Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-13

Time Occupied BY Discussion which
Had No Result.

IT rs NOT YET SETTLED WHETHER TIE SENATE
WILL TRANSACT ANY BusIxEss OTHER THAN
THE CONSIDERATION OF TREATIES AND ExEc-
uTrvE BUSINESS OR NOT.
The resolution heretofore offered by Mr. Call
as to Withholding patents to public lands
in Florida was laid before the Senate. and
was. at the. suggestion Of Mr.. German md },
permitted to remain on the table. The
resolution heretofore offered by Mr..
Henderson CNeb. to confine the action OF the
Senate at the present session to executive bust
ness was laid before the Senate and was modi-
fed by Mr.. Manderson so as to read:
Resolved, That il is the sense of the Senate
hat a this extraordna ~ session of the Senate
business transacted shall be confined to
the consideration of treaties and other execu-
tive matters and those requiring the act ton Of
the Senate only.
Mr.. Cockrell said he saw no occasion for the
adoption of such a resolution. Besides. il would
not amount to anything. 1t would not bind the
Senate ten minutes
The Constitution was broad enough II
provided that the President may on extraor-
binary occasions convene both houses, or
either Of them. What did that mean? II did
not mean in executive session. That was
mere matter of rule by the Senate. The present
was an extraordinary session, and the Senate
possessed every power and right and jurisdc-
ton which the Senate would possess il the
House had been called with il.
Mr.. henderson disclaimed any contention
that the Senate when called in extraordinary
session did not possess every power. His
resolution was simply a declaration of the
sense Of the Senate-that it had better not con-
slider legislative matters.
Mr.. Cockrell expressed the judgment that
the President could call the House Of Repre-
sentatives in extraordinary session, and that
that House might pass appropriation bills or
tariff bill, and that the President might
afterward call the Senate in extra
ordinary session and that the Senate could then
take up and act upon the bills passed by the
House. There was no occasion for the Senate
saying today that it would not do a certain
thing or that it would declare a certain policy.
The Senate was able day by day to take care
of itself and to decide what 1t should do. Ii
was chiid's play to undertake to bind the Sem
ate in advance.
Mr.. Teller Col reminded Senators on his side
of the chamber that democratic executive had
called the Senate in extraordinary session
and suggested that it was rather I'M
becoming in them to interfere with
the course of business The majority
on the other side should indicate what they
wanted to do. He did not know what the ma
1ority wanted done or what the executive
wanted done The responsibility Of legis-
lation did not rest Senators
on his side of the chamber. II
the other side did not want anything
done, he would be glad to have that policy
made known; and it would be very agreeable to
him. There were some things, however. which
the Senate could do and might want to do. 1t
might want to adopt some resolutions Of in
quiry; and there would be, he thought, no con-
troversy about them. He himself wanted to
introduce resolution touching the interna-
tionai monetary conference and wanted to
have, If possible, an expression of opinion by
the Senate upon it. He wanted the Senate to
express an opinion as to whether it was better
to have the international monetary conference
reassembe or not, because he had discovered
through the debates in the English parliament,
that the English people claimed that whether
the conference would reassemble or not would
depend entirely on the wishes of the
United States government He said that he
did not want to introduce resolution simply
to have it laid on the table. to expose himself
to the accusation of precipitatng matters in
controversy. He therefore wanted the Senate
to determine just what ought to be done-not
what the Senate had the right to do, but what
would be good policy for it to do.
Mr. German md said that he had gone very
carefully over the precedents and that he had
found the first considerable debate on the sub
ject to have taken place in 1851. On that oc-
casion Senator Seward of New York had
offered a resolution, which had been adopted
and which has been ever since practically
the rule that has governed the Senate.
That resolution was that "the Senate is not
restricted at this session to the considera-
ton of matters properly executive. but
that such consideration may be extended 20
all matters proper to be transacted by the Sem
ate, without the cooperation of the House of
Representatives" Nj. German suggested that
the resolution and Mr.. Hale's substitute for it
should be withdrawn. and that unanimous con-
sent should be given that the Senate will not
consider matters requiring the action of the
other house.
Objection was made by Mr.. George Miss
and the discussion went on for some time
longer-the resolution finally going over with
out action.
Mr.. Frye (Me.) offered a resolution, which he
explained and which was agreed to. resembling
SO much of a resolution adopted In the Senate
on the 9Th Of February last as requires the
Secretary of War to suspend action in relation
to the improvements in the harDor Of Phils-
delphia.
The Senate then, at 1880, adjourned till
Wednesday next at noon.