Morning journal and courier., 1888-02-17
WASHINGTON. Feb. 16.

OE puU1lC 1uOu0y III the way or DT1QClQR QOCu- ments.
 The discussion was further continued by Senators Aldrich, Cockrill and Teller The latter in the course of his remarks laid some stress upon the fact that matters in the de- partments were kept secret and be protested against there being any secrets, the people being entitled to know what their servants were doing. Extending this idea to the Senate itself he declared that he considered secret sessions of the Senate to be entirely unrepublican except perhaps when there was a treaty pending which ought to be consider ed in the secrecy of executive session. There was no more reason why the question of con- hrmiDg executive appointments should be considered behind closed doors than there was why the Senate should legislate between closed doors as it had once been.
 MT. Plumb asked him whether he thought that the cabinet meetings should also be open. While the Senator was about it he might as well go over the whole subject
 MT. HawleY also suggested the secret delib- erations of the Supreme court and asked whether they should also be public.
 MT. Teller replied that what he insisted upon was that when the secretary of de- pertinent made an adjudication of question that adjudication should be made public He did not claim that when the President called his cabinet about him their discussion should be made public, but he did say that when the cabinet came to & determination that de- termination was the property of the whole people. The President had no right to con- csal it and each member of the cabinet ought to be compelled to take the responsibility of the advice given to the President and so, if there was any subject which the Senate desires to consider in private and which ought to be considered in private, the do ors on the ap- plication of two senators might be closed but as soon as the matter was determined every senator's vote should be made known. The suggestion of the senator from Connecticut was & trite ene but not new or original. He had been asked by people who did not consider the different process of arriving at cenclu- sion and the conclusion itself. The Supreme court filed it's decisions when they were made and the position of each member of the court upon it was known. But yet no one knew how members of the Senate voted on ques- tions of infinitely more importance than the questions presented to the Supreme court. If he could inform his constituents how he had voted on this or that nomination it would be satisfactory to them and he should be of himself if he ever cast vote in the Senate Secret or open) that he would not be willing to have published.
 MT. Hawley-Then the senator is satisfied if the Senate has an executive session if the result is announced.
 Mir. Teller am not, but I am satisfied that there ought to be an improvement on the present method. I am satisfied that if I could say to my constituents that voted so and so on such and such nomination they would be satisfied. A treaty comes up here of importance to the people, treaty in which the people of the United States are interest," ed, and yet we sit here with closed doors and refuse to assume the responsibility of our votes for rejection or ratification.
 After further discussion participated in by Senators Manderson, Vest, Teller, Hawley oyd &ho 1uki o1o fa1
 MT. Sawyer was at his own request ex- cused from further service on the committee on education and labor and MT. Riddleberger was appointed in his stead.
 The Senate passed 108 private pension bills and then went into executive session. At 4:55 it adjourned until Monday.
 HoUsE.-Speaker Carlisle presided to-day After the transaction of unimportant busi- ness the House went into committee of the whole on the urgent deficiency bill. Mir. Kerr, of Iowa, in speaking on one of the de- fciency items for the department of justice, referred to the internal revenue laws and de- clared that at one of it's State conventions he did not precisely remember the date of the conyention-the Democratic party of Missouri had passed resolution asking for the repeal of the internal revenue system.
 Mir. Burns, of Missouri, said that he had no recollection of any such action by the
 
 denied that such resolution had ever been adopted.
 MT. Kerr said that the gentleman was mis- taken and would find that every Democratic convention held in Missouri for the past ten yearshad adopted resolution demanding that the provision of the revenue laws which pre- vented the farmer from selling his tobacco to anyone but licensed dealers. That provision had been passed by Republican Congress and signed by Republican president and it fastened the shaekles upon the tobacco grower
 Mir. Henderson, of Iowa, inquired why a Democratic Congress did not repeal.
 MT. Hatch replied that he had every ses- sion introduced bill to that effect, but that while it could pass @ Democratic House it could not pass Republican Senate.
 MT. Powell, of Illinois, inquired when it had-passed Democratic House.
 MT. Hatch replied that it had passed a Democratic House in the Forty-sixth Con- that the farmer could sell to the extent of $1OO
 MT. Henderson-Why was the tax put up- on tobacco?
 Mr. Hatch-For the best reason The government needed the money.
 MT. Henderson-How did the government happen to need the money?
 Mir. Milliken of Maine-Didn't the gentle man from Missouri help to make the neces- sitys
 Mr. Hateh-And the gentleman from Mis- souri has never shirked his share of that responsibility. (Applause.)
 Mir. Henderson-The gentleman does net criticise the Republican Congress which put the tax on tobacco, nor the Republican Pres ident who signed the law.
 MT. Hatch do not. I only criticise the power which put that law on the statute books, which regard as one of the most infa- nous upon them which prevents the grower of great product from selling it to anybody but a licensed dealer.
 Mir. Randall, of Pennsylvania, thought it mattered not what had been done in the past Let all join hands and strike from the statute books the iniquitous systems. (Applause.)
 MT. Hatch said he wanted to join the gen tleman in that when the bonds and debts ot the government to meet which the internal taxes had been levied had been paid and when the tax upon the clothing and fuel of the poor people had been removed. ZAP, plsuse.)
 Mr. Randall suggested that the indebted. ness of the United States was in no danger of being paid.
 MT. Hatch replied that war taxes had beer levied to pay war debts and as long as dol lar of that indebtedness remained unpaid to bacco and whisky were fair subjects of taxa tion.
 MT. Reed, of Maine inquired whether the gentleman was opposed to the repeal of the internal revenue tax.
 MT. Hatch replied that he was opposed tt their repeal until the taxes on the necessariei of life are first reduced. (Applause.)
 MT. Burnes remarked upon the manner II which the House bubbled over when tobaces was mentioned and expressed the fear tha when the other element which was covered by the internal revenue law was mentioned { regular Pandora's box would be opened. H' then brought back the discussion to the sub ject matter of the bill.
 On motion of MT. Sayres amendments were adopted appropriating ,000 for the sup port of United States prisoners. MT. O'Neill, of Missouri, offered an amend l ment directing the public printer to enforce rigidly the provisions of the eight hour law. MT. Burnes raised the point that th' amendment changed the existing law. The chair overruled the point of order ant l the amendment was adopted Having completed the consideration of tn | bill the committee rose. The items relatiT l to clerks for surveyor generals, which wer stricken out in committee, were relnstated Il ! the House.
 Pending final action on the bill tn l House at o'clock took recess until | o'clock, the evening session to be for debat ! %11 oiC +o1a