Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-01-08
THE SENATEAN HOUSE.
WORK OF OUR NATIONAL LAW
MAKERS.

Proceedings OF the Senate and House of
Representatives - Important Measures
Discussed and Acted Upon-Gist OF the
Business.
The Senate met at noon on the Goth, after
few days recess. The Vice-President laid
before the members a communication from
the Governor OF Idaho transmitting cre-
dentials OF the Senator elect from that State
--Messrs George Il. Shoup and William j.
Mcconnell. The credentials having been
read, Mr.. Hoar moved that as Mr.. Shoup
was present the oath of Office be admins
tered TO him. Mr. Vance remarked that the
new State of Idado appeared to have
elected more than IFS fair share of Sem
ators, and he thought that the credentials
should be referred TO the Committee ON
Privileges and Elections. Mr.. Hoar said
that, as he understood, there were only
two Senators chosen from that State. He
thought that his motion took precedence of
Mr.. Vance's. Mr.. Hoar's motion having
been agreed TO, that Senator escorted Mr.
Shoup to the Clerks desk, where he took
the oath of Office and subscribed TO 1t.
In the Senate on the 3Oth the election bill
was taken up, and Senator Wolcott, OF Col
orado (Rep.), made an animated speech
against IL, attracting the closest attention
from its first sentence to its last. 1t was,
he said, source OF great regret to him TO
be called upon to differ from any consider
able number of his party, and to decline to
take the path which the older leaders
pointed out 1t was proper that the reas-
ons which impelled that difference be fairly
stated. The present was not an oppor-
tune time for the bill. Nearly one
third OF the session was through
and daylight was not yet visible. There
were before u o Senate measures OF vast
Importance that would fail, for another
year at least, unless they were now acted
upon. Among the measures awaiting
action Mr.. Wolcott mentioned the silver
bill, the apportionment BILL the pure-food
bill, the copyright bill, and the private
land court bill. We stand, he said,
in the shadow of great financial
disaster. The people turn TO Congress for
relief They want the assurance either
that there Will be no legislation on the
financial subject $50 that they can set
their houses in order) or that they will re-
ceive an adequate medium OF circulation
for the transaction of their business. But
it was not only, he said, because those
measures we're clamoring for recognition
that he felt compelled to oppose the passage
of the election bill. IL the session were to
last indefinitely, and IL none OF these vital
measures were pending, he would still vote
against IT, It was travesty on duty that
the Senate should sit, day after day, dis
cussing changes I'm the election law that had
stood without amendment for twenty years
1HE uhy uIter new 1edf Jue Spcdhct
laid before the House the resignation OF IL.
ii. Markham as member OF the Board OF
Managers of the National Home for Dis
abled Volunteer Soldiers. Referred TO the
Committee on Military Affairs. On motion
OF Mr.. Mckinley, of Ohio, the House then
adjourned until Monday, Jan. 5. Although
IL was understood when the Senate ad-
journed Dec. 81 that the session on Jan.
I'd was to b. merely formal there were forty
Senators present when the journal was read,
including Mr.. Allison, who had been absent
from the city for ten days past. The Sem
ator-eloct from Idaho, Mr.. Mcconnell, who
has not yet been sworn I'm, was also present
and was introduced TO good many of the
Senator'S, as was also Mr.. Dubois, OF Idaho,
who has been elected for the term to begin
March next. No business whatever was
transacted and the Senate, on motion of Mr..
Spooner, adjourned till Jan. at noon.
Thus far five Republicans have agreed 20
vote against the election bill on direct vote
and there are two others who say they would
vote for motion to lay IL aside and take
up finance. This is not enough. A Repub-
lican Senator who is earnestly opposed to
the election bill said to reporter that In
time IL would pass the Senate, but IL could
by no possibility be passed by the House In
its amended form. BY the time 1t got &c
the House, he said, IL would be too late for
the attendance OF quorum to be secured
in that body. The bill, he said, could never
become law.