The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-01-26
XLIXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
SENAT e.


WASHINGTON. Jan. 25
Hon. E. c. Walthall, the Senator from
Mississippi, who has been elected to NIL the
unexpired term of Senator Lamar, was sworn
in today.
Mr. Hoar, from the committee on judici-
airy, reported bill to provide for the Sc settie-
ment of the debt of the Pacific Railroads.
Mr. Wilson of Iowa submitted an amenu-
ment, which was ordered printed ana re-
ferred to the judiciary committee, providing
that whenever it may be necessary 10r the
protection of the interests of the United
States in respect of its lien by mortgage or
otherwise on the property OF any OF the com.
panies affected by the bill, the President
may order the Secretary of the Treasury 70
clear off prior paramount liens or mortgages
by paying the same, and that on sucn pay
ment the United States shall become SUP
rogated to the rights therefor pertaining to
such paramount liens or mortgages.
Mr.. Hoar submitted for reference 70 Ine
committee on rules proposed new RUE re re-
quiring that upon a motion to ADJOURN the
tive day the question shall be taken by yeas
and nays. Referred to the committee on
rules.
In offering the proposed rule, Mr.. Hoar
called attention to the large number OF I'M
portant bills left over on the adj
ilr ioulrrnment Of the last Congress and cor
responding number of public grievances le1I
consequently unredressed. He deprecated
the practice of adjourning from Thursdays
to Mondays.
Mr. Berry called up his resolution submit
led some days age providing that the leases
of the bath houses and hot springs at Hot
Springs, Ark, be not renewed till Congress
shall decide whether further legislation In
regard thereto be necessary Mr. Berry sald
it would be impossible to beautify and I'M
prove the Hot Springs so long as the present
system of management prevailed. Inc
place, intended for the special beneht OF IN
valids, was made dumping ground for un-
seemly articles, and the persons who had
leases had complete monopoly OF the wafer. t,i
Even the army and navy hospital authori-
ties had to pay for the hot water used in the
construction of the building.
Mr.. Voorhees, opposed the reSolutf q.
Some of the bath houses had cost large
amounts of money, and a failure to renew
cation.
Mr.. ingalls, called it the 'healing place of
the nation" and thought its administration
satisfactory, but said there had been per-
sistent effort on the part OF spectators TO
get control of the waters for private gain.
Mr.. Jones favored Mr.. Berry's resolution.
After further debate, the matter went over
ii II tomorrow.
A joint resolution from the House of Rep
resentatives was placed before the Senate
appropriating money for the Telef OF tne
Northern Cheyenne Indians. Upon examl-
nation and discussion the spelling OF some
words in the bill was found to be wrong.
Mr.. Dawes said the misspelling was such
as to render the intent of Congress doubtful,
and the matter went over SO as to permit OF
correction.
Mr.. ingalls, severely animadverted upon
the ignorance or carelesSness of the engross-
ing clerks of another body from which
many bills that came before the Senate en-
anated. In many bills sent by that body to
the Senate for its action, all action had to be
suspended and the intent of Congress frus-
trated by the misspelling of the commonest
werds. He said he exonerated the Senate
clerks from any responsibility for these diff
ficulties, and said he knew of no remedy at
the disposal of the Senate except the cor
recting influence of public opinion.
Mr.. Salisbury complimented the engross-
ing force of the Senate upon its uniform ac-
curacy, and the joint resolution then went
over.
tion of the electoral count bill, and Mr. Nor
gan took the floor. He characterized Mr..
Sherman's amendment as entirely new. 1t
would usurp, he said, into the hands OF Con-
gresS power that was not given to Con-
gress by the constitution, and a power the
exercise of which, under. the proposed
amendment, would tear down and destroy
one of the electoral bodies provided by the
constitution. He could not see how the dam
ger to the Senate could be decreased by hay-
ing the rs Senators voting pell-mell with the
90 lleIuUGIS VI bl1C l1OuoC VI lAOPlOoClba
tiyes. Could there be more daring threat
or greater dangerto the constitutional power
than the proposition brought forward by the
Senator from Ohio (Mr. Sherman), and sup
ported by the Senator from New York (Alr.
Evarts), when they declared the right of
Congress to create an electoral body which
the people plealGe bed df Tofesfdef OF the United
States? The Edmunds bill, Mr.. Morgan
said, submitted the electoral returns to the
two houses separately, and their disagree
ment would destroy the vote OF the state
only when there were two sets OF returns. Ii
asked why the votes shown by the two sets
of returns should be destroyed, Mr., Morgan
would reply because the fault of the State
had made it necessary. But more than that
Mr.. Morgan fearlessly and frankly defended
the direct course Of rejecting the vote OF
State in such case because 1t was the true
course indicated by the constitution. The
Senate, Mr. Morgan continued, had been
made a very citadel for the States to pre-
serve for them against all enemies the great
function of electing the President OF the
United States, and he would not if he could,
either by legislation or by constitutional
amendments, lay hands. on any part OF this
great system of successive electoral bodies
provided for by the constitution with their
present wise adjustment.
On conclusion of Mr. Morgan's remarks,
the Senate went into executive session, and
when the doors were reopened message
from the House was placed before the Sen
ate giving information of the death of Rep
resentatiVe Rankin of Wisconsin and pre-
senting for the action OF the Senate concHr-
rent resolution expressive of its regret.
Mr.. Sawyer offered resolution, which was
agreed to. in which the Senate, after con-
curing in the House resolution, expresses
its deep sensibility of the loss sustained by
Congress in the death of Mr.. Rankin and
provides for committee of three Senators
to act with the House committee in super
intending the funeral and escorting the re-
mains of the deceased to Wisconsin. The
chair appointed as such committee Messrs.
Sawyer, Blackburn and Jones of Arkansas.
Adjourned.
In the House today, on motion of Mr..
Blount of Georgia, it was ordered that after
the reading of the journal tomorrow, the
States shall be called for the introduction OF
bills and resolutions.
MI. Bragg of Wisconsin, announced the
death of his colleague, Mr.. Rankin, and re-
ferred to the customary resolutions, which
were unanimously adopted, and as mark OF
respect to the memory of the deceased, the
House at 1915 p. IN. adjourned.
The Speaker appointed MessrS. Bragg,
Van Schaick, Stevenson, Guenther, Carle-
ton, Henderson of Illinois, and johnson OF
New York, as committee son the part OF
the House to take order for experimenting
the funeral and accompany the remains OF
the deceased to his home in Wisconsin.