National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-26

The session Of the Senate yesterday did
not present any poin's Of absorbing interest.
A short discussion in relation TO govern
ment leases at the Hot Springs reservation
and an argument by Senator Morgan on
the electoral count bill were the main items,
but considerable routine business was dis
posed Of A reply from the Secretary of
the Treasury to the Ingalls, resolution of
inquiry conveyed the information that of
the S10,0O0,O00 Of bonds called for redemp-
ton Feb. / s5,009,S $50 are bonds held by
national banks os basis for circulation.
An incident Of the session was the presenta-
ton by Mr.. George Of the credentials of L.
@. Walthall as senator from Mississippi
Mr.. Walthall was sworn in by President
pro tenn. Sherman.
House joint resolution proposing TO ap
propriate for the relief Of tho destitute
Cheyennes OF Montana gave the senators
an opportunity to condemn the poor spell
ing Of the clerks of the House and dllate
upon the superior photographed acquire
ments Of the senatorial clerical force. The
opportunity was improved, and IL was at
once made manifest that number Of sem
ators had long been impressed with the out
rageous ignorance Of the clerks Of "another
body" The resolution was laid over for
correction.
Mr.. Berry's resolution providing that
leases at Hot Springs, Ark, shall not be
renewed until Further legislation for their
regulation has been enacted by Congress
was taken up and debated by Messrs. Berry,
Logan, Jones, of Arkansas; Voorhees,, aud
ingalls,, but without coming to any decision
the resolution was laid over.
The Senate then proceeded TO the con-
sideration of the electoral count bill, and
Mr.. Morgan took the floor. He character
lied Mr.. Sherman's proposed amendment
as entirely new. 1t would usurp, he said,
into the hands of Congress power that was
not given to Congress by the constitution,
and a power the exercise of which, under
the proposed amendment, would tear down
and destroy one of the electoral bodies pro-
vided by the constitution. lie could not
see how the danger to the Senate could be
decreased by having the seventy-six sena-
tors voting pell-mell with the 1926 members
of the House of Representatives. Could
there be more daring threat or greater
danger to constitutional powers than the
proposition brought forward by the senator
from Ohio (Mr. Sherman), supported by
the senator from New York (Mr. Evarts)
when they declared the right Of Congress
to create an electoral body which the peo-
pie had never chosen with reference to the
choice Of President of the United States
The Edmunds bill, Mr.. Morgan said, sub.
mitted the electoral returns to the two
houses separately. Their disagreement
would destroy the vote OF state only
when there were two sets Of returns. II
asked why the vote shown by the two sets
Of returns should be destroyed, Mr.. Nor
gan would reply: Because the fault Of the
state had made It necessary. But more than
that Mr.. Morgan fearlessiy and frankly de-
Tended the direct course of rejecting the
vote OF n state in such case because 1t was
the true course indicated In the constitu-
ton.
The Senate, Mr.. Morgan continued had
been made the very citadel for the states,
to preserve for them, against all enemies,
the great function OF electing President
Of the United States. He would not II he
could, either by legislation or constitu-
tional amendment, lay hands on any part of
this great system OF successive electoral
bodies provided by the constitution, with
their present wise adjustment Personally
Mr.. Morgan would have preferred that the
remedy for the present difficulty should
take the form OF concurrent resolution,
| agreed to in advance by both houses as that
would keep the action Of the houses of Con-
| gress free from the interference or control
of the executive, and would avoid the neces-
sity of President signing bill In which he
would have direct personal interest, as
likely to affect his own reelection. While
| pre1err1ng concurrent resolution, how
ever, Mr.. Morgan yielded his preference on
the point of mere form, in order to secure q
measure that would meet the approval OF
the Senate. The bill reported from the
committee was worthy Of the Senate, and he
hoped It would pass.
| On the conclusion of Mr.. Morgan's re-
| marks, at 1885 p. M, on motion OF Mr..
Sherman, the Senate went into executive
session. At 4:05 the doors were reopened,
and message from the House was placed
before the Senate, giving information of the
death Of Representative Rankin, Of Wiscon-
sin, and presenting for the action of the
Senate concurrent resolution expressive OF
its regret. Mr.. Sawyer offered resolution,
which was agreed to, in which the Senate,
| after concurring In the House resolution,
expresses its deep sensibility Of the loss sus.
tanned by Congress in the death Of Mr..
| Rankin, and provides for committee OF
three senators to act with the House com.
mittee in experimenting the funeral and
escorting the remains of the deceased tc
Wisconsin. The chair appointed as suct
committee Messrs. Sawyer, Blackburn, and
Jones, Of Arkansas.
The Senate then adjourned.