The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1891-12-03

left without Chairmeu since March 4, and al
most az without full quota Of members. Tho
resignation Of Senator George f. Gdmunds, OF
Vermont, has left the Committee ON Judiciary,
one Of the most important committees o. the
Senate without a Chairman. The defeat Of
Senator ingalls, OF Kansas, has placed the Com
mittee on the District Of Columbia in similar
condition, while the Committees on Claims,
Education and Labor aud the Library are
without heads. The Committee or Judiciary
lost three Of its most powerful members in
Messrs Edmunds, Evarts, of Now York, and
ingalls,. Senator Hoar OF Mas aChuse,ts rs the
ranking member Of this committee, and will
undoubtedly be placed nj its head, giving mp
the Craftsmanship Of tle Committee on Lee
lions, which he now holds, Rs the Craftsmanship
Of the Judiciary Committee is considered the
better position. Ii is thought that Senator
Mcmillan, Of Michigan, will succeed Mr.. In
gals as the Chairman OF the Committee on the
District Of Columbia, who. although having
served but short while in The Senate, is the
ranking Republican Senator on Trio committee.
The retirement OF Senator Spooucr, Of Wiscon-
SIN, leaves tho Claims Committee without q
head, and IL Senator Mitchell, Of Oregon,
wishes The place, which is corsderCd one Of tho
hardcs; worked places in the Capitol, he can,
il he chooses, ret the position by seniority.
The Craftsmanship of the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor was made vacant by the re-
tirement OF Senator Blair OF New Hampshire,
and II Senator Wilson, Of Iowa, who now holds
tic minor Craftsmanship on the Committee on
the Revision o. tho Laws, desires the place, lac,
being the senior r. publican member Of the
committee, VIII very likely succeed Mr. Blair.
When Nh. Eyar,s, of New York, failed Of TO-
election, tho Committee on the Library lost its
efficient Chairman. Senator Wocgtt, Of Colo.
rado viii succeed the New York Senator, he
/ being tho ranking Republican member Of that
committee The transfer Of Senator Hoar TO
The Judiciary Committee leaves the Commit
! toe on Elections without head. This Is ono
/ o. tho most important committees in the Sem
ate, aud Senator Frye, Of Maine being the
rnuking Senator with Republican pToeliyities,
could take the place If no desired 10 DO so. hut
VIII probably remain az the head Of the Com
milteC Oh Commerce, which he now occupies.
This viii bring Senator Teller, Of Colorado, the
oniy remaining Republican Senator, to the
/ head Of the list, and The entire Committee on
| Elections viii have to be reconstructed, so as
70 give the Republicans a majority on the COM
mittee. Many other committees viii havo TO
i be rehabllitgted ne many Senators, most Of
them Republican, left on the last day of the
session Of the 5lst Congress, March {. There
were also many changes in the Democratic Sem
atOrs. aud all the new blood abou. to DO infused
! IN the council balls OF the Nation viii he given
/ plaCes on tho various committees
-
The Supreme Court Of the United States was
engaged last week ia settling the question
whether Speaker Reed, Of Maine, was acting
legally when he counted q quorum from mem
bers present, but who RETAINED from voting.
/ The legality Of the Speakers action comes be-
fore tho Court in the form Of lawsuit brought
by Balm, Joseph & Co., importers, who claim
1 that tho Collector Of Customs Of the Port Of
New York collected duty upon 10 cases Of
Worsted cloths imported By them in excess Of
what the law permitted, and they scek 70 OBJ
tain refund Of the illegal excess The Board Of
1 United States General Appraisers sustained the
/ Collector Of Customs. but the Circuit Court, on
appeal, held with the importers, and gave judg-
meat against tho United States for the amounts
claimed, from which decision the Government
appealed. The principal question involved Ia
tic case is, whether the Act Of Congress, APP
proved May g, 1890, which provides for the
classification Of wOFsted cloths as WOOlons had
the effect 20 make the duty upon worsted
cloths equal to that which the Tariff Act oI
March ?, 1888 imposed on woolens. in the
presentation Of their case Ia the United States
supreme Court the importers hold:
First That the Act OF May ., $500, never &C
quircd the validity OF q law, because there wa,
no. constitutional quorum TO do business ia
The House of Representatives when the bill
PASSED that body.
Second That oven IL the act was in force a.
a valid law IN July, 1880, when the imporia
tiCrs IN question were made, us language c0ult
not be construed 10 amend the clauses Of lht
Tariff act Of March 3, 1853; because the acs 0
Nay o 1880 did not purport to repeal any &C
imposing the pIe-eZisting rate Of duty on wor
. sted clotf7, or to impose any new duty thereon
and because whether or not the Secretary O
, tie Treasury classified the goods IN suit d
T wooden cloths, this did not alter the fact tina
they were manufactures Of wor-ted, and dutI
able accordingly, under the Act Of 1883.
Third. That even il the Act Of May O. 1890
amended the Act Of 1888 by its terms. it did s
only with respect 10 such worstod cloths as Ia
Secretary Of the Treasury himself shoul
classify and that as the Secretary dill no
classify the importations in question, the dute
, herein were unaffected by the later act.
, Attorney General Miller mud Solicitor Gen
! eral Taft are conducting the Government
! case aud IN ghcir argument regarding the con
s,ilutCual quorum raised by the importer
when the act was passed, contend that th
7 duly enrolled act signed by the presiding off
, GERS Of both Houses, which was also duly sign
! ed by the President and deposited with n
Secretary q State, who made publication q
4 TIE act with other laws, is the ultima recon
. Of the law and the best evidence Of It's passage
! Thattho entries on ia journals Of either Hous,
! though within the judicial knowledge Of IN
! Supreme Court do not impcach or c0ntradic
!, the presumption from the completed record Z
the proporiy-onrollrd act which was coustitu
i, tonally passed. Referring 10 that portion {
!, the Congressional Record showing action on IN
bill the Government counsel say that Il
members OF the House OF Representatives vote
Tor tie measure. no votes being recorde
" against IT, aud that Speaker Reed announce,
' from q list noted by the Clerk at the former
: suggestion, "a members in the hall when the
+, names were called ana not voting The Speak,