Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-13
mr. BUCK KEEPS HIS SEAT
His Case Was Disposed of With
out Debate.
ALDRlCH VERSUS ROBBINS
Debate Was Begun and Continued for Several
Hours on the Report.
SHERMAN FIGHTING CUBA'S BATTLE
He Will Insist Upon Bringing the Resolu-
tion to Vote as Soon as Possible-Mr.
Hill Has Decided to Vote
Against It.

Washington, March 1.-THE house to-
day spent all of its time considering con-
tested election cases. One of them that
of II. Dudley Coleman VS.. Charles F.
Buck, from the Second Louisiana dis
trict was disposed of without debate by
the adoption of the resolutions unani-
mously reported by elections committee
No. that Coleman, republican, was not
elected, and that Buck, democrat, had
been and was entitled to his seat. De-
bate upon the other-William F. Aldrich
VS. CASTOR A. Robbins, from the Fourth
Alabama district-was begun and con-
tinued for several hours.
Mr.. Daniels of New York stated that
it had been agreed to devote several
hours to the discussion of the report,
the time to be equally divided. There
were three reports in this case two from
the majority, which did not agree in the
details upon which the same conclusion
was reached, viz: That Aldrich was en-
titled to the seat. Messrs. Daniels and
Cooke of Illinois find that the apparent
majority of 1886 for Robbins should be
changed to one of 601 for Aldrich. They
go into the returns in detail and show
that in twenty precincts the vote as re-
turned was not the vote cast, and make
this comment: 1T is a cause of just as
tonishment that men who are mentioned
so often as intelligent and reputable per-
sons in their communities will so far vol
unfairly degrade and criminate them
selves as to descend to the political trick
cry and knavery SO abundantly proved
against them. These elections are a. blot
on the fairness and integrity of the coun-
try and are despotism as complete and
intolerant as can be found in any of the
arbitrary systems of the old world. And
the people can only vindicate themselves
against the wrong by frowning down
and denouncing the abuse of law and
public authority"
A report made by Mr.. Royse, repub-
lican, of Indiana, and the other members
of the majority of the committee find
that the majority for Robbins should be
23S, hut that this apparent majority was
Obtained by fraud. They. therefore, rec
ommend the seating of the contestant
Aldrich.
The minority committee, through Mr..
Dinsmore, democrat of Arkansas find
In their report that Robbins majority
was $50 and recommend that he be per-
mitted to retain his seat.
The majority recommendation was
supported by Messrs. Moody of Massa-
chusetts, Linney of North Carolina and
Royse of Indiana, and the minority by
Mr. Bartlett of Georgia.
At 5:15 the house adjourned until to-
morrow
The Senate.
The conference report on the Cuban
belligerency resolutions was again up
in the senate today and two speeches
were made upon it. The first was by
Mr.. Hill, announcing his purpose to vote
against the conference report and stat
ing the reasons which induced him to
take that position after having voted
for the resolution that passed the sem
ate, His opposition was to the third
clause of the resolution, which proclaims
the purpose of the United States to be
prepared to intervene to protect the legit-
innate interests of the United States.
He opposed the resolution as being la
Bile to misinterpretation and as being un-
necessary and therefore unwise. He
thought 1t was too much like threat,
too much like buncombe, and that 1t was
putting Intervention on too low ground.
He could not vote for 1t, and as con-
ference report is not amendable he would
have to vote against the report.
The action of the committee on foreign
relations and of the senate conference
was defended by Mr.. Sherman and then
the matter went over till tomorrow, Mr..
Morgan having the floor. 1t was subse-
ouently stated that Mr.. Sherman would
ask unanimous consent tomorrow to take
up the conference report, displacing tenn
porarily the Delaware election case, and
that IL objection were made he would
move to take 1t up so that the matter
would be decided by a majority vote.
After a speech by Mr.. Pritchard, re-
publican, of North Carolina, in support of
Mr. Dupont's claim to seat In the SEN
ate from the state of Delaware, a num-
Der of bills were taken up from the cal
endar and passed and the senate at 5.30
adjourned until tomorrow.
AT the opening of the session the house
ioint resolution for the adjustment of
certain claims of the United States
against the state of Tennessee and of
certain claims of Tennessee against the
United States was, at the request of Mr..
Harris, democrat of Tennessee, taken
from the calendar and passed. The
claims and counter claims arise out of
railroads seized and used by the United
States during the rebellion.
The debate On the Cuban resolutions
began at 1 o'clock and Mr.. Hill took the
floor He stated at the outset that he
should vote against concurring in the
report of the conference committee, and
that his remarks were intended more as
an explanation of his vote than any elab-
crate argument on the question involved.
He wished to call attention to the par
lamentary situation of the conference
report 1t had to be accepted in it's en-
tirety or be rejected. 1t could not be
amended 1t could not be changed. He
objected to the third resolution, and he
read It, with criticisms upon its Ian
guage-
AT 3 o'clock the unfinished business
was laid before the senate and Mr..
Pritchard, repu blican, of North Carolina,
took the floor in support of the right of
Henry Dupont as senator from Dela-
ware He yielded, however. to Mr. 6her-
man, republican, OF Ohio. who desired to
speak on the Cuban resolutions.
Referring to the failure to make the
resolutions joint, Mr.. Sherman said the
committee did not deem this wise. There
was no politics in the matter. The com
mlttee sought simply to do what was
best In the premises.
Had the resolutions been made joint
the president weeds bave been compelled
at a critical stage OF the war In Cube to