The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-03-13
XLIXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
SENATE.


the State of Iowa in aid of railroads. After
some debate Mr.. Spooner's amendment was
agreee to, yeas 50, nays 13.
After considerable discussion the Dill was
passed.
The chair placed before the Senate the
resolution reported from the judiciary COM
mittee on the relations between the Presl-
dent and the Senate to have papers and IN
formation relating to suspensions from
Office, and Mr.. Kenna took the floor and ad-
dressed the Senate in opposition to the re-
port OF the majority of the committee. he
said he would take the issue as the Senator
from Vermont had stated. Is this body as
a part and parcel of coordinate branch OF
the government entitled to call upon the ex
ecutive departments in any one of its forms
or divisions for, and to receive In return,
such documents and papers as come within
the definition of public and official papers,
as laid down by the Senator from Vermont
as primary proposition, was the issue m m
volved here today. The country knew, Mr..
Kenna continued, that the Senator from
Vermont was a lawyer of ability and a Sen
tor of ability. The Senator himself knew
that after long years of service in this body
and the prominent position be had occupied
it it, the press would give respect to utter
ances from him which the people would
have the right to receive and respect in the
nature of judicial declarations. he would
undertake to say that any citizen would
question the statement of facts made on the
honor which reached that measure in this
life was not to be despised but it was an
honor that carried with It, or ought
to carry with it, a. full measure
of equal responsibility. Mr. kenna then
quoted from the language of the majority
the report of the committee and from Mr.
Edmunds recent speech to the effect that
President Andrew jackson, like all his pre-
decessors and like all his successors until to-
day felt bound to and did give to both
TT w., inf 1nfi IN
ever called for except in the instance OF
President Washington, who, While treaty
was pending before the the Senate was called
on by the House for papers and information
about it. which President Washington had
declined 'on obvious grounds" to furnish.
Mr. Kenna denied that treaty was then
pending and read from the proceedings OF
Congress and the Presidents message to
show that the copy of the treaty had been
sent to Congress March l, 1876, with the
amendment of its ratification, while the
House resolution asking for information
about it was not adopted till March 4. Be
sides, he said, the House resolution .espec-
tally excepted from the call and particulars
as under any existing negotiations 1t might
not be proper to make Raoc maer sad
submitted to the House under that treaty
President Washington was in the executive
chair and his reply to the call OF the House
was, sit does not occur to me that an inspec-
tl0n OF the papers aSkeQ lOI cdl ue IcISf ait
to any purpose under the cognizance OF the
House of Representatives except that OF inn
peachment which the resolution has not ex-
pressed" There for the first time the Pres
ident of the United States, in the sole regard
for the maintenance of the dignity and
perogatiVes of his high Office, declined to aid
the proposed intermeddling by the House
with something that did not concern it.
Mr.. Kenna was surprised that Mr.. Ed
munds should have said that on the refusal
of President jackson to send to the Senate
the papers in the Wintz case there had been
an end OF the matter between President
Jackson and the Senate as to the papers re-
lating to appointments He (Kenna) pre-
sumed Mr.. Edmunds must have forgotten
the bitter fight between that President and
Congress on this question OF papers IN the
case of the removal of the Secretary of the
Treasury by President jackson for the pur-
pose of effecting the removal of deposits
from the United States bank. In this case
the papers were asked for, and President
Jackson in his message informed the Senate
that he had yet to learn on what constitu-
tional authority that body had a right to re-
auire him to comply. He declined compli-
ance President Tyler, also, declined the
request of the Senate for papers touching
the removal of all officer. OF course, Mr.
Kenna said, no man denied the right of the
Senate to call On the President for private
papers, and even private letters in his
pocket, but no rational man would deny the
President the equal right to decline to send
them if he chose so to do.
Mr. Kenna quoted also from the message
of President Grant to the House of Repre-
sentatives dated May 4, 1876, declining to
furnish certain Information which, he said,
related exclusively to the executive function.
He also read from the letter OF Mr.. sherman
when Secretary of the Treasury, relating to
the removal of Mr.. Arthur frolA the collec-
torship of New York. In that letter Mr..
Sherman said that to make an official reply
would compel him to disclose matters con-
tanned in the papers of confidential charac-
acter filed in the department, and require
him to discuss questions totally lmmaterlal
to the nominations sent to the Senate" also
that mo law requires the President to give
his reasons etc.
After citing other Illustrations, Mr.. Kenna
stated what he believed to be the simple
truth, namely. that the true question at issue
here was whether the President should be
allowed in the fulflment of his obligation
to the people to administer the government
through agencies of his own choice or be
compelled by the obstructive power OF the ne
majority of the Senate to administer and be
responsible for the government through
agencies not of his own choice, and not only
so, but agencies lacking his confidence and
in a multitude of cases actually interested in
bringing him and his administration into
disrepute. The issue, after all, was whether
the Democratic administration should appro-
priately perform its functions in the face of
a negative obstructive majority on the other
side of the chamber. (Applause in the gal
leries.)
In conclusion Mr.. Kenna paid an eloquent
tribute to the patriotism of President Cleve-
land and said: ''This Senate may continue,
as his message indicates, to ply him and his
various subordinate departments with
harrassing and embarrassing issues; it may
defeat every nomination that stands before
it for consideration, but | mistake that man
if he does not maintain every prerogative
of his high office and transmit it unimpaired
to his successor"
Senator Cullom was then recognized by the
chair, but he gave way at 4.30 o'clock for a
motionto to go into executive session.
The Senate adjourned at o'clock.
HOUSE.
A resolution was adopted today accepting
the invitation of the Senate to attend the
funeral services of Senator Miller tomorrow.
Mr.. Weaver of Nebraska, offered the fol
lowing:
Whereas, nearly every Congress embraces at
least one crank; and whereas the present Con-
gress is no exception to this rule and whereas it
Should not be In the power of an IDIOT insane man
or crank to prevent the consideration OF any meas
ure; therefore,
amended that it sharequire atIleast twosmembers
to object to the consideration of a bill.
The reading of the resolution was greeted
with applause, but Mr.. Springer of Illinois
OBJECTED TO IL on gne ground Inat III was not
respectful to the House.
Mr.. Swope reported bill granting pen
sion of $4,000 year to Mrs. General Han
cock
The House then went into committee of
the whole on the private calendar.
A long discussion, which at times took a
politicol turn, arose upon the first bill on the
calendar being one for the relief of the heirs
at law of Cora A. Slocomb of Louisiana. It
was finally ordered reported with favorable
recommendation.
At 425 the committee rose and few pri-
vate bills were passed. The Speaker then
announced the appointment of the following
committee to accompany the remains of Sen
ator Miller to California: Messrs. McKenna,
Spriggs, Loutitt, Morgan, Hepburn, Lafoon
and Milliken.
The House then at 4.35 took recess until
| 730, the evening session to be for the con-
sideration of pension bills.
The House at the evening session passed
Ak non cinp hills oud LOT 10 IN adjourned fill