Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-07-14

they had the opportunity when these cases
were all examined and disposed OF at regu-
lar meetings Of the committee?
Mr.. Kenna-Mr. President
The President pro tempore-There Is no
question before the Senate.
Mr.. KennaEI desire to ask whether u
Is in order now to move to recomInit the
matter to the committee.
The President pro tesporc-The Chair Is
| of the opinion that such q motion would
be in order.
Mr.. Kenna-I desire to submit that mo
| ton, to recommit the reports and all
papers touching the reports and the bills
and veto messages, in each case, to the
Committee ON Pensions for the considera-
ton of that committee.
The President pro teMpore-The Senator
from West Virginia moves that the several
reports referred to be recommitted to the
Committee on Pensions.
Nj. Blair-Upon that motion I desire
to say that these yetoes came TO the com
mittee in the usual way and have been
pending there some considerable time; that
at at regular meeting of the committee
this order was made; and that members OF
the committee who were not present were
notified of the making of the order.
In the nature Of things the examination
of these papers would not be made by the
mass OF the committee, and the several We
toes were sent to those members OF the
committee who had made the original re-
ports. We followed the usual method
of investigation, with instructions that
if members of the subcommittee saw mt or
if any question arose it should be presented
TO the full committee for instructions;
otherwise with instructions to report the
veto message back to the Senate.
/ have stated the position In which they
were examined. / have also stated the
foot that the order which has been read to
the Senate left the matter entirely open to
any member Of the committee who was
dissatisfied or Jaw fit to examine the re-
ports to submit the views of the minority.
The papers are still in the possession Ofthe
committee, and they have been there all
the time.
If there is anything further that the
committee can do in regard to the matter,
| do not know it. Shere is a great amount
of labor involved in these cases. We have
done all we could in regard to the reports
and veto message, and l object to recon-
hitting them.
Mr.. Teller-It seems to me that these
reports ought To be recOmmitted to the
committee. The proceedings of the COM
mittee are certainly irregular. When we
act upon a case of this kind l think we are.
entitled to have the judgment of this on
tire committee or at least q quorum OF the
committee. / am quite prepared myself
to take up and discuss some of these ques-
tions at any time with reference to the
Presidents veto, and | can discuss them
without reference to the report OF the COM
mittee on the facts that are in the case;
but | think rs a matter of propriety these
cases ought to 90 back to the committee
and the committee ought to bring them
here in q way in which there can be no
question about them.
For that reason | shall vote to recOmmit
the reports to the committee, with the eX-
pectatiOn that the chairman will then as
semble the committee, or if the committee
refuse to assemble, that the matter will
there lie and the responsibility must be
with those who refuse to come to make up
n quorum.
The President pro tempOrG-The Senator
from West Virginia will pause for n mo-
ment. The Chair must remind the Senate
that n motion to recommit, although now
entered and now debatable, will be entered
in these several cases on the Calendar, and
that will be the first thing to be discussed
when the cases come up in order.
Mr.. kenna-l understand that; but rs
two Senator's have been heard, l ask that |
may he heard for Il moment.
Mr.. Edmunds-I hope the Senator will
be allowed to be heard.
The President pro tcmpOre-The Senator
from West Virginia will proceed.
Mr.. Kenna-I wish in submitting the
motion simply to secure the consideration
by ut least u quorum Of the committee OF
these cases, and that the Senate may have
the benefit of the views of y quorum of the
committee when they come to act finally
upon this subject. No matter how it hap
pcned land | am not disposed at this time
to a~nimadyert upon mOtives), 1t appears
from the statement of the Senator from
New Hampshire himself that what pur-
ports to be the report by the committee,
which INDUCES in great severity OF Ian
guage in reference to the Presidents action
in dealing with q large number of these
clses, is the action Of two members of a
committee of nine.
We have not even the statement of the
Senator from New Hampshire, that this
report ever saw the eyes of more than two
members of the committee, and it seems TO
me that III any case, under the circum-
stances, the Senate would not hesitate to
recommit to the committee matters which
require the attention and on which the
Senate is entitled to the attention of the
committee.
Mr.. Blair-I prefer to cut this whole
matter short by asking that the motion to
recommit be agreed to, and | give notice
every member of the committee that we
shall take this matter up at the regular
meeting next Tuesday morning, and
hope there will be a full attendance of the
committee.
The President pro tempOre-lf there be
objection to the various messages, bills and
reports referred to will be recOmmitted TO
the Committee on Pensions. The Chair
hears no objection, and it is SC ordered.
NUN NrTsr Nm I'M nE