Morning journal and courier., 1886-03-19
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON. March IS. 1886.

them were the bill lntrOduceO Dy NIT. Fryt | to provide for commission to inv estigatt | the alcohol liuuor traffic: it's relation to rev l enue and taxation, and it's general economic | criminal, moral and scientific aspects 1T connection with pauperism, crime and the public health. Also MT. Blalr's bill to pro | vide for the study of the nature Of alcohol l ic drinks and narcotics and of their effects
 upon the human system, by pupils in the public schools of the territories and the Dis trict of Columbia and in the military and | naval academies.
 At 2 o'clock the Edmunds resolution came up and MT. Brown took the floor in opposi-
 tion to the adoption of the resolution The
 interest in the debate over this controversy
 with the President is beginning to flag.
 There was but slim attendance in the gal
 lerles when MT. Brown began his speech and on the floor of the Senate there were only fourteen Senators, eleven Republicans and three Democrats. Within half an hour his audience on the floor had dwindled to nine Senators, three Republicans and six Democrats. At the outset MT. Brown began an examination of the constitu- tional rights of the President in the matter of removals and appointments and argued that the President possessed absolute power and right to remove any officer when in his opinion the necessities of the public service demand it. Under proper construc- tion of the constitution this power rests in the President and in him alone. There was limitation, however, placed by the consti- tuition on the Presidents power of appointment. This could only be ex- ercised by and with the advice and quoted from Madison Chief Justice Marshall and others of the early days of the govern ment to sustain him in this view that the power of removal was absolute in the Presi- dent. The Senate, MT. Brown continued, had no jurisdiction over the question of sus-
 md in at fO ercise such jurisdiction usurped an authority not conferred by the constitution or laws. In conclusion MT. Brown said it was the judgment of the high court of appeals, the people, not that President Cleveland has used the power of removal, but that he has failed to use it with sufficient energy. If there was any charge against him in the popular mind it was not the charge of con- mission, but of omission.
 Mir Spooner at the close of MT. Browns speech took the floor in support of the reso lution. Going at once to the Attorney Gen erals reply to the call of the Senate for the papers in the Duskin case, MT. Spooner said the Attorney General had not denied the e1- istence of the papers, but contended that as they were private papers and were wanted for consideration in respect to 8 suspension the Senate was not entitled to them. But the President and Attorney General were not to assume that the Senate wanted lll0 pdpeFS TOT auy puTpOS0 uOG within it's jurisdiction It was indispen- sable for the orderly conduct of the government that the papers wanted by either house of Congress for purposes within the jurisdiction of tle house calling for them should be obtainable. Had it come to this, said MT. Spooner, that the Senate must with oriental salaam approach the door of the de- partment bound to disclose to the Attorney General and the President the precise pur- pose for which papers were desired and then to be told by the President that if he thought the purpose to be subserved legiti- mate he would furnish the papers, otherwise not Would not this, inquired Mr. Spooner, enable the President to shut out the sunlight of investigation from the public offices. Mir. Spooner took up the question from legal point of view and quoted from the constitution and the tenure of office act to show that the power of re- moval as well as of appointment was in the President and Senate acting together, and that what was in his sole discretion, sion during a recess of the Senate. NIT. Spooner defed the Democratic Senators to show what by their doctrine was to pre- vent any President from shutting Congress out from all kno wledge of dishonesty occur ring under his administration. The people could thus be kept in utter ignorance of the defect of any administration.
 At o'clock, Mir. Spooner still having the floor, on MT. Edmunds' motion the Senate went into executive session and half an hour later when the doors were reopened adjourn ed.
 HeUsE-In his prayer this morning the chaplain of the House invoked divine aid in delivering the halls of Congress from intem- perance.
 The Speaker laid before the House a com munication from the Treasury department recommending that the limit of cost of the Brooklyn public building be increased to $1 ,500 0O0; referred.
 MT. Negley, of Pennsylvania, endeayored to obtain unanimous consent to put upon it's passage bill to reimburse the national home for disabled volunteers for losses incurred by the failure of the Exchange National bank of Norfolk, but MT. Beach objected.
 A number of reports from committees were submitted, after which the House in the morning hour resumed consideration of the bill conferring jurisdiction upon the court of claims to investigate private and domestic claims other than war claims against the United States. A discussion eHsued and pending demand for the pre- vious question the morning hour expired and the bill went over as unfinished business.
 The House then went into Committee of the Whole on the Indian appropriation bill. Consideration of the bill dragged along slow ly. No important amendments were offered and after finishing forty-two of the forty eight pages of the bill the committee rose and the House at 5:51 adjourned
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