Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-20
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
kEIFER RETIRED FROM THE MI
NORITY LEADERSHIP,

NORITY LEADERSHIP
His Set Back a Most IngIorious One
Mr.. Hammond Declines the Elections
Committee Chairmanship-Mr. skin
ner, of North Carolina, Takes his Seat
After a Debate
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-The event of
the session so far, and one of the plainest
cases OF personal discipline that was ever
witnessed in Congress, took place TODAY.
EX-Speaker Keifer was the subject. The
Republicans seemed to have formed them
selves into a committee to kick Keifer.
The latter on the first day of the session
assumed the leadership of the minority.
and at every opportunity has been per-
sistent IN asserting his right to it, This
was not agreeable to other Republicans.
and men like Hiscock and Reed have been
uttering mysterious threats that at the
first chance they woald let Keifer down.
That chance came to-day. The Cover
nor's certificate that Skinner had been
elected in the First Congressional district
OF North Carolina was presented and a
motion made that he be sworn in.
10 this Keifer objected. Mr.. Skin
ners case Is peculiar one. He was
elected to succeed Pool, Republican,
deceased. Being the only member of his
delegation elected under the new appor-
tionment, his presence in the House on
account of the redistricting of the State
leaves two counties unrepresented and
gives a dual representation to three
others. Mr.. Keifer offered resolution
with long preamble that the case 90 to
the Committee on Elections and Mr.. Skin
ner's seat remain vacant until that COM
mittee had reported and the House had
acted upon It's report. He said that the
Governor acted contrary to the State and
United States laws in issuing a certificate
to Mr.. Skinner. He did all this with the
assurance of leader, expecting to be fol-
lowed by his party, but he was not
Messrs. Reed, HiscOck and Belford
pounded and marked him. They took de-
light in showing how foolish and contrary
| TO law and precedent 1t would be to
keep vacant a seat when there
was a man here with a certificate of
the Governor of his State that he was en-
titled to it. Much more did they say.
While all Of it was not aimed Ostensibly
at keifer, 1t was as plain as day what it
meant. keifer was very uneasy. He
shifted about hunting for some Republi-
cans to support him. He only found Cal
kins, of Indiana, who evidently got up
out of courtesy to the man who had made
him Chairman of the Elections Commit
tee in the last House. His heart was not
in it. He only said a very few words.
Mr.. kelter tried to get out of the range
Of so many boots welded by his own par
ty by Withdrawing his objection to Skin
ner being sworn IN. That was
done, but he was to have a
worse ordeal to go through for his resolu-
tiOn as amended. He was the only Repub-
lcan who stood up to be counted. His face
Hn
He stood confessed a leader without fol-
lowing. 1t was very bad day for him.
Mr.. keifer Won't consider himself the
minority leader any longer.
Senator Call to-day introduced a bill to
pay all soldiers who were enlisted in the
several Indian wars in Florida.
CARLIsLE's COMMITTEES.
Mr.. Carlisle is still hard at work
making up the committees. He will an
nOunce them next Monday. He has not
yet completed Il single committee, except
the Ways and Means. He is having as
much trouble as his predecessors in
satisfying the members i'll placing them.
The Chairmanships of the most i'm
pOrtant committees stand about as
they have heretofore been given in
these dispatches, except that of
Foreign Affairs. 1t is impossible TO say
whether Mr.. Cox or Mr.. Belmont will get
that Craftsmanship. The Ways and
Means Committee, which, it will be seen,
is a strong taritf-reform body, will be as
follows: Messrs. Morrison, Blackburn,
Hurd, Hammond. Hewitt of New York,
| Hancock and Herbert, Democrats, and
Messrs. Kelly, kassOn, Hiscock, Mckinley
| and Russell, Republicans. OF the Appro-
priations Committee the following will be
some of the members: Mr. Randall, Chair
man, Messrs. Blount, Mills, Dorsheimer
I +z
Messrs. Keifer and Cannon will be of its
Republican members.
GIBSON'S SUGAR BILL.
Senator Gibson introduced in the Senate
to-day a bill to provide for giving notice
to the Hawaiian Government of a desire
on the part of the United States Govern
ment to abrOgate the commercial treaty
between the two nations. The bill is the
same which Mr.. Gibson has introduced at
every session of Congress since the treaty
went into effect, first in the House and
| afterwards in the Senate.
HAMMOND REJECTS A CHAIRMANsHIP.
Mr.. Hammond has rejected the Chair
manship of the Elections Committee. He
was offered it the other night, and Mr..
| Carlisle was today notified by him that
he declined it. Mr.. Hammond having
served six years on the Judiciary Com
mittee, would have liked to have had the
Craftsmanship of it, but it was given to
Mr.. Tucker some time ago.
SENATE CONTRIBUTIONS.
The Senate to-day confirmed the nomi-
nation of Internal Revenue Commissioner
Evans, United States Treasurer Wyman
and Assistant Treasurer Graves, Richard
Gibbs to be United States Minister to Bo-
livia, and number of minor Postmasters
and other officers.