The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-06
The Enormous Losses Entailed Upon the
People by he Prevalence of Plero-
Pneumonia Among Live Stock.
Outline of the Bill for the Preserva-
ton of Yellowstone Park.
General Grant Confident of the Passage OF
the Fitz John Porter Bill-SOcial and
Other Gossip of the Capital.
PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION.

Consideration of the Bill in the Senate
. Amendments Suggested.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5,-As a legislative day,
to-day has been decidedly devoid of interest.
TIL Senate devoted most of the afternoon to
discussion of the presidential succession bill,
but apparently without making much pro-
gress. Mr.. Garland, in advocating the bill,
said the practical objection to the present
hybrid system, created by the law of 1892,
had been strikingly illustrated at the time of
President Garfield's death, and after the 4th
of March next, unless Congress should legis-
late upon the subject in the meantime, the
life of the President would be the only one
standing between US and anarchy. On the
other hand, one advantage of the system pro-
posed by this bill was that it
devolved the duties of the presidency,
in such cases, Upon the Secretary
OF State. No inferior man was ever nomi-
mated for that Office. Under the existing
law the President of the Senate would be-
come, in a certain contingency, the acting
President, This provision rendered the char
acter of the administration very uncertain.
For instance, when the Senate met after the
death of President Garfield, the Senator from
Delaware, Mr.. Bayard, was chosen President
OF the Senate, and if he had become Presi-
dent of the United States the Chief Executive
Office would have been filled by a member of
the party defeated at the polls. But as if by
magic Mr.. Bayard was deposed, and the
Senator from Illinois, Mr.. Davis, was put in
his place-a distinguished Senator
belonging to no party, but walking
in an atmosphere of his own, above all par
ties-cerulean, ethereal or what-not. Laugh
ter Ii he had been called to the presidency
by the death of President Arthur, what YER
dict of the people would have approved him
or his "partyT' Mr.. Garland, in the course
of his remarks, expressed an opinion that the
Presidents term OF office ought to be six
years.
Mr.. Morgan moved to amend, so as to pro-
vide for the officer succeeding to the acting
presidency shall hold the office until the
Presidents disability is removed, or until tine
vacancy is otherwise lawfully filled, instead
of until the end of the regular term, as pro-
vided in the bill.
N1A' AAO1So bAldl Tx VI u re-
committed to the Committee on Judiciary.
with instructions to report, as soon as may
be, a bill to further provide for and regulate
the duties of President of the United States
by the President of the Senate pro tempore
and the Speaker of the House of Representa-
tlves, respectively, in case of vacancy in both
the offices of President and Vice-president of
the United States, and for the administration
Of the duties of the office of President of the
United States in cases in which there shall
be, at the time being, neither a President of
the Senate pro tempore nor a Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
Mr.. Edmunds said this motion presented
clearly the alternatives of either perfecting
the system devised by the fathers or depart
ing entirely from that system, as proposed in
the pending bill.
Mr.. Blair offered an amendment providing
that the cabinet officers mandolin sue
cession )-instead Of acting as President in
the cases contemplated in bill, shall so act
only until Congress can come together and
provide by law for filling the presidency.
Mr.. Jones, of Florida, offered an amend
ment providing hat no cabinet officer shall
succeed to the acting presidency who would
not be eligible for election as President.
Without acting Upon these amendments,
the Senate went into executive session, and
soon afterward adjourned.
R-