The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-17
Mr.. Cullom Delivers Speech Taking Strong
| Ground in Favor of the Senate's Right
to Papers Concerning Removals,
And Mr.. Maxey Speaks in Defense of
the Position Taken by the President.
The House Transacts Considerable Routine
. Business, and Fixes Dates for Debate on
the Question Of Free Silver Coinage.
THE SENATE.

Passage OF the Bill Increasing Widows PEN
sicns-The Edmunds Resolutions.
WASHINGTON, March 16-The Chair laid be-
fore the Senate letter from the Secretary of
bhe Navy transmitting information, copies of
Cravings and reports Of recent survey of the
Ecarauguan route. made by Civil Engineer A.
G. Menocal. of the Navy. Referred.
Also, letter from the Secretary of the Int
rior, transmitting information in relation to land
grants to railroads in Kansas. Referred
The Chair announced as members Of the COM
mittee on the part Of the Senate to escort the re-
bnains Of Representative Hahn to Louisiana,
Messrs Eustis. Vance and Butler.
Mr. Morrill,, from the committee on finance,
reported adversely Senator Mahone's bill! to
allow drawback on imported materials used in
the manufacture Of tobacco, snuff and cigars ex-
ported from the United States, and to repeal the
law requiring the appointment of inspectors OF
tobacco and cigars.
Mr.. Allison, from the joint commission Of Con-
gress to examine into tho scientific bureaus Of
the government. reported the testimony taken
by the commission and asked to have 1t printed.
IT was so ordered. Mr. Allison said the COM
mission would shortly make report on the sub
ject
Among other reports from committees was one
by Mr. Blair, from the committee on pensions,
being bill for the relief Of soldiers of the late
war honorably discharged after six months
service, who are disabled and dependent on their
Dwn labor for support, and the dependent parents
Of soldiers who died in the service or from disa
bilities contracted therein. The bill was placed
on the calendar.
On motion Of Mr.. VanWyck, the House bill
Increasing the pension of soldiers widows was
then taken up. An amendment offered by Mr..
Henderson, at the request, he said, of Mr. Haw
ley. was agreed to- providing that the Adjutants-
general of the States may be recognized as rep
ressnting claimants under the bill when the laws
of the States require those officers to do so with
out expense to the claimants or the government.
Mr. ingalls,, in order, he said. to avoid delay in
The passage Of the bill as it came from the House,
moved to disagree with the amendments made in
committee. This motion was disagreed to-
Mr. ingalls, then said that as the bill had to go
back to the House for action on Senate amend
ments. it might as well be amended with such
further provisions as were germane to it. He,
therefore offered as an amendment the provis-
Ions of his arrears of pensions hill
Mr. Butler moved to amend Mr.. Ingalls's
amendment by adding the substance of the Mex
Jean service pension bill.
After debate by Messrs Butler. Logan, Cock
xell, VanWyck, Ingalls, and Jackson, the fear be-
ing general that the widows increase of pensions
would be indefinitely postponed by sending the
bill to the House with so many amendments that
would involve debate, o motion was made by Mr..
Wilson to reconsider the Senate's action in
amending the bill. This motion was agreed to.
ALI amendments were then disagreed to, and
che bill was passed as it came from the House.
1T now needs only the Presidents signature to
become a law. 1t increases the pension of wild
ows and dependant relatives from So to $12 a
month.
At o'clock Mr. Cullom took the floor to speak
upon the Edmunds resolutions, but gave way to
Mr. Morrill,, who then addressed the Senate
upon these resolutions His remarks were very
brief and when he concluded Mr.. Cullom took
tho floor. He said the refusal of the Attorney
general to furnish the papers called for by the
Senate was denial of the right of the Senate to
inquire into the management of public Office.
The Attorney general was an officer of the law.
His duties were defined by law, and it was his
duty to obey the law, whether it cost him his
ONCE or not. The prominent fact was that
when either branch of Congress had called for
any Information it had usually been furnished.
and that ia the exceptional cases in which it had
not been, the refusal was not based on the con-
stitutional prerogative of the President When
the President suspended Duskin, he did it under
the tenure-ofoffice act; so the case stood that
ting men out of Office, but questioned its con
gtitutionaity when the Senate, under the law,
said it had right to inquire into his act
of suspension. The President used the law
Ia suspending men from Office, and then
IN volunteer message intimated that the SEN
Rte was attempting to interfere with his high
end mighty prerogative as chief Executive.
Verify, consistency was not jewel conspicu-
Dusly worn in these days of "Jeffersonian sim
plicity." Replying to the remarks of the SEN
M NJ -
what constituted public paper Mr.. Cullom said
the Importance or relevancy of the papers must
be judged by their substance. The relevancy OF
She hypothetical letters suggested by Mr. Kenna
was apparent. Following that Senator's idea,
Dir Culom suggested a probable communication
10 public officer which would be public paper
Suppose, he said, some Democrat should
draw up paper bearing the semblance of an
information, or true bill of Indictment charging
the Republican incumbent Of an Office the Dem
pcrat desired, with all sorts Of offenses. This
was probably sworn to- and then forwarded to
the President. by whom twas filed in the proper
department This paper was, perhaps, followed
by it's authors application for the ofice-it
might perhaps be assumed that the
President has the right, as he
claimed, to consider such communications
rs private papers. but after he forwarded them
to department and placed them on the files
President has removed no officers except for
pause some such papers must have been filed.
Indeed, some documents had been invited by the
present administration in evidence Of which
Dir. Cullor read the celebrated confidential let
ter Of Postmaster general Villas stating that
documentary evidence would be required in max
Ing removals. in which circular the Postmaster
general stated that he spoke for the President
If such papers were now on Gle the Senate was
entitled TO them, and the President ought in
good faith to produce them. If there were no
suclA papers on fle let him say so, and the coun-
try could Judge how well he had redeemed every
pledge he had made to the people
Mr. Cullom reviewed the cases cited by Mr..
Kenna, and contended that as presidents they
were not in point in the presen. controversy and
we're only resorted to to cover up the real issue
and confuse the public mind. During the year
that the present administration has been IN
power the Senate had In no instance failed to
treat it with impartial consideration and exact
justice. The majority Of the Senate had not
sought TO offer any factions opposition to the ad-
ministration. and had gone even further by