Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-12-16

whole thing was simply an attempt to NEE,
the fanatical spirit in the country on this
question to which Mr.. Vest would no, give
countenance.
Mr.. Browns amendment was lost. ayes 81,
noes 35.
The amendment of Mr.. Morgan's was
agreed to. conining the joint rules TO 80
much of the capitol as was in control of the
two houses of Congress. (This excludes
from their operation so much of the capitol
as Is controlled by the supreme court
Mr.. Cockrell offered an amendment to the
effect that any Senator or Member of Con-
gress violating the rules, should be liable TO
expulsion. 1t looked very small, he said, for
Senators to be passing rules for the purpose
OF infiicting punishment upon common clerks
for conniving at the use of whiskey at the
capitol, when 1t was notorious that the dis
tlngulshed Senators who voted to keep this
rule inviolate, kept intoxicating liquors in
their committee rooms.
The clerk, at Mr.. Ingalls, request, read
aloud the wine list of the Senate restaurant
with the prices of the different brands. much
TO the amusement of the Senators. Under
the head OF Madeira wines" he found BLACK
burns Reserve" the reading of which was
greeted with shouts of laughter, and someone
was heard to say soto voce ''good for Joe -
When another brand was announced as bot
tied expressly for the United States Senate, -
the laughter was renewed, and on conclusion
OF the reading MIR. Butler expressed surprise
that the clerk had net found "culd tea" on
the list
MIR. Salisbury thought it disgrace that
the United States Senate should tolerate such
an invitation to dissipation as exhibited by
such bill of fare, and a disgrace that the
capitol should be turned into a grog shop.
MIR. Cockrell said he disliked drunkenness
everywhere, but had seen more of it among
the senators than the employees of the Sen
ate. lie had known of an appropriation bill
to be occasionally delayed because of intox-
ication among the subordinates, but 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-
Senator Simon Cameron and ex-senator
Hamlin that 20 or 80 years ago the Senate
had been found time and again without a
quorum because more than a quorum was
drunk; then he had seen distinguished sem
ator after an attempt to rise 10 his place fail
because OF drunkenness. Mr.. Frye himself
remembered when nights session of the
House of Representatives was broken up by
drunken members. Things had very much
improved since then. Mr.. Frye regretted
the remarks of the senator of Missouri
| (CockrelD as conveying to the country the
| impression that so many senators were drunk
| during the ordinary business of the Senate
that the Senate had to adjourn on account
of drunkenness.
| Mr.. Cockrell said he had not so stated; he
had never seen so many senators under the
influence of liquor that public business could
not be transacted; he had never seen any
thing even approaching this, but he had seen
two or three or more senators, a minority, so
under the influence of whiskey during the
discussions that the Senate for the sake of
decency, had adjourned. He did not think
he had ever seen more than half dozen at a
time in this condition and could give names
if desired. Laughter.
Mr.. Frye said that no reform had ever made
| such strides as the temperance reform within
twenty years. He had been six years in the
Senate and had never seen two senators in
| the condition indicated by Mr.. Cockrell; in
deed, he could not say with certainty he bad
seen one so under the influence of liquor
as to be unfit for business. Personally Frye
would like to see all liquors excluded from
the Senate, but if the temperance people could
not get all the temperance they wanted, they
had to take all they could get. He believed
thoroughly in prohibition and wished that
every state and every county in the Union
believed in it, but recognized the rights of
other senators and was not fanatic.
After further discussion Of the temperance
question MIR. CockrelPs amendment was dis
agreed to-yeas 20, nays 80.
On motion of Mr.. Edmunds the clause pro-
viding tor the discharge of the clerks who
should "connive" at the use of liquors, was
stricken out in order to make the rule har-
monize with the sense OF Senator Cockrells
amendment. with that clause out the 18th
rule was then adopted.
The 9th rule was amended so as to pre-
serve to the Senate the power to appoint con-
ference committees, in order that the Vice
President might not have it in his power to
defeat the will of the Senate.
The Senate at 4.50 went into executive
session, and at sos adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr.. Morrison of Illinois, offered concur
rent resolution providing for holiday recess
from Tuesday, Dec. %, until Tuesday, Jan.
g. Laid over one day.
Mr.. Morrison called up the report of the
committee on rules which was presented
Monday, and the proposed new code of rules
was read at length.
A general debate was opened by Mr. Morri-
son with a short explanation of the proposed
revision
Mr.. Randall briefly expressed his opposi-
ton TO the rules on the ground that the dis
tribution of bills would result in increased
expenditures. He sent to the clerks desk
and had read an extract from the annual
message of President Arthur to the forty
seventh Congress recommending that no ap-
preparation oe made for internal Improvement
and informing it that a sufficient amount re-
mained from appropriations of the previous
year to carry on all necessary works of i'm
provement Yet in the face of this message,
and in the face of the further fact that no es-
Inmates had been submitted, the forty seventh
Congress had demanded estimates and had
actually passed a bill involving the expendi-
ture of nearly ss,000,0 900. With this state
ment of fact he was quite content to leave to
the House and country the question whether
there had not been a tendency TO increase
expenditures under this plan of distributing
appropriation bills.
Mr. Hammond of Georgia submitted a
strong argument in antagonism TO the scheme
OF distributing appropriation bills, pointing
out dangers which would result therefrom.
He was not ready to try the experiment so
many great men and serious votes had pro-
nounced against. The democratic party had
Just come into ascendency and was on trial,
He was afraid to try this experiment when
the democratic party had been posing for
years as party of reform and economy.
Mr.. Reed of Maine spoke in favor of the
proposed revision. For the last three con-
gressess q representative Of the people of the
| United States has been in irons. He has not