Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-05-03

on important nominations. The Sen
ator from Minnesota (McMillan) had
declared himself responsible for the
nomination of Mr.. johnson as chief
clerk, and the Senator from Virginia
(Mr. Mahone) had declared himself
responsible for the nomination of
Mr.. Gorham. If the Senate went
into executive session, and ssme i'm
portant nomination came up, and
either of these gentlemen voted
against the nomination, no more pa
tronage for them from the adminis-
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 ct
been appointed to dictate to the
consciences of Senators. The Re-
publican organ in this city
had announced that the Re
publicans were going into
executive session so carefully guard.
ing their action that they would al
low no controvert; ! 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 folde d
and let the Republicans settle mat
ters to whatever extent they dared.
Mr. Dawes expressed his surprise
at what he termed a novel announce
ment, that there was a great gulf
yawning before the Republican mems
bers of the Senate. It was all new
to him.
Mr.. Salisbury took the floor in
denial of the charge made by Mr..
Dawes that the Democratic Sena-
tors were responsible for the delay
in traDsacting the public business,
and asserted the contrary to be the
truth. He argued in opposition
to the right of the President to
cast vote upon the question of the
election of officers and declared that
upon such question the Democratic
Senators would not consent that the
Republicans should be placed in
position in which the vote of the
Vice-President might be used to
give them power which did not be
long to them. He contended that
the Democrats were justified in all
that they had done in resist~
ing the passage of the pends
ing resolution and the cognate
question connected with it. He did
not charge that any bargain had been
entered into, bu. he did assert that
the people of the country believed it.
and would believe that the election of
Mr. Riddleberger was a consumma>
ton of that bargain, that would
tend to cast a reproach on The
Senate, and the corruption and
jobbery which had existed for years
in some Of the executive depart
ments Of the government had been
the wall calculated to lessen the
estimation of the people for the
executive branch of the government,
and he protested against any
action of the Senate which
would still further lessen the
government in the estimation of
the people. He warned the Repub-
licans that their course would tring
the present Administration into dis
repute, He was not sure that the
administration could have one-half
of its nominations confirmed except
for the aid which it expected from
the Democrats, but if this thing was
kept up, and if the Administration
was to aid in strengthening the hands
of a Republican IN the Southern
States, he (Saulsbury) would, for
o1e, say unhesitatingly that that adj
ministration was not worthy of his
support.
The motion to go into executive
session was lost-ayes 81, nays %.
An hour was consumed in calling
the roll upon dilatory motions, and
then, at 3.15, on motion of Mr..
Dawes, the Senate adjourned