Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-02

or reproduce ia every case so as 10 pat the
senate IN possess on OF all the facts which
governed him in the suspension. N the
senate bad authority und er the Constitu.
ton and laws OF the United states 10 call
him 10 an account. In conclusion the mi.
Monty OF your committee are gretihed AT
being able 10 state that in the fpfty.sixth
Congress, when the Democrats had ma
lority In the Senate, no such spectacle A.
that new exhibited TO the country was ever
Witnessed In the history OF its proceeding
al OF which is respectfully submitted.
signed JAMES l.. PUGH
RICHARD COKE,
GEORGE q. VEST.
HOWELL u. JACKSON.
Among the bills introduced was one
by Mr.. Blair, at the request, he said. OF
the Legislative Committee Of the Fede-
ration of Trades and Labor, to legalize
the incorporation Of the National
Trades Union. 1t was referred to the
Committee on Education aud Labor.
At | 30 O'Clock Mr.. Hale moved that
the Senate proceed to the consideration
Of executive business. The motion
was agreed to, and the Senate accord
ingly went into executive session.
At 2:40 the doors were reOpened
and the Chair laid before the Senate q
lengthy message from the President
bearing on the right of the Senate or
senators TO have access to papers. ETC.,
in the Executive Department relating to
suspensions from office.
The President takes the ground that
papers relating to suspensions from Of
fee are not official papers, and conse-
quently he does not feel justified in
sending copies Of them to the Senate.
1t is a vigorous document and n long
one.
The message was read at length,
extraordinary stiffness prevailing on the
floor of the Senate, and the emphatic
loudneSs and cleaTness Of Chief-Clerk
Johnson's reading served to notify the
galleries that something unusual was
afoot. and before the reading was com.
pleted the galleries we're crowded. The
following gives the proceedings after
completion Of the reading:
Mir. Harris Mr.. President. move
that the message be printed and lie on
the table.
Mr.. Edmunds On that ask for the
yeas and nays. / do not propose that
it shall be laid on the table just now if
| can help it.
MIR. harris | will move that the
message be printed if the Senate will
allow me to amend my motion.
Mr.. EdmundS; Very well; on that
motion | should like to say a word.
The Chair The Senator from Ten
nessee (IIarris) moves that the message
be printed.
Mr. EdmundS add to that that it
be referred to the Committee on Judi
ciary.
Mr.. Harris: | have no
Mr.. EdmundS Gnterrupting) | be-
lieye have the floor.
Mr.. Harris | was not seeking to
interrupt the Senator.
Mr.. Edmunds merely wish to say
a word. | had no doubt that the Sena-
tor from Tennessee did not wish to cut
off my remark. | simply wish to re-
marx in moving to refer this communi-
cation to the Committee on the Judi.
ciary that it has very wildly brought
to my mind the communication Of King
Charles |. to Parliament in telling
them what, in conducting their affairs,
they ought TO do and ought not to do
and / think | am safe in say |
ing that it is the first time
in the history OF the republican United |
States that any President of the United |
States has undertaken to interfere with /
the deliberations Of either house Of |
Congress on questions pending before |
them, otherwise than by message on /
the state Of the Union, which the Con-
stituuOn commands him to make from
time to time. This message is devoted /
solely to the question for the Senate !
itself, in regard TO itself, that it has |
under consideration. That is its SIN
gularity. think it will strike the re-
fiecting people in this country as some
what extraordinary, if in these days of (
reform anything at all can be thought
extraordinary. | only wish to add .
to what | have nov said in this .
statement, so that it shall 60 with /
this mesSage-So far as the newspapers
will do me the honor to have it 60 /
that the President Of the United States /
has (unintentionally no doubt entirely /
mistated the question. The Senate of /
the United States in its communications .
to the heads of departments-not his /
heads of departments, but the heads of .
departments created by law-directed .
them to transmit certain official papers, /
and that is all. The President of the
United States undertakes to change the |
question into the consideration by the /
Senate of his reasons or motives for /
putting a civil officer, as it might be .
called, "under arrest" with which the |
Senate has not undertaken in any way |
to make any question at all. By every |
message be has sent to this body-and |
they are all public-he has asked the !
Senate to advise and consent to his
removal of one officer and the appoint
ment Of another; that is what he has
done, and the Senate in calling for those
papers, w say hOtulhS VI nIuSi WI
Siderations about any deficiency in the
Department Of Justice, is asked to Ie-
move these officers without knowing
the condition of the administration of
their offices. But do not wish to go
into that discussion now. move that /
the message be referred to the Commit
tee on Judiciary.
Mr.. Harris For reasons that | may
not refer to here have no desire for
nor will consent to the discussion of
the questions involved in this message
at this time. / move that the message
be printed and lie on the table, accord
ing to the universal custom Of this body
when the subject-matter had been re-
ported upon by the committee. The
Senator from Vermont (Mr. EdmundS),
as chairman Of the Committee on the
Judiciary, has already laid upon your
table an elaborate report upen the gen.
eral questions TO which this message
refers; hence my motion was an ordi-
nary motion, Eade here under the cir
cumstanceS that surround US at this