Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-04-30
OPEN VS.. SECRET SESSIONS IN THE SEN
ATE.

ate about the substitute | offered
Yesterday morning in the morning
hour for the resolution OF the Sena-
tor from Connecticut. | wish to
withdraw it.
MIR. Blair. If the Senator de
sires to occupy a few moments l
have no objection.
Mr.. Riddleberger. | shall at the
same time continue to contend tor
the consideration of this resolution
during the morning hour as against
all Calendar business. Even If l
have to consume the morning hour
in its discussion myself, will do
so. The pension bill is Calendar
business. This resolution Is pc
culiarly morning-hOur business, and
can be cut of at > O'Clock by amere
rap of the gavel, as has been done
time and again.
was going to say, however, Mr.
President, that yesterday morning
offered substitute for the reso-
luton of the Senator from Connect
cut. did it under the apprchen-
sion that it was the rule OF the SEN
ate that the adoption Of his resolu-
ton in the form proposed by HIM
requires a two-thirdS vote. The
substitute which | offered
Mr.. Blair. should like to in
ouire of the Senator from Virginia
what his proposal is at this time Z
have only twenty-five minutes to
complete the consideration OF this
bill, and | desire the Senate to com
plete it. | can not yield to "a speech.
The President pro tcmpOrc. The
Senator from Virginia has the floor
on the pending bill.
Mr.. Blair. very well, if he is
discussing the pending bill.
Mr.. Riddeberger. As | said, ana
| | hope the Senator from New Hamp-
shire understood it, | offered a
proposition az a substitute, bellev
ing that the resolution OF the Sena-
tor from Connecticut required a
two.thirds vote. On eXs minatlon
| find that the Senate has changed
The rule which obtains in what is
called JetiersOn's Manual, and that
a majority vote is sufficient to car
~ either proposition. Therefore l
withdraw my substitute. That was
my only object. A majority OF the
Senate can change a rule any morn
ing they shall please to do So
Now, sir, l am opposed to taking
up the pension bill or any other Dill
in the morning hour until this reso-
luton is disposed Of If | appear
to be forcing the fight Gf | may SO
express it) on this matter, | shall be
excused for it. l presume that,
when | recall the attention OF the
Senate to the fact that | think IN
troduced the original proposition
some time in December, certainly
within the first month of the session,
and now if we give way in the morn
ing hour with the intention on the
part of certain Senators here to de
feat 1t by any and all motions, II
possible, there can be no chance OF
its passing during this session.
| shall therefore, as | have SAID
consume every minute OF the morn
ing hour rather than have this res.
Olution run over again by those who
are opposed to it, passing by urg-
ing the consideration of bills which
seem to be more patriotic. | believe
that closed sessions and closed
dOors-secret sessiOns-are IN viola
ton Of every principle upon which
this Government is founded. i be-
lieve they are violative of the Con
stitution itself; and that there can
be no authority found in the Con
stitutiOn for executive sessions eX-
cept for special purposes. The
House of Representatives has a
right to have its secret sessions, as
named in the Constitution, for Spe-
cial purposes. Here we sit from l.
to /, for instance, and two Senators
can say that every citizen of the
United States shall be expelled
from the gallery in order to take up
something that must be considered
secretly. There is no such authorl-
ty given in the Constitution under
which we are acting and which Is
the limitation OF our powers. Then
the doors can be thrown open on
the motion of some Senator to take
up something else, or without the
doors being thrown Open-l give
away no executive secret when !
mention it-a Senator can rise here
and say, ~ ask that the doors shall
be considered to be open Though
they are closed) for the purpose OF
| introducing a public BILL That is
done here almost every day.
Now, sir, | undertake to say that
either the resolution of the Senator
from Connecticut or the resolution
of the Senator from Illinois will
leave it in the power Of the Senate
to open or close the doors, as the
| Constitution provides that ma
jority may do on any question. 1t
only provides that, and nothing
more. 1t does not give two men q
right to close the doors upon the
people Of this country. Why, sir
YOU bring man in here and you
put him on trial for felony when he
is nominated by the President o.
the United States for an Office, and
| you say that he has been a horst
thief and convicted ielOn; you say
| that he has served a term in the
penitentiary; and he has no OppOr
tunity of being heard. You take a
man who is guilty of murder, who
is guilty of the highest crime known
and you would not dare to try hin
in a county court house unless he
were confronted by his accusers anc
every witness was present and ev
| cry word uttered for or against hin
during the progress of the trial wa'
| public. If it we're done otherwise
he could set the whole proceedings
aside. This is the Constitution and
the constitutional provision for the
| protection Of personal liberty; but
it seems that the Senate Of the Unit
ed States assumes that it can try
any American citizen and say thai
he is Gt OF unfit for an office, with