The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-04-01
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS.
NcIlnie.


Mr. Wilson of Iowa presented several me
MORALS OF tine legislature of Iowa, among
them one urging the passage of the Des
Moines River lands title bill over the Presi'
dents veto.
Mr., Logan submitted the following reso-
luton;
ReSoired, That the sessions OF the Senate,
commonly known as executive sessions, SO far
as they apply to nominations, combinations
or reflections, shall hereafter be held with
open doors, and that public record of the
same shall be kept, the same as of legislative
sessions.
The resolution was ordered printed and to
lie over,
The chair laid before the Senate Mr. Lo
gan's bill to increase the efficiency OF the
army
Mr. Logan, at the suggestion of the Secre-
cary of War, moved for some further amend
ments of detail 10 the bill, and they were
agreed to,
Mr.. Hale then moved to strike out the sec
ond section, which provides for future
force of $4,000 enlisted men in the army. II
there were any need, he said, of an increased
army force, it could only because of the
needs of the Indian frontier. He read from
the report of the present Secretary of war
the statement that the Indian was no longer
n source of danger. Mr.. Hale believed the
morale of the army better today than at amy
time since the war. An increase of 5000 men
to the army meant an increase of about So
100000 TO the army appropriation bill. The
work for which the army was maintained had
been decreasing year by year for the past
several year Our recent history had shown
what the American people could do in tho
way Of improvising an army; and our pre-
sent condition showed no necessity for the
proposed increase in the army. A navy could
not be improvised; it would take years to
lpilJ nd ppl1irn a Inf with
army.
The chair laid before the senate the
judiciary committee resolutions.
Mr. Colquilt took the floor in opposition to
the majority report. If there ever was a
quo ,tion, Mr.. Colquitt said, that should be
settled, it was the question involved here. 1t
had been settled by the Constitution and by
the first Congress, and had remained settled
for 40 years, and when then it was questioned,
it was again settled and had remained settled
til this day. The only object that Mr.. Col
Quit could see that was to be subserved by
the adoption of the resolutions reported by
the majority of the committee was to place
on record and perpetuate the malice OF that
majority. The senate in this matter, he said,
Wa merely usurping the power to present
articles of Impeachment, thus becoming both
aCcuSer and Judge, The house of representa-
tivts bad not presented such articles against
the Attorney General nor had any member
of thai house proposed to do so. 1t was left
for this body, actllated by party feeling, to
first file articles of impeachment and then to
pass their own judgement on them-in con-
travention of all principles and practices re-
lat!lg to impeachment The intention was,
by the passage of these resolutions, to pro-
duce, if possible, all the moral effect of an
impeachment. This was an act unworthy of
The senate, and would simply have the e ect
of showing that the senate had not got be-
tl,a limits Of
Mr.. Jackson followed Mr.. Colquitt also in
opposition to the majority report He be-
lieyed the right of removal of officers to be
wholly i'll the President. So far as acts of
Congress made removals dependent on the
senate, those acts were an encroachment on
the constitutional rights and powers of the
President The trouble Mr.. Jackson con-
tnued was that senators were not willing to
take the Presidents statement to the effect
that there was no official paper on file, of the
character called for between the dates lndi-
Gated Has Congress any more authority
over papers in the executive departments
than the Supreme Court had? The judiciary
was a coordinate branch Of the government,
as well as was the legislative department.
When the rights of individuals were on trial
b fore the Supreme Court, involving per-
haps, life or liberty, the judiciary was as
much entitled TO the papers as was Congress
or the senate. Yet Chief Justice Marshall,
in the trial of Aaron Burr, sustain PTeSi-
dent jefferson in refusal to disclose certain
portions of a correspondence which jefferson
asserted to he confidential and intended to
guide him in the performance OF his eXecu
tive functions
The chair laid before the Senate number
of House bills, among them the bill granting
a pension of $1,000 year to the widow OF
General Hancock On motion of Mr. Blair
that bill was at once passed.
L M
Logan's bill to increase the efficiency of the
army.
Mr. henderson spoke in favor of the sec
ton increasing the force to $1,000 enlisted
! men. He read from testimony given and
| letters written by Generals Schotield, Pope
and others to show the inadequacy of the
present force of 9. coo One of these gentle
men stated that we had just enough display
of military strength in the Indian country to
provoke the contempt of the Indians. Mr.
| Henderson called attention to the very small
force of soldiers in the whole military depart
ment of the East, some 2645 only. As to the
need of soldiers in the West Mr.. Mandersor
said the Sioux population was about 2S.0oo
and the fighting Ind an was every Indian
The squaws We're almost as efficient as the
male Indians. Almost every man among thu
Sioux had Winchester rifle.
Referring to the efforts to civlllZe the In
dams, Mr.. Henderson said he would not dis
courage any practicable effort III that dlrec
ton but, as things were, we must treat thu
Indians as we find them, and they were still
brutal savages. He did not agree with Mr.
Hale that at the stamp of the boot we coult
raise a large army If at the outbreak of tn
Rebellion, lie said, we had an army of 5O,Oo
men, the war would have been averted
There was no wiser motto than 'ln tint
of peace prepare for war;.
The conference committee on the urgent
deficiency bill presented q report, which wa
accepted showing mutual concessions by tn
house and senate as to the differences that ha
existed.
Mr.. Van Wyck asked that the bill to con
firm entries heretofore made upon the publ
lands be taken up The bin was taken up.
In reply to Mr. Conger and Mr.. Logan
Mr. Van Wyck said the bill related to home
stead, preemption and timber culture entire
only. and not to entries made with scrip
Mr.. Plumb suggested that an amendmen
oe made declaring that the measure shall nc
apply to scrip entries.
Mr.. Van Wyck accepted the amendment
The bill was then passed without division.