Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-08
THE SENATE AT WORK.
One Branch of the Fifty-Second Con-
gress Proceeds to Business.
MIR. BRICE SWORN In ASAMEMBER
Sherman Says the People of Ohio Must
Prove His Nom Residence.
SEVERAL CONTESTS PROVIDED FOR

the Senate and the first session Of thai
branch of the Fifty-second Congress was
opened with prayer by the Chaplain, Rev.
j. G. Butler. The Vice President wei
coined Senators to the resumption OF theil
official duties and called the Senate to
order He then laid before the Senate the
credentials of new Senators and the letter:
of resignation received by him during the
recess. Those papers were read, the hrst
being the letter of resignation of Senator
Reagan, of Texas, and the appointment by
the Governor of that State of Mr.. Chiffon
in his stead.
- The next credentials read were those OF
Mr. FELTON,, of California, TO fill the vacan'
cv caused by the death of Mr.. Hearst, and
the next were the resignation of Mr.. Ed
munds, of Vermont, and the appointment OF
Mr.. Proctor in his stead,
The next credentials read were those OF
Mr. Call and Mr.. Davidson, each claiming
10 be Senator from Florida. After both
were read, Mr.. Harris expressed the opin-
ion that the proper course to be pursued
with them was to refer both to the Commit
ice on Privileges and Elections, SO that the
question might he decided in the light of
thorough investigation. He asked that
both credentials be laid on the table for the
day, and said he would probably tomorrow
move their reference TO the Committee on
Privileges and Elections.
No Controversy as to the Facts.
Mr. George said he would not now object
TO that request. He had, after very care
ful examination, both as to the law and the
facts, found there was no controversy as to
the facts and therefore there was no neces-
sitv for an investigation of them by the
committee As to the law, it was plain,
and had received the judicial determination
of the Senate. So that there remained
neither a question of law nor question of
fact for the attention of the committee. The
equality of the States ought not to be in
ierfered with for a single hour, when
there was no serious question about
which there could be any difference among
Senators. However, in Difference to the
senator from there now, he would make no
objection to letting the matter go over till
tomorrow but he gave notice that he would
then insist that the Senate had both the
facts and the law before it, and ought to
proceed at once to sea. Mr.. Call, the legally
elected Senator from the State of Florida.
Mr.. Hoar said he had received and care
fully examined the statement of the Gov
ernor of Florida, and that it presented, so
far as he could discover, simply the consti-
tutionality and construction of the existing
law of Congress as to the election of Sena-
tors That question had been frequently
before the Senate and had been always de-
cided in the same way
The Rights of States greed To.
He agreed with Mr. George as to the con-
right of each State to be equally
in the Senate, and it occurred
10 him that after the oath had been admin
istered to all the new Senators, he should
move to take up the Florida case. The
matter could then go over till tomorrow.
Mr.. George added some further remarks
10 the effect that the Governor of Florida
had undertaken to surpass his power in ap-
pointing a Senator after one had been
elected. Both credentials were then placed
on file
The credentials of Mr.. Brice as Senator
elect from Ohio having been presented and
read, Mr.. Sherman said:
Before the oath of office is administered to
Mr.. Brice, desire to say that large por-
tion of the citizens OF Ohio contend that he
was not an inhabitant of that State at the
eligible to seat in this body. On e1amin-
ing the precedents (of which there are sew
eral in the history of the Government, and
some of them most importantly / am entirely
satisfied that Mr.. Brice is entitled to be
sworn in on the prima facie case of his
credentials, which are regular in form. 1
simply give this notice, however so that his
being sworn may not be consideIed any
waiver. or any misapprehension or miscon-
Struction, if the people or the Legislature of
Ohio should assert and prove to the salts
faction of the Senate that Mr.. Brice was not
at the time of his election an inhabitant of
Ohio. l think that this statement from me
* proper and necessary. But l make. no
objection to the swearing in OF Mr. Brice.
New Senators Sworn in by Groups
The sw caring of the newly-elected Cor ap-
nointed) Senators was then proceeded with.
There was an unusually large number of
new Sen ators to be sworn in, counting up
IL witho ut the Senator from Florida, neither
the name of Mr. Call nor that of Mr.. David
son being on the printed list of Senator'S
They were sworn in groups of four or five,
in the first group being Mr. Brice, who was
escorted by Mr.. kenna In the next were
Mr. Chiffon, of Texas; Mr.. Dubois, of Idaho;
Mr.. FELTON,, of California. and Mr. Gallinger,
of New Hampshire.
Mr. Hoar said that as to Mr.. Chiffon,
there was question as to whether the
Governor of Texas had the power to ap-
point before the vacancy had actually
occurred. He would make no objection to
the oath being administered to Mr.. Chiffon
now, but he should afterward move to refer
the case to the Committee on Privileges and
Elections.
Mr.. Hale said he desired to examine the
credentials Of Mr.. Dubois, and asked that
they lie on the table till tomorrow. This
was agreed to, and the other Senators in the
group were sworn in.
The name of Mr.. Hill, Senator-elect from
New York, was not printed on the list of
Senators, nor were his credentials pre-
sented.
But four members of the Senate were not
in their seats. These were Mr.. Jones, of
Arkansas; Mr.. Jones, of Nevada; Mr.. Stan
ford, of California, and Mr.. Vance, of North
Carolina
Florida and Idaho Representation.
Mr.. Hoar submitted motion that Mr..
Call be admitted to take the oath as Senator
from the State of Florida and said he
would not press the motion now, but would
let it go over till tomorrow. Mr.. Cullom
made a like motion in reference to Mr..
Dubois
Mr.. Sherman offered the usual resolution
for the appointment of two Senators to Join
a like committee on the part of the House.
10 wait on the President of the United
States and inform him that quorum of
each House was assembled, and that Con-
gress was ready to receive any communica-
ton he might be pleased to make The
was agreed to, and Messrs. Sner-
man and Harris were appointed.
Mr.. Hoar moved that the Committee on
Privileges and Elections be directed to in
luire into and report upon the circum-
stances and validity of tha onnoinfpoor. &c
Mr.. Chiffon from the State of Texas Agreed