The Portland daily press., 1885-12-16
XLIXth CONGRESS FIRST SESSION.
The Senate Takes Important Steps
In Temperance Matters.
Interesting Discussion of the Rules
in the House.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.
The chair laid before the Senate today letter
from the Secretary of War, with report OF the
chief of ordnance, showing the tests of iron and
steel during the last fiscal year, also letter from
the same Secretary, transmitting in compliance
with recent resolution of the Senate, the report
of Captain BiXby, United States engineer, on the
from the same Secretary, transmitting the petit
ton of the adiutant general of the army, and the
officers and non-commissioned oflicers
Mr. Edmunds from the committee on judiciary,
reported fav0rably bill to relieve Cen AleXan-
der r. Lawton of Georgia OF his pohtica! dlsaDll-
tiles. He asked for an Immediate conslderatl ION
of the bill. The bill was read three times and
The Senate then took up Mr. Hoars bill to pro
vide for the Presidential succession, and Mr..
Hoar addressed the Senate on the subject.
The bill, Mr.. Hoar said, in case OF vacancy IN
the Office OF President and Vice President de-
yolved thePresidential duties upon members Of the
Cabinet in the order of official seniority; that is
to say in the order in which the various depart
ments were created except that the head OF the
partment created by law, is continued III MS
place and ranking the heads OF some OF the
ment Of the Cabinet The bill also, Mr.. Hoar
said provided that the officers who should sue
ceed to the duties, should continue to act during
the term for which the President should have
been elected and abrogated the provisions OF the
law providing for an election in the interval. Inc
present arrangement, devoying the SUCCESSION ION
House of Representatives respectively, Mr. Hoar
said, was most awkward and inconyenent one.
It had been adopted originally IN opposition 70
the opinion of the first House of Representatives.
of which he was the leader 1t had been adopted
as a continuance of an old controversy that arose
in the convention that framed the constitution,
and that struggled for the equality OF the smaller
States as against the claim that the powers OF the
government should be welded by the people OF
the different States in proportion to their popula
lation. The scale had been turned IN favor OF the
existing principle by the jealousy entertained
toward Jefferson. But for the apprehension OF
the growing public influence OF Jefferson and OF
the political opinions of which he had been the
representative the provision would have been
of State to exercise executive tunctl0n IN the
case of vacancy. Among the objections TO the
fact that during portion of this term there was
no officer in being who could succeed TO the Pres
idential duties also that 1t would be almost I'M
possible for the president of the Senate to con-
iinue to perform the functions OF his Senatorial
office when he should have become acting fTesl-
dent of the United States. Nothing could be con-
ceiyed more awkward or repugnant to our sense
of prOpriety than for the President OF tne Umteo
States to sit in the chair of the Senate and pre-
side over discussions with regard to his own nom
nations to Office he being an equal in the Sen
ate and presiding over and listening to criticisms
of the executive policy which would sometimes
be heard in the Senate chamber. Besides under
the present arrangement the executive function
was reposed on an officer changeable at the Will
Of the Senate The M oeer 3f f9e Ssaae
had devolved on him, and that point suggested
every possible measure of legislative precautlon
six Of the persons who had filed the Office of Sec
retary Of State became Presidents of the United
States, though not originally appointed with ref
erence to any succession. While no president pro
any considerable political organization for the
Presidency, there were but four OF the speakers
of the House had ever become a candidate OF any
considerable political organization. Mr. Hoaf
was of the opinion that the Intention OF the trainers
of the constitution had been that the process by
which this great ana nee re- people snU4c hie sSoad
take place once in four years. The intention OF
the people too, i'll Presidential election was not
so much matter of eleyating any particular man
to the Presidency as to pronounce that certain
policies, opinions and great public measures
should prevail The new measure 4r Pogid pc
office from assaults OF political CRIMINALS, as no
one would attempt to assassnate the President IN
order to elevate Cabinet officer who would be OF
the Presidents own political party. 1t was desr-
able to protect the Presidential incumbent from
assault in time OF great public excltement py
persons maddened and crazed as feeble-mlnded
Guiteau had been by q political quarrel or from
the person who should persuade hlmseH tnat ne
was performing the part OF Brutus.
Mr. Conger inquired what would happen III case
the Secretary OF State performing the Preslden-
tial duties should himself die or become 1ncapa-
BILE; should the person who should succeed MN as as
Secretary OF State be entitled to succeed him as
President?
Mr. Hoar replied that there would be no new
Secretary of State. The duties of the secretary
of State and President would be performed by the
same officer
At the conclusion of Mr.. Hoar's remarks, the
Senate took up the bill to increase to $4,000 the
salary of the United States district judges, but
after some debate it was laid over.
Mr. Edmunds introduced a bill granting pen
sion to Mrs Julia ID. Grant, and another granting
her the franking privilege. Mr.. Edmunds sald
the bills were precisely in the form adopted In
similar cases heretofore.
code of Joint rules for the Senate and the House
of Representatives, and the Senate proceeded
with its consideration.
Mr. Frye briefly explained the rules. One of the
clauses he said provided that each House should
every morning dispose of all messages on its ia
BILE. ''That," sad Mr. Frye, will prevent the
other house from adjournfng at the close of the
session with 240 Senate bills on its table,"
Another clause provided against general leglsa,;
tOn on appropriation bills; another regulated
conference, as to which there was now no regula-
ton; another would require each house during
business of the other house. This was what the
Senate had always done. As to rule IS, proyid-
ing that no Intoxicating liquors be sold IN the cap
itol Mr. Frye said that the majority OF the conf
mitee believed the subject of that rule to be one
that should be left to each house separately, and
the committee had therefore recommended tnat
On the committees proposition to strike out the
rule, the yeas and nays were demanded, anu re-
sulted-yeas 20, nays SO.
object the exclusion OF liquor from the Capltol,
especially the committee rooms, whether for sale
or not.
Mr Vest was opposed to the rule, as setting up
a system of espionage. Every one knew that Il q
senator wanted liquor in his committee room, ne
would have it, and visit the severest punishment
in his power on any clerk who should Inform on
him. The whole thing was simply an attempt TO
meet fanatical spirit in the country on this ques
ton, to which MI. Vest would not give counte-
nance.
So.
The amendment of Mr.. Morgan's was agreed to,
confirming the joint rules to so much OF the Capl-
tol was in the control OF the two houses o. Con
III 1ndn From
much of the Capital as Is controlled by the Su-
preme Court. -.
that any Senator or member of Congress violating
the rules should be liable to expulsion. 1t looked
very small he said for Senators to be passing rules
for the purpose of inflicting punishment on COM
mittee clerks "for conniving at the use of whiskey
at the capitol when it was notorious that dlstln-
guished Senators who voted to keep this rule IN
Kept Intoxicating liquors in their committee
T00ms.'
The clerk, at Mr.. ingalls, request read aloud
the wine list of the Senate restaurant win t fne
prices of the different brands, much TO the
amusement of the Senators. Under the head o.
ssMadeira Wines,' he found" Blaekburn'S reserve,
"the reading of which was greeted with shouts o.
laughter and some one was heard to say sottc
yoee Good for Joe." When another brand was
announced as "botted expressly for the United
States senate cafe" the laughter was renewed ano
on the conclusion of the reading MI. Butler eN
pressed his surprise that the clerk had not foune
"cold tea on the list. =,
United States Senate should tolerate such invita-
fion to dissipation as was exhibited by such bill
of fare and disgrace that the capitol should Dt
turned into a grog shop.
Mr.. Cockrell said he dislked drunkenness every
where, but he had seen more OF II among senators
than employees of the Senate. He had known o.
an appropriation bill to be occasionally delayed
because of intoxication among subordlnates, bu
he had known the Senate to be adjourned because
of the condition of some of its members.
Mr.. Frye said he had been told by ex-Senato
Simon Cameron and ex-senator Hamln that ~ O.
80 years ago the Senate had been found time an'
again without a quorum because more t1an
quorum was drunk and that he had seen a dlstln
guished Senator after an attempt to rise In hi
place fall because of drunkenness. Mr. Fry
himself remembered when night session Oh I'M
House of Representatives was broken up %.
drunken members, but things had very much I'm
proved since then Mr.. Frye regretted the re
marks of the Missouri Senator, (Mr. Cockrelll a
| many Senators were drunk during the ordlnar.
business of the Senate that the Senate mad
be adjourned on account of drunkenness.
Mr.. Cockrell said he had not so stated lie nat
never seen so many Senators under the lnnuenc'
| of liquor that the public business could not D
| transacted and had never seen anything even az
| preaching this, but he had seen two or three
| more Senators, a mere minority, so compietel
| under the influence of whiskey during the discus
sions that the Senate for the sake OF decency ma
| adjourned. He did not think he had eyer see
| more than half dozen at one time in TINS coma
| tlon and he could give the names If the Senator
| desired them. (Laughter)
| Mr.. Frye said no reform had ever MADE sue
| strides as the temperance reform WITHIN tWent
years. He had been six years In the Sena!e an
| had never seen two Senators in the condltlon II
| dicated by Mr. Cockrell-indeed, he could not sa
| with certainty that he had seen one SO under II
| influence as to be unfit for business. sPerSonall