Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-23

judicial district bill he explained that in
the consideration of the bill neither he
nor any member of the committee on the
judiciary Fad ever heard any objection
to the bill. He had made several at
tempts to see the president while the bill
was before him, in order to set forth the
reasons why the bill should become a
law, and to meet the objections which the
court officers were said to have made, but
which had never been presented to him.
In all these attempts he was unsuccess-
fu1, the secretary of the president, who
holds the key to the door by which MEM
bers of congress are admitted to the
president" denying him the right as a
representative of the people of his district
to see the executive. On the occasion of
his last visit Mr.. Cooper said he had just
been Informed that the bill had been re-
turned to the president by the depart
ment of justice without recommendation.
The secretary told him at first that the
president had not acted upon the bill,
but when Mr.. Cooper told him that the
bill had been sent over from the depart
ment of justice, the secretary made in
quiry and reported that the president
had acted upon the BILL and had a veto
message prepared. Then, Mr.. Cooper
said, he again asked for personal inter-
view with the president that he might
present the reasons why the bill should
become a law. But the secretary rPI.
fused him access, saying that the press
dent had made up his mind and that 1t
would be useless to see him. In view of
these facts Mr.. Cooper said the reason
advanced by the president was no reason,
and asked the house to pass the bill over
the veto, as recommended by the COM
mittee.
Mr.. Grosvenor said that from the re-
marks made by Mr.. Cooper, he inferred
that that gentleman had experienced
some difficulty in seeing the President.
1t was unfortunate for the American peo-
pie, he said, that for three years past
few self-respecting representatives of a
respectable constituency would make any
effort to see the President. 1t was repre-
sented that he had issued an order that
no senator nor representative in congress
should present himself in person until he
had bowed before the private secretary
and had received for his errand the sane
ton of that august parsonage. "At that
time" continued Mr.. Grosvenor, II was
in the midst of a matter connected with
my official relations to the President, and
after having concluded 1t, l filed state
ment at the executive mansion that I
would never again seek to see the Presi-
dent of the United States under the pres
ent administration. And have kept my
word. My constituents never commits
stoned me to percolate my business with
the executive through the clay of a pri-
vate secretary"
1t was unfortunate, Mr.. Grosvenor
went on to say, that the President ex-
cluded himself from communication with
members of congress. HE surrounds
himself with a skirmish line of moderate
capacity and keeps himself away from
us. 1 condemn myself for not having
expressed these views two years ago,
when, If they had been carefully consid-
cred by the parties in interest, there now
might be two or three friends of the
President in congress-"
Mr. Dalzell, republican, of Pennsylva-
malt will be better in the next admin
istration.
Mr.. Grosvenor-I can't speak for that.
But may express the hope that never
again will there be an administration
which will refuse access to the represent
greater than the President and when he
fences himself in he should be careful
that the portals are guarded by the high
est intellects of the country.
Mr.. Richardson, democrat, of Tennes-
see--I suppose the gentleman speaks as
the advance agent of the new admins
tration. Laughter) =.
Mr. Grosvenor-I am the advance agent
about as much as the gentleman from
Tennessee was the agent of his party In
that unfortunate affair. Renewed laugh
ter)
Addressing himself to the merits of the
bill, Mr. Grosvenor said that If the Pres
ident told the truth in his veto message
about the condition of affairs in Texas,
the bill ought not to pass.
The bill was passed-144 to 6S-more
than two-thirds voting in the affirmative.
EVENING SESSION.
Washington JAN 22.-At the evening
session ten private pension bills previous
ly reported from the committee of the
whole were passed At 1915 o'clock the
house adjourned until Monday next.