The Portland daily press., 1886-03-23
XLIXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Marcn Y.
Mr. Logan submitted the following resolu-
ton and asked that it might be printed and
lie over, saying he would call it up at some
future day and submit some remarks upon it:
Resolved. That the sessions of the Senate COM
mttee known as executive sessions, so far as they
apply to nominations, combinations or reflections,
shall hereafter be held with open doors, and that
public record Of the same shall be kept the same
as OF legislative sessions.
The resolution was ordered printed and to
lie over.
The urgent deficiency bill was laid before
the Senate and sent to the committee of con-
ference.
The chair laid before the Senate Mr..
Logan's bill to increase the efficiency of the
army.
Mr.. Logan at the suggestion of the Secre-
tary of War moved for some further amend
ments of detail to the bill, and they were
agreed to.
Mr. Hale then moved to strike out the sec
ond section, which provides for future
force of 10000 enlisted men in the army. If
there were any need, he, said, of an increased
army force, it could only be because of the
needs of the Indian frontier. Mr.. Hale re-
cited the number of Indian wars fought
during the past ten years to show that the
existing force of $4,000 men was sufficient
ARMY to protect the frontier He also read
from the report of the present Secretary of
ar, stating that the Indian was no longer
source of danger. Mr.. Hale believed the
morale of the army was better today than at
any time since the war, He did not find that
the Secretary of War or Lieutenant General
of the army desired the increase suggested.
An increase of 5000 men to the army meant
an increase of about $5,000,000 to the army
appropriation bill. The work for which the
army was maintained had been decreasing
year by year for the past several years, and
our recent history had shown what the
American people could do in the way of i'm
provising an army. Our present condition
showed no necessity for the proposed in
crease in the army. The navy could not be
improved. 1t would take years to build and
organize and equip a navy, but not so with
an army.
The debate was continued between Messrs.
Logan and Hale until cut off by limitation
of time, and the chair laid before the Senate
the judiciary committees resolutions, and
Mr.. Colquitt took the floor in opposition to
the majority report. If there ever was
question, Mr.. Colquitt said, that should be
settled, it was the question involved here.
1t had been settled by the Constitution. and
by the first Congress, and had remained
settled FOR forty years, and when then 1t was
questioned it was again settled, and had re-
manned settled till this day Referring to
the contest between President jackson and
the Senate, Mr.. Colquitt said that if the
gigantic intellects of Clay, Calhoun and
Webster could not succeed in Oyerturning Il
received and established construction and
Interpretation of the Constitution, 1t should
be warning to the leaders of this day that
they are engaged in futile attemptt to place
another construction on the Constitution.
The only object Mr.. COlquitt could see that
was to be subserved by the adoption of the
resolutions reported by the majority of the
committee was to place on record and per-
petuate the malice of that majority. The
Senate in this matter, he said, was merely
usurping the power to present articles of i'm
peachment, thus becoming both the accuser
and judge. The House of Representatives
had NOT DrnSpnfnd Suph artirlaC auainSt the
Attorney General, nor had any member of
the House proposed to do so, and it was left
for this body, actuated by party feeling, to
first file articles of impeachment and then to
pass their own Judgment on them in contra
vention of all the principles and practices
relating to impeachment. The intention
was by the passage of these resolutions to
produce il possible all the moral effect of
impeachment. This was an act unworthy of
the Senate, and would simply have the effect
of showing that the Senate had not got be-
yond the limits of political iunta.
Mr.. Jackson followed Mr.. Colquitt. also in
opposition to the majority report
AT 8 o'clock. Mr.. Jackson retaining the
floor, the Senate went into executive session,
and when at $40 the doors were reopened,
the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Quite a sensation was produced in the
House this morning, when the chaplain de-
God to rid the land of gamesters, whether in
cards, dice, chips, stocks, wheat, bucket
shops or boards of trade; and to lead the
people to know that moneymaking other
than by the sweat of the face was contrary
to His laws.
On motion of Mr.. Butterworth of Ohio,
seconded by Mr.. Weaver of Iowa, the prayer
was ordered to be inserted in the. Record,
The House then proceeded to the consider
alton of the pension bills coming over from
Eri1av piOtt'c cnpaion and hills n9SSp0
increasing to $50 per month the pensions OF
the widows of Commodores Spicer and File
brown.
BY vote of yeas 96 to nays So, the bill
was passed granting pension OF 500 per
month to the widow of Rear Admiral Har-
wood.
The bill granting pension of $4,000 year
to the widow of Gen. w. S. Hancock, was
passed-yeas 169, nays AZ.
Mr. Henley of California, from the COM
mittee on public lands, reported a bill to for
felt certain lands granted to aid IN the con-
struction of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
House calendar.
Under the call of States, the following
bills and resolutions were introduced and
referred:
By Mr. Anderson of Kansas. TO create COM
mission Of arbitration to arbitrate in cases OF la
Dor strikes
Commissioner of Labor to make an investigation
as to the kind and amount of the work performed
in the penal institutions OF the several states ana
Territories.
BY Mr.. Van Eaton of Mississippi, proposing
constitutional amendment prohibiting pOlygamy.
By Mr.. Merriman of New YORK, for the issue OF
United States coin notes.
BY Mr.. Warner of Ohio, to define the unit of
value and regulate the coin of the United States.
BY Mr. Lefevre of Ohio for the better regula-
tiOn of appointments to West Point, and to bring
that institution and the army more III accord with
a Republican form Of government. 1t provides
that cadets shall be hereafter selected
and appointed from the sons lor descend
ants of soldiers who served in the late war, and
where they cannot be had from the younger ell
listed men in the army further, that when ca
det shall have graduated from the military acade-
my he shall be assigned to a regiment of the army
as an enlisted man, and shall serve as such In the
field for the term of one year. with pay and allow
ances accordingly. Then, after serving one year
as a corporal and one year as sergeant he snail
be eiible for appointment to the rank OF second
lieutenant.
At the end of the call. the House at 4.45
adjourned.