Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-05-03
'xlyII coNeREss EXTRA SESSION
WASHINGTON, May ?.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, May 2.
The Vice President laid the resolution for
the election of officers before the Senate.
Mr.. Farley called attention to the large
number of nominations awaiting action. and
moved an executive session. The people of
his State of all parties were appealing to the
Senate to consider the important matters IN
which they we're directly interested. Petitions
were daily coming from the public press OF
California, asking for consideration OF the
Chinese treaty. In one of those papers he
had observed that he had been charged with
retarding consideration of the Chinese treaty.
| The records of the Senate contradicted that
statement.
Mr. Farley said that 500 to 1000 Chinamen
are arriving semi-monthly at San Francisco
A ship full of Cinnamon with small pox on
board was to-day lying at quarantine at San
Francisco, and the people of California were
protesting against this neglect on the part of
the Senate, for which neglect the republican
party is responsible
Mr.. Dawes said he was anxious to go
into executive session as any man could be,
but the record of the past two months would
disclose the the fact that Senator Farley and
those who acted with him, had been solely
responsible for any delay in not going into
executive session.
Mr.. Farley replied that the republican
party could not escape responsibility for the
evils which had befalen the people of the
Pacific coast.
Mr.. Dawes inquired whether at the last
session of Congress, the chairman Of the
committee on foreign relations had not at the
senator's request, opposed a motion to go in
to executive session to consider the Chinese
treatise
Mr.. Farley replied that he had no recol-
lection of such being the case, but that the
record would show whether it was or not.
He repeated the statement that the people
of California were protesting against the in
action of the Senate and declared that the
republican party of that State were protest
ing against the election of G0rham.
Mr.. Farley continued.S He believed the
other side of the chamber had at last come to
its senses. There was an opinion on the
Pacific coast that the senator from Massachu-
sets Dawes and his colleagues were OPP
posed placing any restriction upon the immi-
grafton of Chinese. Whether that were true
or not time would develope, but the present
action of the Senate would strengthen that
opinion.
Mr.. Dawes enquired to what party were
the people of California indebted for any
|
tain, and to whom were they indebted for the
fact that those treaties were not to-day the
law of the land:
Mr.. Beck tainted the republicans with
cowardce in not going into executive session.
They had not dared to do so because of
divisions in the party on important nomina-
tons The senator from Minnesota (McMil-
lam had declared himself responsible for the
, nomination of Mr.. johnson as chief clerk.
, and the senator from Virginia (Mahone) had
declared himself responsible for the nomin-
alton of Gorham. If the Senate went into
executive session and some important nomin-
atoms came up, andeither of those gentlemen
voted against the nomination there was no
more patronage for them from the admins
tration. If they voted for it then the stalwart
republicans would see that none of the men
that they wanted would hold places, therefore
a committee of seven, a committee of safety,
an Ecumenical council had been appointed to
dictate to the cOnscienceS of the senators.
The republican organ in this city had an
nounced that the republicans were going in
to executive session so carefully guarding
their action that they would allow no cOntro-
verted nomination to be considered at all.
Democrats were not to be allowed to take
any part in the executive session. but were
TO sit with their arms folded and Let the re-
puDlcans settle niatters 10 Whatever extent
they dared.
Mr.. Dawes expressed his surprise at what
he termed the novel announcement that there
was great gulf yawning before the republi-
can members of the Senate. 1t was all new
to him.
Mr.. Salisbury denied the charge
made by Mr.. Dawes that the democratic SEN
ators were responsible for the delay in trans
acting public business. and asserted it
was right of the contrary to the