Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-19
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
First Session,
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, March Ia

..ake the bankruptcy bill special order for
warren 5lst, was agreed to-Yeas, SO: nays
IA. 90 nays
Mr. Allison called up the urgent deficiency
oiii' ana the Senate concurred with the House
'na' some OF the items making up the sum
expended for the funeral obsequies of Gen.
uraht were not properly of an urgent defic-
.enGy character. As to the Block Island
caDie the Senate ordered that that item be
retained in the bill The remaining senate
items were also insisted upon.
Concurrent resolutions were submitted from
.he legislature of Virginia, protesting against
'he proposition to place foreign coin and ores
on the free list; referred.
I'n motion OF Mr.. Blair the Senate passed.
without debate, the bill providing for COM
hissioh or nve persons to investigate the
alcohoilc lquor traffic, its relations to rev.
ehue ana taxation and its general economic,
criminal, moral and scientific aspects in con-
hection with pauperism, crime, social vice,
pubic health and the general welfare of the
people. The bill provides that the commits
sion shall be appointed by the President with
consent of the Senate and that all the COM
mlssioners shall not be advocates of pro-
hlDltlon and that they shall serve without
salary.
The Senate on like motion of Mr.. Blair
passed. without debate, bill providing for
the study OF the nature of alcoholic stimulent
and narcotics and their effects on the human
systt m in the schools of the Territories and
the District Of Columbia and military and
naval academies and Indian schools.
Mr.. Logan called up his bill, ''to increase
the efficiency of the army"
The bill having been partly read Mr. Hale
moved to strike out section two, which fixes
the whole force of the army at a number not
to exceed 10000 men.
The motion on the suggestion of Mr. Logan
was withdrawn for the present till the COM
mittee amendments had been acted.
Mr.. Hale said he did not think the army
ought to be increased
As the reading progressed Mr.. Logan of
tered amendments of detail which were agreed
to.
An amendment of detail, suggested by Mr..
Hale, was also agreed to.
The bill with amendments was then ordered
printed
Mr.. Hale gave notice that he would to-
morrow move an amendment, already indi-
Gated, to strike out section two.
AT 2 o'clock, unfinished business was placed
before the Senate, being the resolutions re-
ported by MIR. Edmunds from the judiciary
committee, expressing the Senates condem.
furnish the papers called for by the Senate.
Mr.. Van Wyck offered as an amendment
to the resolutions, the following land in all
such cases of removal the matter of confirma-
tion shall be considered in the open session
of the Senate"
Mr.. Sewell, occupying the chair, remarked
that the "amendment will be printed and lie
over"
Mr.. Brown then took the floor in opposi-
ton to the report of the majority of the COM
mittee. He said that there was but single
question at issue; that question was had the
President without the advice and consent of
the Senate the power to remove federal Off
GERS when in his opinion public interest re-
uuired such removal. Mr.. Brown read
from the constitution sections relating to ex-
ecutive power to show that the President pos
sessed the whole of that power except as to
particulars in which the constitution specti-
cally qualified 1t did not qualify the ap-
pointing power of the President as to certain
offices by requiring the advice and consent of
the Senate to their appointment, but placed
no such qualification on his power OF removal.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Browns remarks
Mr. Spooner took the floor in support of the
ma ajority report.
Mr.. Spooner took up the question from
legal point of view and quoted from the con-
stitution and tenure of office law to show
that the power of removal as well as of ap-
pointment was in the President and Senate
acting together and that whichwas in his sole
discretion absolute was in the power of sus-
pension during recess. One source of much
confusion in this debate, Mr.. Spooner said,
was the confouEding by democratic senators
of suspensions with removals. To suspend
an officer caused a temporary cessation OF his
functions; to remove caused permanent
cessation. A suspended officer was not re-
moved officer. for if the Senate refused 20
confirm his successor the suspended man re-
turned to office. The supreme court has so
decided. Mr. Spooner criticised the PresI-
dents expression ''innocuous desuetude."
The term always provoked smile. Mr.
Sppooner said, but there was nothing to
smile at This was a government of law and
he was sorry that the chief executive of the
renublic should have used such words of any
law that stood on the statute books. 1t was
a dangerous time when the President of the
limited States with an oath registered in
Heaven to take care that the laws should be
faithfully executed "should send to the
Senate message saying that the statutes
had fallen into harmless disuse though the
statute remained on the books.
At five o'clock. Mr.. Spooner still having
the floor on the Edmunds motion, the Senate
went into executive session and in about half
an hour, on the doors being reopened, ad-
journed.
HOUSE.
In the House today Mr.. Collins of Massa-
cbusetts introduced bill from the committee
on judiciary to establish uniform system of
bankruptcy throughout the United States; ;
put on the calendar.
NJ rollins also introduced bill amend