The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-12-17
CONGRESSIONAL.
Proceedings in Both Houses
on Wednesday.
SOME Spirited DISCUSSION.
The Presidential Succession BIZ In
the Senate; Proposed Revision
Of the Rules IA the House.
SOME SPIRITED DISCUSSION.
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
SENATE.

WAsHrEeToE, December l6.-Among
the bills introduced and referred were
the following:
By Teller-To provide for the free and
unlimited coinage of silver dollars.
By Ingalls-To provide for determin-
ing the existence and removal OF the
inability of the President to discharge
the powers AMI duties of his Office.
a resolution heretofore offered By
Beck was laid before the Senate, re-
questlnS the President to cause an in
quiry to be made and inform the Senate
VIII ther any consular officer of the
States, since 1868, had any interest or
received benefit from any notariaI
consular or commercial office of foreign
countries. Referred to the committee
on commerce.
A resolution vas offered by Butler,
directing the committee on Territories
to inquire and report by what authority
a sO-called legislature had been organ
lied in the Territory of Dakota, and
whether such organization was not cal
culated to bring about a conflict of
authority preiudicial to good order in
that Territory. Butler asked immediate
consideration of the resolution.
ingalls, objected, and under the rule
the resolution lies over one day.
A resolution offe ed by Hale was
agro ed to, calling on the Secretary of the
Treasury TO transmit to the Senate a
list of claims against government dis
allowed since January LIST last. with the
case, and copies of all opinions delivered
in each case by officials of the govern
ment.
The Chair laid before the Senate a
message from the President, transmit
ting the report of the Secretary of the
Interior, calling attention to the condi-
ton of the Chey enne Indians, and re-
questing legislative authority for the
use of certain funds for their relief.
The Senate then proceeded to the
calendar, the first bill in order being
Hoar's Presidential succession bill.
The debate was participated in by
Maxey. Edmunds. Beck, Morgan. Hoar
and Teller. The principal feature was
lively tilt between Edmunds and
Beck. The latter had said he for one
would not help the Republicans of the
Senate to form a quorum 10 elect a pro
tenn President. when on the same day
he could stand still and see the House
Speaker. Such proceedings, Edmunds
declared, would be a moral treason"
In the course of the subsequent dis
cusSiOn Morgan made speech strongly
opposing the idea that the President OF
the Senate was q proper person to be in
vested with Presidential functions in
the case of vacancy. Suppose,
said he, ''that the Senator from Illinois
(Logan), who has been distinguished
soldier should be President pro temDore
of the Senate and should succeed to the
Presidential functions, and war with
any of the foreign powers should
arise, and he saw fit to take
command of the armies in the
field, could he keep the place as
president pro temp0re of the Senate
Certainly not. The Senate would have
to elect another president pro tempOre,
and if it did he might take command
of the armies again from the Senator
from Illinois"
Evarts arose to address the Senate,
but gave way to a motion of Hoar that
the Senate go into executive session.
When the doors reopened the Senate
adjourned