Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-12-17
fORTY-NINTH CONGRESS.


SENATE.
WARRINGTON. Dec. l6.
The chair laid before the Senate q copv of
the resolution relating to the death of Vice
PRESIDENT Hendricks, passed at . meeting of
the American residents of the City Of Mexico.
Laid on the table.
Among the bills introduced and referred
we're the following:
BY Mr.. Teller-To provide for the free and
unlimited coinage of silver dollars.
BY Mr. lngalls-To provide for determin-
ing the existence and removal of the inability
OF the president to discharge the powers and
BY MI. Frye-To extend the powers of the
court OF commissioners of Alabama claims
Tor six months from the expiration of the
term of existence of that court, for the pur-
pose OF closing up its business.
BY Mr.. Ingalis-To provide for .determin.
ing existence and removal of inability of the
PRESIDENT to discharge the powers and duties
OF his office. 1t provides that on representa-
ton OF two heads of departments to the chief
justice OF the supreme court of the United
Stf tes that the President is unable to dis
charge the duties of his Office the chief JUS
tice shall convene the court and it shall de-
termine the question of such alleged inability
The resolution heretofore offered by Mr..
Beck was laid before the Senate, requesting
the president to cause inquiry to be made and
to inform the Senate whether any consular
officer of the United States had, since 1868,
had any interest or received any benefit from
any national. consular or commercial officials
of foreign countries. Referred to the COM
mittee on commerce.
A resolution was offered by Mr.. Butler di-
recting the committee on territory to inquire
into and report by what authority a so-called
legislature has been organized in the terri
tory of Dakota. Laid over one day.
The chair appointed IS printing committee
of the Senate. Messrs. Henderson, Hawley
and German.
The Senate then took up the calender, the
first bill in order being the House presiden-
tial succession bill.
Mr.. Maxey favored the bill.
Mr.. Beck suggestively inquired what might
have happened had the president Of the u
S. died before the meeting of Congress, and
the republican senators although, as whole,
in the majority, not being present in sufficient
numbers on the opening of Congress to have
constituted a quorum. The people had plac-
ed the executive authority for four years in
the hands of the democratic party. The re-
publicans by themselves could not have sworn
in the senators for Illinois. New Hampshire
or Oregon. The question would have been
presented whether 1t was the duty of the
democrats of the Senate to help the republi-
cans to elect president pro TEN of the Sem
ate who should be president of the United
States, or stand still and allow the House to
elect speaker by l7S votes to l6 Had the
speaker been elected before the president pro
tenn of the Senate we might have had some
unseemly scenes as to who had the better
right to the presidential Office when the SEN
ate should elect its president pro TEN. For
one, Beck would not help the minority of the
Senate, who had no quorum, when on the
same day democratic House was electing
democratic speaker. That was q difficulty
that might have confronted US seriously. The
bill, in Mr.. Beck's opinion, disposed of all
questions of doubt.
MIR. Edmunds expressed his surprise at
Mr.. Beck's observations. He admitted that
it had been the will of the party of which
he was distinguished leader, to resort to
revolutionary methods, it was within the
power of large minority of any government
to become revolutionists and attempt to break
it up. But Mr.. Edmunds should hope it
would be a very long time before any demo-
crat Cor any republican senator, if the repub-
licans were in the minority would resort to
any revolutionary method, whether of action
or inaction, presence or absence, with view
to gain political advantage in the dispensing
of post offices and signing of land warrants
until the election of a new president.
All that Beck had stated Edmunds thought
purely imaginary. He had no doubt that
when President Arthur failed to leave the
chair the Senate could have elected presi-
den pro tenn to serve whenever the vice-pres-
ident should be absent and could have been
done similarly last spring. If Edmunds had
had the regulation of the question under dis
cussion he would leave the substance of the
law where it was now, but would add to it a
provision requiring the House of Represen-
tatives to meet and organize on the fourth
day of March; that the country should have
four distinct lines between the executive of
its executive office and chaos. That would
meet everything except something that might
happen once, perhaps, in hundred
thousand years before an election could be
had. This plan Edmunds would have be-
cause it was based on solid principle; that
it was the intention and necessary scheme of
the government of the people, that when a
vacancy occurs in the Office of the chief mag
istrate, the representatives of the people in
the Senate and House of Representatives
until the voice of the people could be again
directly taken by election and that it was not
in accordance with the true philosophy of re-
publican and democratic government that the
president should be authorized to name the
man who, in case of disability, should be
pre- sident in his stead. He had the highest
respect for the present secretary Of state, but
would not in emergency contemplate placing
such an office as chief magistrate in the hands
of any one for the remainder of four years
term without any power in the states or peo-
pie to have new election.
Mr.. Morgan didn't see that the President
had sole power of designating his successor.
The Senate had to confirm the secretary of
state in the first instance.
Mr. Edmunds admitted that. but the Sem
ate having confirmed six men as cabinet Of
ficers these men in succession and in emer-
gency contemplated were proposed to be
vested with power obnoxious to safe repub-
lican government. The Senate always con-
frmed the Presidents cabinet; these were
officers who had the personal confidence OF
the President. Party affiliation didn't weigh
in the confirmation of such nomination in the
Al.