The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-04-14
First Session-senate

llOn OF party pOllllCS. II IOse dOO'e al party
questions; il was the most important Ques-
ton of administrative reform, to which the
Senate could at this time devote its atten-
ton. Plat read the Senate rules relating to
secret session, including the rule which pro-
hibits the disclosure, either by Senators or
Senate officers, of the secrets of executive
sessions, the penalty for which is that Sena-
tors render themselves liable to expulsion
and officers to discharge. No Senator. he
said. could hear that rule read without
sense of personal degradation. The first in
stance of secrecy having been imposed on
Senators. Mr. Platt said, occurred in Janu-
airy. 1920.
Mr. Morrill, asked whether it was not the
fact that prior to that time all sessions of the
II nate had been held with closed doors.
Mr.. Platt said he would come to that by
and by. He would be able 10 show that the
public sentiment of the century compelled
the opening of the Senate doors in the first
instance after they had been closed some
years, and he would be able to show that
the same public sentiment now demanded
that the doors should be opened as a rule,
for the consideration of Executive nomina-
tons His present resolution was that Ex-
ecutive nominations be considered with
open doors, except when otherwise ordered
by the Senate. Senators themselves ought
to desire that their constituents should know
what the Senate was doing. The principal
objection TO the proposed charge was that
il was against the custom of the Senate.
That was no argument No great measure of
reform had ever made progress that il did not
n axe IL over the ramparts of custom and ira
ditiOn. Mr.. Platt reviewed the history of
secret legislative and executive sessions He
read a letter from John Adams when Vice
President and President of the Senate, to
bis wife, in which he gave the details of the
vote in executive session on the ratification
of the Jay treaty. According TO the present
rule OF the Senate, this subject, Mr. Plat
said, John Adams would have been liable
to expulsion for exposing the secrets re-
feIred to. He Mr. Platt) planted himself
sqUarely on Mr.. Sherman's statement made
OH February . last, to the effect that there
ought TO be no secrets whatever in this Gov
rnment of ours-a Government of the peo-
pie. That statement briefly comprehended
the whole subject. There was but one eY-
cepton to be tolerated to that, and that was
in case of absolute necessity. Such cases
would he extremely rare.
Public sentiment and the sentiment OF the
press, Mr.. Platt said, was for open session.
OF the 1900 newspapers in the country,
fully 10000 had declared for open sessions
Some Senators might say that they did not
care what the papers said, but, Mr.. Platt
said, the press represented the sentiment of
the people. 1t was the sentiment of the peo-
pie that Senators should desire to know.
Public sentiment was easily dlstinguishable
from public clamor. the public wish was to
be law. With the journalism that comedies
10 public Rlen neither honest motives or pri-
vate virtues, Mr.. Platt had no sympathy; for
ii he had no respect. But that was not the
press of this country. Ii was the country
newspaper that represented the real senti-
ment OF the Countrywide newspaper that
had DO special correspondent here.
On the conclusion of Mr.. Platts remarks
Mr.. Butler obtained unanimous consent to
address the Senate, after morning business
tomorrow, on the subject of open executive
sessions.
Mr. Logan said he desired to follow Mr.
Butler on the same subject.
On motion OF Mr.. Butler House bill au-
thoriZing the Secretary Of War to deliver to
the lawful owners. upon proper proof, GER
tain classes of property captured in the late
war, consisting OF heirlooms, silverware
watches. etc, was passed.
The fisheries resolution was then placed
before the Senate
Mr.. Frye said that the Secretary Of State of
the United States had to-day assumed the po-
sitiOn that he (Mr. Fryel had been hoping he
would assume. Mr.. Frye quoted published
dispatch of Mr.. Bayard's to a Portland FIRM
in which, among other things, the Secretary
OF State said substantially that he believes
our fishing vessels have the right to all Ordi-
nary commercial privileges in friendly ports
and that he hopes to be able to obtain such
an understanding as would relieve our fish
ermen from all doubt in the exercise of the
privileges.
Mr.. Morgan expressed himself unable to
ascertain that there was really unsettled
question between the United States and
Great Britain in regard to the fisheries. If
the President were informed that our right
to buy bait and ice in Canadian ports was
denied, he had nothing to do but to proclaim
a suspension of all trade between the two
people until the question was settled. Mr.
Morgan thought there were enterprising citi-
zens on both sides that were willing to get
up a 'fuss" between the two Governments
Suppose some Gloucester man wanted to
keep up this difficulty in order to continue
the duty on fish, went to see. and was told
by some thick-headed Canadian official 81
will capture you if you don't stop" The
Yankee Captain would thereupon get his
back up because he had started out to get it
up. BY vancouver of that kind it was easy
10 arouse the American people on the subject
of free bait.
Mr.. Evarts, after reviewing the history of
the question at some length, said that the
matter of buying ice and bait rested wholly
on commercial basis-On general trade
rights. We did not need look to any treaty
bearing on the fisheries for our right to buy
ice or tait in Canadian port. He (Mr. Ev-
arts would anticipate no prOtracted insist
ance on the part of the provinces against
our endowment of what was now the COM
mon possession of all friendly nations There
was no support whatever for the proclama-
ton or warning issued by the Canadian Min
lister of Marine. 1t was in fact preluding
of all foreign vessels whatever from access to
Canadian ports for any purpose of trade.
In conclusion, he expressed the hope that
the harmonious relations that should char
acteriZe our intercourse with the British
Provinces would soon be restored.
Mr.. Fryes resolution was then brought to
a vote and agreed tO-yeas, 50; nays, 10. OF
the affirmative votes twenty-six were Re-
publican and nine Democratic. The Demo-
Gratis were Brown, Butler, Fair, German,
Harris, Mcpherson, Maxey, Morgan and
Payne. The negative votes were all Demo
cratic, being Messrs. Coll, Cockrell Cole,
Colquitt, Eustis, Gray, Pugh, Vance, Voor-
hees and Walthall.
"A number of pairs with absent Senators
were announced.
| The resolution declares il to be the sense
of the Senate that Congress should not pro-
vide for any joint commission to consider
and settle the fisheries question.
The Interstate Commerce bill was then
placed before the Senate, in order that il
may have the right Of way at o'clock to-