front and to the right of the Vice President,
| the Senate meanwhile confning itself to
half OF semi circle of seats to the left,
with members of the House. The only In
cldent OF interest preceding the arrival of
| the President and Vice Presi-
dent elect, was the appointment
| OF committee of notification
to the President of the close of the present
Congress, their subsequent report that the
President had no further communications
to make, and the receipt and reading of
messages from the President transmitting a
call for the Senate In executive session, and
announcing the resignation of the Hon.
BENZ. Harrison from the Mississippi River
| Improvement Commission.
The Presidential procession, headed by
i President Hayes and President-elect Gar
field. finally entered, under escort of Sena-
tors Pendleton, Anthony and Bayard, and
others OF the committee OF arrangements,
| and Two minutes later was followed by Vice
President elect Arthur, In charge of a SUBJ
| committee composed Of the above named,
| the Senators present in the chamber rising
upon each occasion. Vice Presi-
| dent-elect Arthur was then introduced to
the Senate by Vice President Wheeler, and
| delivered the usual formal address, as fol-
| lows:
Senators: / come as your presiding Off
| Ger with genuine solicitude, remembering
my inexperience In parliamentary proceed
ings. | cannot forget how important, in
tricate and often embarrassing are
the duties of this chair. On the threshold
OF our official association, | invoke that
courtesy and kindness with which you have
been wont to aid your presiding officer. |
shall need your constant encouragement and
support, and | rely with confidence upon
your lenient judgment of any errors into
which / may fall. Ia return, be
assured of my earnest purpose to
administer your rules in spirit of abso-
Lutte fairness, to treat every Senator at all
times with that courtesy and lust considera-
ton due to representatives OF equal States
and to do my part, as assuredly each of you
Will DO his, to maintain the decorum and
dignity OF the Senate. / trust that
the Official and personal relations
upon which we now enter will
be marked with mutual confidence and re-
gard, and that all our obligations will be so
fulfilled as to rebound to our own honor,
to the glory OF our common country and the
prosperity OF all It's people. (Applause).
1 am now ready to take the oath of office
prescribed by the Constitution.
The oath Of Office was here administered
to the Vice President elect
Vice President Wheeler, before retiring
from the chair, said
Senators: The moment which terminates
my official duties as presiding officer of the
Senate Is at hand. Those duties have been
rendered OF easy performance by your uni
form leniency and forbearance. / am sure
that in this parting hour ! need no other
guarantee OF a full amnesty for all
my shortcomings. II do, it is
furnished in your very kind
resolution of approval of my official action.
shall carry into my retirement grateful
memories OF the personal kindness alike of
the Senate and its officers, and a cordial
wish for the future well being of all. And
now | proclaim my last official act by
declaring that the hour for the termination 1
OF the Forty-sixth Congress having arrived.
the Senate stands adjourned without day.
Vice President Arthur assumed the chair,
and ex-Vice President Wheeler retired to
the lounge on which Gen. Hancock was
seated, and cordially grasped that officers
hand.
The existence OF the new Senate was next
made known by the reading, by direction of
the Vice President, of the official proclama-
tion of the Presidents CALL
The organization of the new Senate was
begun by swearing In the new Senators. of
whom the only absentees were Senators.
elect Edmunds and Malone. As their
names were called by the Clerk the follow
Ing advanced to position to the left OF the
Chair and took the prescribed oath of
office:
Senators Bayard, Bureside, Camden,
Harrison, Gorman, Hawley, Hill, Jackson,
Jones of Florida, Mcmillan, Miller, Maxey, |
Mitchell, Platt OF New York, Sawyer, Sew |
ell, Sherman and Van Wyck
The roll of the new Senate was then call |
ed, and showed that seventy.two members |
were present. Senator Allison was absent
on account of illness.
At 1:25 p. m, the Senate having returned |
to its chamber, resolution offered by Mr.. |
Pendleton was adopted, for the appoint |
ment by the Vice President Of committee |
to wait upon the President OF the United |
States and inform him that a quorum OF the |
Senate had assembled, and was ready to |
receive any communication he might be T
pleased to make.
Messrs. Pendleton, Davis of Illinois, and I
Teller, were constituted the committee.
Mr.. Conkling suggested an adjournment |
to Monday to give Senators an opportunity
for sleep and rest from the WEAKNESS to
which they had been subjected In the clos
ing hours of Congress.
Several Senators preferred to have q re-
port from the committee just appointed
before adjourning.
Upwards of one hundred nominations
were left unacted upon by the Senate when
1t adjourned to-day. Among the more i'm
portant ones, were Stanley Matthews, to be
Justice of the United States Supreme
Court, and L. g. Billings, to be United /
States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit.
The apportiUnment bill, which passed the
House late yesterday afternoon, was not |