The Portland daily press., 1883-12-20
XLvIII CONGRESS-.
SENATE.

XLVIII CONGRESS.
SENATE.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.
| Prayer was offered By the new chaplain, Rev.
| Elias Dewitt Huntley, d. D.
| After reading the journal a number of petitions
| and memorials were submitted.
Mr. ingalls, reported back frem the committee on
theDistret of Columbia bill to establish standard
/ of time in that district.
Among the bills introduced were the following:
| By Mr.. ingalls,. to establish municipal code for
the District of Columbia; also to provide for he
appointment OF commission to investigate the sub
1ect OF railroad transportation ALSO to promote the
| efficiency of the army.
| By Mr. Logan to consolidate the bureaus of mill
tary justice, and corps of judges advocate of the
army.
| gu conclusion of the morning business, Mr..
ingalls, callet up the bill relating to standard of
time in the District of Columbia. Qt provides that
from this date the standard of time in the district
shall be the mean tiG of the 10Th meridian, but
that this shall not affect existing contracts) The
bill passed without debate.
| Mr.. Van Wyck offered a resolution which was
allowed to lie over till Tomorrow calling on the
Secretary of the Interior for information to how
much land has been certified or patented for the
benefit OF railroad companies since the date OF the
decision of the Supreme Court of the United States
/ in 1876 which so construed the indemnity clause
Of a congressional grant as to allow indemnity
lands only in lieu of lands originally included in
the grant but which afterwards were sold and dis
| posed of.
Several messages from the President were read
relating to compensation to Indian tribes for taking
their reservations
Mr.. ingalls, Of Kansas offered concurrent reso-
luton providing that when the two houses adjourn
on the goth of December it be to the Sd of Janua-
ry.
Mr.. Harris moved to amend by substituting for
the day of reassembling the Monday after the
Sd of January.
Under the rule the amendment and original reso-
luton were both ordered to lie over until tomor-
row.
The Senate then resumed the consideration of
the unfinished business of yesterday-the rules.
MIR. ETY0 withdrew his call for the
on the clause of the first rule, relating TO the three
DENTS substitute, and that clause vas then voted
on aud rejected leaving the rule about as hereto
fore but when the rnle comes up in the Senate,
when not in committee of the whole, the subject
may be again brought up.
The second rule was then read as follows:
"The Senate may elect secretary, chief clerk,
principal executive clerk chaplain. sergeant-at-
arms the assistant doorkeeper to continue in Office
unit his successor is chosen and qualified, each of
whom shall take and subscribe to the o4ths pre-
scrbed by law before entering on the duties OF their
office. The Secretary of the senate in open Senate
other officers in the Office of the Secretary, etary
and Sergeant-at- Arms shall each appoint all EN-
ployes in his department unless otherwise drecteA."
Mr.. Frye said this simply formulates into rule
what ha heretofore been in practice in the Senate
These officers having heretofore been elected with
out formal rule.
Mr.. Bayard thought the rule open to objection
and said that he had yesterday seen how easily
political machinery works and how quickly tried
and trusted officers could be dispensed with and
new men put in Their places When the Senate
had Democratic majority he (dr. Bayard differed
with his political friends as of the removals
then made but notwithstanding changes were made
there were no such sweeping changes as now have
been made. Democrats hal removed then the
Secretary of the Sena because he had made the
Office centre of active campaigning in which the
motive and character and obje t of the Democratic
majority were most unjustihably aspersed. That
change therefore unquestionably for the benefit
of the public service, but no efficient or faithful
officer IF the Senase hal been removed with his
(Mr. Bayard's) consent. Mr.. Bayard thought the
subject of civil service reform was sinking deeply
into the minds of the thoughtful people of the
country. He had strong beief in civil service re-
form and if he did not make mistake in the tenn
per of the American people they intend to have
such reform and not going TO be content that
men be elected to office by venal machinery. II do
not want" he continued, "tO see the offices OF the
country filed by set Of men who are nothing but
Office brokers or wire pullers."
Tie second rule was disagreed to.
Several new rules we're then agreed to-
On reaching the rule relating 10 voting, Mr.. Bay
ard said he had hoped the committee would endeav
TO cover the case of senators being pr esent in
their places and refraining from voting.
Mr.. Frye did not bslieve any rule could be devils
ed to make man speak when he chose to be SILENT
The rule was adopted as reported furtner debate
ing reserved till the further consideration of the
subject.
considerable debate:
Every resolution of inquiry addressed to the
President of the United States or heads OF depart
mtteo having jurisdiction the subject matter of
such resolution. Said committee shall report there
within one week thereafter, and said resolution
be in order for consideration when reported"
Mr.. Sherman favored the clause
Messrs Bayard and Breck strongly opp sed it.
Mr.. Nc Pherson said if the majority Of the Senate
desired to withhold information which the minority
desired to obtain, no better provision could be pro-
vi ted. The clause was rejected
The Senate, after an executive session. took up
the House resolution relating to the holiday recess.
On motion Of Mr., Allison, the date for the re-
Jan 7tb Instead of the sd. and the action Of the
| Senate was ordered to be communicated to the
House.
Adjourned
| In the House today, Mr. Scales of North Carolina
presented the certificate of election of Thomas G.
Skinner as representa- i've elect from the first dis
| triet of North Carolina.
After the reading of the certificate Mr.. Keifer of
Ohio offered resolution reciting that at the No
vember election, w. X. Poole was elected repre-
sentative from the first district o. North Car oina,
that he died on August 25 1888, that since the
election of Mr.. Poole the legisatere had redisrict
ed the tate and created new first district, that
the governor of North Caroua ordered an election
| by virtue of which Mr.. Skinner claims the seat,
| that to admit him would leave county without
representation while another county would have
| two representatives He moved to refer Mr.. Skin
ner's credentials to he committee on election with
power ascertain and report all the facts pertain
| ing to the vacancy and the election to fill the
| same.
Mr.. Keifer contended that the resolution present.
| ed question which should be inquired into by
committee elections. He asserted that the paper
read could not be called certificate at all within
the meaning of the rules which have prevailed in
the House. The very fact that the paper bore the
date of the of December. 1888 suggested that it
had cost good deal of trouble, time and mental
anxiety to get paper which would not show what
| the facts required should be shown. AS matter
of fact there had not been vcancy in the district
which Skinner claimed to represent. (He quoted
from precetents to show that in cases of vacancy
| when, in an interval between first and second
elections in State which had been redistricted,
the scond election was hed 10 the district and not
| as in the pending case in the new.
After an annima ed debate Mr.. Hiscock of New
York offered substis ute for Mr. Keifers resolu-
tion resolution for the immediate swearing in of
Mr.. Skinner and reference OF the case to the COM
mittee elections with instructions to report at
the earliest practicable moment whether Mr. Skin
ner was elected from the first district of North Car
olina created bef re the last Congressional ap
porionn ent in the district of North Carolina in
| that State since the election of Mr.. Poole and
whether Mr.. Skinner was elected from the proper
district Mr.. Hiscock claimed it dangerous
question: the prima facie right of man to seat on
After further debate Mr.. Keifer withdrew his res
elution and that of MIR, Hseock substituted.
Whereupon Mr.. Skinner appered at tne bar of the
House and qualified.
Mr.. Keifer then renewed his resolution, the pre-
amble having been eliniated and Mr.. Hiscock again
offered his resolution substitute. Mr.. Hiscock
warned the Republican side that if Mr. Keifer's
olution was adopted the result would be report
would be made before the end o. the session, where
| as the committee elections could in short time
1 report on the questions involved in he substitute.
Mr. hiscock's substitute was agreed 10 III to
10S, the bulk of the Demoei attic members voted in
| the negative the original motion as amended was
l then agreed to-
Mr. Morrison of Illinois offered concurrent reso-
luton for the holiday recess from Monday. Decem-
| Der Oath until Thursday. January Sd, and stated
| that if the resolution was agreed to he would ask
unanimous consent that no business be transacted
Il on Monday except appointment of the committees.
/ The resolution was agreed to with the understand
| ing referred to.
/ Mr.. Blackburn of Kentucky, from the committee
1 on rules reported resolution for the creation of
i the following select committees with the same mem-
bership accorded similar committee by the last
/ Congress:
| Civil service reform law, respecting the election
/ OF president vice president, payment or PENSIONS
bounty back pay, public health and ventilation
| and acoustics of the hall of representatives. also
1 for creation of committee the American ship
i building and ship owning interests, to consist of
| seven members which shall investigate the
of decliGe in the Ameri foreign carrying trade.
| Mr. Reed of Maine offered amendment for the
creation of committee the alcoholic liquor traf-
fc After debate the amendment was adopted 143