New-York tribune., 1886-02-03
THE RIGHT TO THE RECORDS.
DEFINING THE POWERS OF THE SENATE.

DEFINING THE POWERS OF IhE oENAiH H
pysoIuT1ONs BY MEssRs. RDDLEDEEGER AND
PVGH-DpMOCRArs WARNED.
fay rRIKaaArH To TIE TRIBUSE]
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-Mr. Riddleberger'
who classes himself as an Independent ohereu oSo
lutos in the s.pate to-day which again brought up tno
question OF the right OF Congress 10 examine the Po
records without regard to the wishes OF the
ar Of his C.biuet. The wording was AS foHo"s'
H,solosd That it is the Of the senate that n
Executive United states is not lesleteu W
situtionai law N removing or snspendng
shall b. given for such removals or susPona r.iatno
A. is the right OF the Senate 10 call for any ser @
10 the conduct OF removed or suspehdGd S. U
10 the qualification and Illness OF for ar cppdrmaon or
reisrtop and il is The duty of the Executive 10 ooP9
with all demands for the same H.,
Mr. Riddeberger asked for lis immediate cohnuer"
tion IN order that question might be depateu III P
liz bu, Senator Corkrel who had just come from the
White House. promptly objected. short time AFTER
ward MI Pugh OF Alabama who haS Deeh the P'in0'p"
speaker in the Democratic caueua, wtere ne WIS 'io
recognized representative OF the ADMINISTRATOR eu'
,nttsd as substitute a resolution OF 1O0 woTds' eu
bracing the principal points OF Mt Pughs speech OeIoe
the Democratic caucus and stating the case for the All
mntration The pith Of the resolution Is embraced
the declaration that no law, Erblc duty OF poNcS
REQUIRES the President tn communicate TO the senate
any reason In his knowledge or contained III an'
or charges for making removals. anc that the
Senate has uhority to call for such oocuilon'S
md that to direct any member of the Cabinet 10 trans
init any public documents TO enable the senate to
the proprety of a removal would oe 10 oDiaiu eu'n "
formation on false preteuces; and that Tor the
to grant any such request when deemed oy nun " y,
made for uniustdabe uses would be to recognize an"
.n.orraoe an improper practice and injurious IN
novation npon his exclusive and independent fisn'S'
smile went around the Chamber while this onS reSo
luton was being read. and as Mr. Pngh requesteu Una"
II be printed Mr. Hoar inquired II that request
the stump speech contained III the resoiuuo'"
Mr Ingalls, no:ice that wheh tno
subiect o,me ND Tomorrow he would move TO reief
the resolutions to the Committee Privileges ana Eec-
tons.
Tho matter came up again IN executive sesson "u'"
Attorney eneral Garland's letter was taken up lh
latter declined to transmit for the OF the Senate suc
documents might be on file concerning 'he """'i''
tratl.n of the oce OF United staes Attorney for the
Southern District OF Alabama, while hed by george "
Dustin The motion made on Monday 10 ieer 'no lo''e'
10 the Judiciary Committee, with Instructions 10 report
n omen session was adopted without much discussion
One OF the Democratic Senator'S in behalf OF Attorney
General Garland. denied tina: he had gwen out 10 tue
nress copy OF his before II reached the Senate
This started discussion the old topic rs 10 no" te
Cabinet and OF the Senate so promP
reached the public. some OF the senators uiu "o'
hesitate to say that attempt to keep all such matters
secret was i'll advised and the general opinion appeared
m he that while executive sessions sometimes neces-
sary the practice OF considering all nominations Ill eA
cutive session was not a good one
The resolutions reported from the Finance Committee
srectng the Secretary OF the Treasury to transmit all
napers on file concerning the nominee for Internal Kew
cnue Coector in South Carolina, and relating 10 the
late incumbent OF that office III West virginia were pol
adopte These resolutions Is in fact all the others car
ing for papers, supported IN the committees ny "
O.mocrato members That was before they were made
oconainted with the intention Of the Cabinet TO oNertnr
oil the precedents and to deny the right OF the
sanate to have access to all the pubic docu'
ments This sudden change OF attitude 10
suit the whim of the Administration caileu
forth considerable riiicue from the Repnpcs%ns ans
of them inquired to what would have been the fesut
of the celebrated Glover and other inveslsaons con
ihe Repabcan President anu Cabinet denied the com-
mitees access TO the public records III CLolnet oiioH
calling for documents and by such process ueciue
whether the inquiry is constitutional, sara y,
Congress. and its powers of e5slaon womb 3e SER
90 sIow In committing themselves 70 such an absuri
Position adding tnat the Senate did not assume 10 ii
nure into the Presidents motives or reasons OUT Simply
asked for the documents file, heretofore us unques
some of the Democratic Senators. In private
conversation to-day, displayed q eood aeai oi
disgust Administrators attitude IN this @
m All comes ont Presidents hypocrltcal pre-
tensions about Civil Service reform SAID
Southern u.s. coppns pS,ns Up Charges
a man TO get him out of Office. did not got ahyPouS
snppose that the President easy under call foi
pnGc documents tina; would efectually prove the ny
pocrsy of this business and don't suppose that IN.
Cabinet officers aud Senators who have been party
to want 10 be shown mp either You see II there was
nothing to conceal there would be no need OF TINS rei
fo nrodnce the papers say that is about ih'
meanest business that ever heard OF any AdniDsti"
tion going into" ,,. -, r,nr -,
since this trouble with the President has sprung ul
Democratic ofce-hOJers. whOae caseh are before tn'
Senate, begin TO show considerable anxiety. Gh5rSe' @
baye hean filed against many of them Their only nope
of clearing themselves before the committees depehn
up0n the course OF the Administration ia thb
matter II 1t refuses to allow the men Ie
moyed under false and Infamous charges t'
relieve themselves from the stigma put upon tneT mel
then the senate to reject the nominees as the on
way out of the matter. These nominees say that WI
pnf stigma upDn them, and they are Hooking mere
iry and get the dficulty settled AT the same umt
many of them tremble for fear the documents VIII D
exnosed as they been Instrumental III many case
In making up charges 10 get their predecessors ou'
Nffca.