The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-12-27
THE FORrY.EIGHrn CONGRESS
SENATE.

By Senator Fair-To provide for the sinking |
o. ., 2rtesl5n wells on lands of the United States
By Senator Iagalls-To provide for the APP |
poihtnent OF a commission TO investigate rail |
road transportation.
by senator Logan-To consolidate the bureau |
OIL military justice and corps of Judges advo-
cate OF the army: also a bill creating the new
9sahaard time IN the District Of Columbia.
Senator Van Wyck offered a resolution call
ing on the secretary of the Interior for infor-
ildtion Is 10 now much land was certified or
patented Tor the benefit of railroad companies
since the date of /. e decisions of the supreme
court Ill 1873. which SO construed the indemni-
y clause OF the congressional grant as to allow
indemnity lands only IN lieu of lands originally
included in the grant, but which was after
wards sold. Laid over till tomorrow.
IA A resolution for holiday recess went over
The Senate resumed consideration of unfin-
ished business.
Senator Frye withdrew his call for the yeas
aud nays on clause first OF the rule r,lating 10
three days limitation on authority of the vice
presidents substitute. The clause was r9-
{ected; leaving the rule about as here:of""0,
Dut when the rule comes up in tn .-.,ate,
when not in committee of the whole, the sub
Ject may be renewed.
The second rule reads as follows: The Sen
are may elect secretary, chief clerk, principal
executive clerk, chaplain, Sergeat-at-armS and
assistant doOrkeeper, TO continue in Office until
tnelr successors are chosen, each of whom
small take the oaths prescribed by law before
entering upon the duties of office. The Secre-
tary and >ergeant-at-armS shall each appoint
employees OF his department, unless otherwise
Senator Frye said this simply formulates
INTO rule what has heretofore been a prdc-
Senator Garland thought there was no n
ceSSlty for such rule
Senator Bayard considered the rule objec-
tiOnable. He had seen yesterday how easily
political machinery works, and how quickly
tried and trusted officers were dispensed with,
and new men put in places When the Senate
had Democratic majority changes We're made,
but no such sweeping changes as now. Before
| the removals were effected yesterday morning
the fact was undeniable that a majority of the
employees of the Senate were Republicans
then secretary of the Senate because
| he was both in public and private an aggres-
| more than half the members of the chamber,
| and made his Office the center of active cam
| paigning in which the motives, character and
objects of the Democratic a1Ority were mo.
| umjuStifably aspersed. The change was there
| fore of UNREASONABLE benefit to the public
service. No efficient. faithful officer Of the
| Senate had ever been removed with his bay
| ard's) consent. This, perhaps, was no occasion
for extended remarks in regard 10 civil service
reform, but he thought that the subject was
| sinking deeply in the minds of the thoughtful
| people of the country. He had strong belief in
| civil service reform, and if he did not much
| mistake the the temper of the American peo-
pie. they intend to have such reform, and were
not going to be content with men elected to of
| fee by venal machinery, in other words, the
country is not going to be run by political ma
chimes, built upon, and supported by, political
| offices. 81 do not want" he continued, "tO see
| the offices of this country filled with set OF
men who are nothing but Office brokers and
| wire pullerS."
| The second rule was disagreed to. Several
! new rules were agreed to, after some amend
ments of detail. On reaching the rule relat-
| irg to voting, Senator BaYard said he had
| hoped the committee on rules would endeavor
! III some way to cover the case of Senators be-
| ing present and refraining from voting. and
| Senator Sherman replied such practice of alb
stention from voting had only been resorted to
| a few times, in great Official excitement, and
| it was hardly worth while to cover such rare
| instances by rule. The rule on the subject OF
| voting WAS adopted as reported.
| Clause fifteen of the rules gave rise to a de-
| bate. Senators Bayard, Beck, Mcpherson,
sherman, Ingalls, and Jones, of Florida, par
| ticipated. 1t reads as follows Every reso-
| luton of inquiry addressed to the president OF
| the United States or heacS OF departments
SHALL if objected to, be refeI .ed to the commit
| tee having Jurisdiction of the subject of The
resolution; said c. mmittee shall report thereon
within a week thereafter, and the resolutions
shall be. in order for consideration when re-
| ported"
Senator Sherman favored the clause. Sena-
| tors Bayard and Beck strongly opposed it.
Senator Mcpherson said If the majority OF the
| Se"a ate desired to withhold Information the
minority desired. or if the majority. wished to
apply the gag law. 70 better provision could be
provided. The c!a s. vas rejected.
The Senateit OOk up the House concurrent reso-
| luton for holiday recess and amended it to
makes Monday, January l. the date of reas.
| Semblage. AS amended, agreed to and return
ed to the House. After executive session adj
jOurned.
HOUSE
Fir. Scales presented certificate of election
of Mr.. Skinner, repres ntatiye elect from the
| First district of North CarOlipa.
| Mr.. Keller offered a resolution referring Mr.
| SINNERS credentials TO the committee on cleo
lions. with instructions TO examine all the facts
pertaining 20 the vacancy: He commended thai
there was no vacancy in the district which Mr.
| Skinner claimed to represent and to admit hin
WIS 10 leave one county without represention
While another would have two representatives
| MIR. Keller renewed the resolution but His
cock offered substitute for the immediate
the main features of the cause referred to the
committee on elections with instructions to re
pert quickly.
hIr Hiscock said it was a dangerous cues
ton of prma faeia sending the right man tC
the seat, and warned Republicans thai if Kei
feT'S resolution was adopted, the result would be
that no report would 0e mace before the end o.
of the session; whereas, the committee or
elections could in a short time report
on questions involved in his substitute
Mr.. Scales argued that Mr.. Skinner pre-
Sented an Invaluable prima facea case.
Mr. Springer coRtended that the election OF
Mr.. SkinnE was in accordance with the laws
Mr. Hills defended Mr.. SINNERS right to a
seat
Mr.. Belford said In the blazing light of the
nineteenth century, he thought the Republican
| ana DemOcFaJlc parties could a11OrQ TO Dc
honest. A large number of political outrages
had been prachced in both houses, and it wsS
useleSs to endeavor to conceal their commit
ment now. The gentleman had come to the
House claiming to be a representative elect
from North Carolina bearing certificate from
the governor of that state. 1t was his deliber
ate Judgment that the gentleman ought to be
sworn in on prfma facea evidence, whether
Democrat, Greenbacker or Republican. He
thought the position of the gentleman from
Ohio (Keifer) unsound and could be overcome
| with nnrnlV lOpica1 reasoning and if the HOUSf
set itself up to refuse the certificates of COVER
nors OF the respective states it was committing
a masterful mistake, which he for one would
After a long discussion, Mr.. Keller having
withdrawn his resolution, Mr.. Skinner Wa:
Mr.. Hiscock's substitute was agreed to-
Yeas III; nays 10S. The bulk of the Democrats
voted in the negative, the bulk OF the Republl
cans voted in the affirmative. The origina, res
olution as amended was agreed to.
Mr.. Morrison offered concurrent resolution
for holiday recess from Monday, December
"a to Thursday, January g. which was agreed
to by 143 to 81, with the understanding that NJ
business shall be transacted Monday, with the
exception OF the appointment of the commit
| tees.
Mr. Blackburn of committee rules, reported
| resolution for creation of the following select
committees the same membership accorded
similar committees last Congress, civil service
| reform, law respecting the election of presiden
and vice president payment of pensions, boun
ty and back pay, public health and ventilation
|
also creating committee on American shiI
building and ship owning interest TO consist o.
seven members which shall investigate the
causes of decline in American and foreign car
rying trade.
Mr.. Reed offered an amendment for the crea
ton of commission on alcoholic liquor traffic
Mr.. Mill expressed objections to sumptuary
| laws and inquired whether Congress coul(
legisate on what man should eat or drink.
Mr.. Vance replied that this was not the OBJ
ject of the amendment which only looked Il
the getting Conformation upon subject tina
interested every human being on the CONT
nent. The sentiment of the people should bC
| respected by this Congress to know facts abou
intemperance which wrecked so many house
holds in the land. He hoped the representa-
tives of the people would accord the friends o
humanity justice, and extend 10 the people al
| opportunity to gather information on subject
| of such tremendous Importance. (Applause.
1t did not follow necessarily that there was Il
be a prohibitOry law.
Mr.. Randall said he had no hesitation il
stating that in the committee he voted for
committee on the alcoholic liquor tariffic. He
reyer favored sumptuary legislation and die
not know that he ever would. but there ought
to be the widest latitude on behalf OF the righ
of the petition of the people who were interest
ed in aud agItated the subject and had right
| to be heard, and to that extent he was Willing
to take the consequence and vote in the affirm
alive in order that they might be heard zap
| plauSe).
Mr.. blackburn expressed himself in favor o.
the widest range of the right of petit on, but
that was Moth question presented. The queS
| ton was whether there should be a Specia
committee raised to investigate the liquor traf
fic, and for nothing else. 1t did not involve the
| right of petition.
Mr. Mills said he was as much in favor OF
temperance as tbe gentlemen from Carolina
and Pennsylvania, Vance and Randall, but he
was not one of those who believed that great
truths were propagated by legislative DEGREES
/ he STOOD in the footsteps of the fathers who
| hold No. limo al