The Portland daily press., 1885-12-17
XLIXth CONGRESS FIRST SESSION.
SENATE e.

of the resolution relating to the death of Vice
President Hendricks passed at meeting Of the
American residents of the city of Mexico.
1t was laid on the table.
Among the bills introduced and referred were
the following:
By Mr.. Teller to provide for the free and un-
limited coinage of silver dollars.
BY MI ingalls, to proxlde ~ tor determining g the
dent to discharge the powers and duties of his Of
fee
a resolution heretofore offered by Mr.. Beck was
laid before the Senate requesting the President
to cause an enquiry to be.made, and inform the
Senate whether any consular officer of the United
States had since 1868, had any interest or re-
ceved any benefit from any national, consular or
commercial officials of foreign countries.
Referred to the committee d S on M commerce a,.
ing the committee on territories to enquire into
and report by what authority the so-caled legis-
lature had been organized in the territory of Da-
kota. Laid over one day.
The chair appointed as printing committee of
the Senate Messrs Manderson, Hawley and Cor
man.
The Senate then proceeded to the calendar the
first bill in order being Mr.. Hoars presidential
succession bill.
Mr.. Beck suggestiyely inquired what might
have happened had the President of the United
States died before the meeting OF Congress, Re
jorty, not being present in sufficient numbers on
the opening of Congress to have constituted
quorum. The people had placed the executive
cratic party. The Republicans by themselves
could not have sworn in senators for Illinois,
would have been presented whether it was the
duty of the Democrats of the Senate to help the
Republicans to elect President pro tenn of the
Senate who should by President of the United
States or stand still and allow the House OF Repre-
sentativeS to elect their speaker by IT'S votes is
more than quorum OF the House Had the
speaker been elected before the President pro
TEN of the Senate we might have had some un-
seemly scenes as TO who had the better right to
the presidential office when the Senate should la
ter elect its President pro tem For one Mr.
Beck would not help the minority OF the Senate
who had no quorum when on the same day the
Democratic House of Representatives was elect
inc a Democratic speaker. That was difficulty
that might have confronted us seriously. The
bill in Mr.. Becl's opinion; disposed of all aques
tionS of doubt.
Mr. Edmunds expressed his surprise at Mr.
Beck's observations. He admitted it had been
the will of the party of which Mr.. Beck was dis
tinguished leader to resort to revolutionary meth
DDS, it was within the power of large minority
of any government to become revolutionlsts and
attempt to break 1t up but Mr.. Edmunds should
hope it wonld be very long time before any DEM
ocTatic (or any Republican Senator, If the Repub-
licans were in the minority would resort to any
revolutionary method whether OF action or mac
tion, presence or absence with a view to gain the
political advantage of dispensing the post Offices
and signing land warrants until the election of a
new President All that Mr.. Beck had stated Mr..
Edmunds thought purely imaginary. He had no
doubt that When President Arthur failed to leave
the chair the Senate could have elected Presi-
dent pro TEN to serve whenever the Vice PreSi-
dent should be absent and could have done SINH
larly last spring. If he (Mr Edmunds) had the
regulation of the question under discussion ne
would leave the substance of the law where it
was now but would add to it provision requiring
a House of Republicans to meet and organize on
the 4th ofMarch. that the country should have
fonr lives between the executive OF its executive
office and chaos. That would meet everything
except something that might happen once in per
tion could be had. This plan he (Mr. Edmunds)
would have because it was based on the solid
principle that 1t was the intention and necessary
scheme of the government of the people that when
a vacancy occurs in the office of the chief magiS
trate the Representatives OF the people IN the Sen
ate and House Of Representatives should be the the
people could be again directly taken by an cleo
ton and that it was not in accordance with the
true philosophy of Republican and Democratic
government that the President should be author
iZed to name the man who in case OF his disability
should be President in his stead He (Mr. Ed
mundS) had the highest respect for the present
Secretary of State, but would not in an emergen-
cy contemplate to place such an office as the
chief magistracy in the hands of any person for
the remainder Of the four yearly term without any
power in the States or people to have new cleo
ton.
the sole power of designating his successor The
Senate had to confirm the secretary OF state in
the first instance.
having confirmed six men as cabinet officers these
men in succession, and in the emergency contenl-
plated were proposed tobe vested with power
obnoxious to safe Republican government. The
Senate always confirmed the Presidents cabinet
and those new sf1cers who had the personal con-
fidence of the President Party afdliation did not
weigh in the confirmation of such nominations in
the Senate. If it were not so and this new bill
were in operation, Mr.. Edmunds would be obliged
to advise the President not to select Mr.. Bayard
for secretary of state, for honest Republican as
he, (Mr. Edmunds) was he thought Mr.. Bayards
views and policy on great public questions were
fNpifxr rnf ftNO
sumed thought them right, as evidenced by the
election of MI. Cleveland.
In order to test the feeling Of the Senate on the
clause of the bill repeating the sections OF the
revised statutes that provide for a new election,
Mr. EdmundS moved that the clause be stricken
out He added to the e. objsetSns stated fd further
eesson should die or go out of office during the
vacation of the Senate, the President would have
absolute power to appoint his successor without
confirmation by the Senate
Mfr. Morgan favored the bill as it came from
the committee and strongly opposed the idea
that the president of the Senate was the proper
person to be invested with the Presidential func-
lions in case of a vacancy:
people would be better satisfied with an election
and he therefore favored Mr.. Edmund's amend
ment.
suspended debate on the Presidential succession
bill and went into executive session.
HOUSE.
In the House Mr.. Brown of Indiana offered a
resolution changing the rules as to provide that
leave to print in the Record shall be allowed only
when the question is under consideration.
On motion Of Mr.. Norwood of Georgia, the Sen.
ate bill to remove the political disabilities OF
Gen. Alexander r. Lawton OF Georgia was
passed.
Mr. King of Louisiana proposed an amendment
to the rules so as to allow members to see cor
respondents Of the press in the lobby In the rear
The discussion of the proposed revision OF the
rules was then resumed, and Mr. Herbert OF Ala.
bama took the floor with an argument IL IN o IaV9f o.
to the plan of distributing tne WORK OF tne appro
priation committee. This committee, he thought
ali power Should be taken away from it to incor-
porate in them general legislation. he clted IN
stances to show the evils which had resulted from
prevented the enacting of benefcent laws, and
had created enemies to the great commttee on
appropriations. If this attack on the commttee
should prove successful the committee would
have te blame the Holman amendment for IT,
Mr.. Hiscock of New York, a MEMBER OF tne
committee on rules, presented the reasons W WnS tS
majority. The gentlemen who opposed the as a
tribution feature did so on the theory tnat tne
majority Of the e. House lou b eTGf Ss UT Tbey MAIN
tanned that it was not possible for speaker pos
sessed of capacity as he was and as honest as ~
| knew him to be to select from the gentlemen Whc
had elevated him to the high position he now &C,
cupied, committees which could keep WITHIN tne
limits Of proper appropriations for tne CARRYING OI
members S Of fbe House as possible sharing in its
responsibilities He was opposed to building up
system Of rules that would crown any man d9 o.
He went on to argue that of the appropriation
bills were distributed they could all be reported
within thirty days of the organization OF the com
| mitteeS.
MIR Randall of Pennsylvania inquired whether
| the experience of the gentleman from New YorR
as chairman of the committee on appropriations
| in the 47th Congress had not taught him tnat \
| was impossible to report appropriation bllls win
| in thirty days from the time the committee was