Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-01-12
TIL, SENATE.
Discussion OF the Presidential Success
sion bill.


In the Senate the Presidential succession
bill came up.
Senator Beck addressed the Senate in ia
vor Of tile bill, cnumcrating the difficulties
that would he avoided under thc bill AMI said
the objections that would apply to the success
sion Of the chief justice to the Presidency. or
The President, pro tenn, of the Senate, would
not apply 20 that of the Secretary of State :;
at least it would c in the power of the Sen
ate in voting upon his continuation to SIC
that they should not. The transfer of the
functions of the office from president Eot
one party TO The President, pro tenn, of the
Senate OF the opposite party wonld be pub
lie calamity.
Senator Dawes heartily approved the ill
except the feature That the acting Presidency
shall continue to the end Of the regular
term.
senator Sherman favored the bill as il pro-
vided tor all possible vacancies in the Office
Of President.
| Senator Jones of Florida was opposed to
establishing Il fixed right to the succession 10
the presidency in any class of officers. The
Constitution expressly authorized Congress tn
designate the officer who should act as Pres.
dent IN certain contingency
Senator Ingalls, thought the bill defective
IN lis provisions and omissions. Did any
Senator doubt that from July , until Sept.
49, 81 Garfield was in the language OF the
Constitution unable to discharge the power,
and duties OF the presidential Office? The
secrets Of that chamber Of agony and dcall
would never be disclosed. The il!uslriou;
patient was scqucstercd aud immurcd in St,
cluslun ulmos: as. voceless as the grave, bu
| e. t,tI
escape doubted that the President was curing
thai period MS unable 10 discharge the du,e
of his Office MS after he was LAID in the grave
he Inability contemplated by the Consll
tuition dld IN fact exist, aud therefore ly The
constitution the powers and duties of the of
fee dcyovud upon the Vice President from
july =. Why then did he not exercise them
The real reason was that there was no tribu
nal authorized to ascertain and declare til,
fact Of Inability. The question could not b'
left TO II e Vice President, and he could no
assume 10 determine it for evident reasons
SO Tor eighty days there was n suspension o
the executive power al this & lvcrnmcnt II
absolute AS if Garfield had died July > an,
his death been concealed until Sept 10, Tn
pending bill was fatally defective in not pr
vidng II method of asccrtaining the fact q
Presidential inability.
Senator Edmunds spoke in favor OF hi
= motion to rocommt. The question bctw,c
0 the bill and the plan proposed in his motto
:. 10 iccommit was really the question whcth,
in great emergency the powers and duti,
" of the Presidency should be entrusted TO n
i officer or officers elected by the people or 10
5 sort of quasi-hercdlary succession among 81
n or seven gentlemen appointed to perform III
/. functions OF heads oil departments The bl
n II stood would open more difficulties in Il
O emergency than the present law. WithOl
q reaching a vote the Senate adjourned.
l. A Monument To Warren.
4 Senator Miller of New York introduced
bill authorizing the secretary of war to ere
: | nInllinlnI IN FIN luiI Gnnnrnl WnIr..