The Red Cloud chief., 1888-02-10
EXECUTIVE SECRECY.
RiddlObeegoe Attempts 70 Address
the Senate On the British
Treaty.

Ne b Called to Order Bat Manages .
Let Out SOme Indications q To
Treaty.
Centennial Constitutional Resolution
Passed Lovly-W White 0ass Dscidsd
By the House.
WASHINGTON, Feb Tin the 0eaAte yee
'terday NJ. Hoar. from tho special commit
To- - the celebration Of tho Centennial q
tho Constitution, reported . joint reeoiu-
ton providing that, In addition % such
other celebration - may BE- hereafter pso.
vided for, that tho tWO houses Of Congress
shalt meet in tho hall Of the House Of Reg.
that tho Chief Justice Of To
United States shall deliver q Grafton, and
that the President Of tho United States,
tho Justices at the supreme Court. the
lmembees Of tho Cabinet, the executives Of
the various States and TerritorieA and
such other persons o. may hereafter b de-
esrmined upon. shall b invited 70 attend.
Mr.. Riddleberxer then ~endeavored to
Speak On tho British Extra1itiou treaty
and asked the chairman Of that committee
(0herman). who had, On every occasion,
~sndeavored TO bring up the e~xtradition
treaty in executive session, whether he
oauld not now rise and tell the people what
In . certain amendment 4 the treaty.
H. Sherman said thst being thus per-
sonally sppealci 70. no felt it his duty 70
mako . point OF order On the Senator from
Vi1Ginia. He did 20 with great reluctance.
The6enator asked him II he would violate
~ rules Of the Seuate and Do Whist he
(HAarmAn) regarded - beng improper
and ungontlemanly-in other words, dis
cloae The secrets Of tho SENATE. II was -
mueh.as Il the Senator he'd asked him II he
woolA steal, or rob. or do any thing wrong,
q against the law. OF course he (Shor
mani could not answer thas question; bat
be naAe the point Of order that tho Sens
tor VA. himself, violating the rules Of the
Senate.
Riddleberger was about TO reply and had
begun by saying ut would come with bet-
ter grace" when he was cut short BY tho
Presiding Of1cer (Senxtor Ingalls), who
said: the Senator from Ohio raises .
point Of order which the Chair feels called
upon 70 decide The Henate In it, legis.
lstivs capacity. and tho Senate in it, ex-
.ecutive capacity, arc the same body, but
their functions arc essentially separate and
distinct. Tho proceedings In each capacity
are separately journalizod. tho records M
separately kept. The transactions and
proceedings Of the Senate In Legislative
session can % be reached BY the Senate In
executive session. Tho proceedings and
transactions In executive session, being
separately recorded and ~journalized. are
not tho subject Of discussion in legislative
session. It il . violation Of the rules Of the
Senate to refer, in Legislative session. to
any matter on the executive calendar until
the Injunction Of secrecy - removed. Tho
Chair, therefore, holds that tho action Of
the Senator from Virginia. in referring 70
any matter In executive session when the
Senate IL sitting with open doors. IL clearly
in violation Of the rules Of the Senate, and
the Senator can Only be permitted to pro-
coed in order.
R~iddlebefger rose to reply.
Tho Presiding Oficer-Thc Senator will
suspend one moment The enforcement Of
tho rules 10 entrusted 70 the Chair, and the
Chair will endeavOr (if supported BY the
Senate) 70 eco that order 10 not violated,
and that the rules are strictly obeyed. The
Senator from Virginia will proceed in
order.
Riddleberger said he would do 80 II he
could, but he did not think that any thing
he had done in the Senate justified the OBJ
servations OF the Chair. Still, in order to
be in order, he would accept the ruling.
He had not asked tho Senator from Ohio to
answer the question ~prop0uuded to him with
any hope that he wouli do 80. He riddle
berger) had been discussing the joint reso-
luton reported by the Senator from Massa-
chusetts, and had been trying to keep him
self in order in considering ii, Is he under
stood it to bc IN international question.
When the Senator from Ohio spoke Of viO-
latlng the secrets Of the Senate he ought
to remember his Detroit Club letter, in
which he said how he would vote in execu-
tive session on . certain important nOmina-
ton. The ~extraditiOn treaty was . matter
which concerned the people OF this cOun-
try much beyond any thing that was
in that letter, in which the
Senator stated how he was going to
vote on executive matters. He would not
deal further with that Senator Every nan
knew for himself whether he was acting
gentlemanly or not II it was the ruling
of the Chair and the sense Of the Senate
oOASbVA W GOs Soy SssSs Ss0 NVuAA
discuss the pending resolution in the broad
sense Of its covering the British treaty,
then he would have u take his seat, but he
would reserve his right to appeal from the
ruling Of tho Caair. He could reinforce
his position on he question Of amending
the rule BY taking eus Of his desk and read
ing to the Senate . note written to him las
Congress BY the then Presiding Of1cer
(Sherman), telling him how he might &c
complish his purpose OF considering the
treaty in open session. He
thought that before the Senate vent into
executive session it might be Informed as to
the amendment proposed to the e~xtradition
treaty by the I olnrnIttee N Foreign Rela-
lions.
The Presiding Ohlcer-The Senator from
Virginia will not DO permitted to proceed
with any reference to matters pending in
executive session. Tue Senator will pro-
coed in order.
R~iddleberyer said he wa accustomed to
rebuke; 10 supposed IL was still under
stood that no had . right 70 proceed in or
the only right he had. This