Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-23

-. -, 'he people OF his district TO see the
.~oN"elNe' On the occasion of his last
,is", MI cooper said. he had lust been
informed that the bill had been returned
10 the President by the Department OF
1usuce without recommendation. The Sec
se'a'y toid him. at first that the Presi-
e.n' nad not acted upon the bill. but when
W. Nooper tod him that the bill had been
- oNer from the Department Of Jus
~ ~ .he secretary made inquiry and re-
po''eu that the President had acted upon
the bill and had veto message prepared
men, Mr. Cooper said. he again asked
Tor personal interview with the presi-
ueht' that he might present the reasons
why the bill should become a law But
'ne secretary refused him access. saying
'ha' the President had made up his mind,
ana that II would be useless to see him.
IN view OF these facts. MIR. Cooper said.
the reason advanced by the President was
no reason, and he asked the House to
pass the bill over the veto. as recon-
mended by the committee
A MISFORTUNE.
Mr.. Grosvenor said thai. from the re-
marks made by Mr.. Cooper he inferred
mat that gentleman had experienced
some difficulty in seeing the President.
II was unfortunate for the American
people, he said, that for three years
past lew self-respccting representatives
OF respectable constituency would
make an effort TO see the President. II
was represented that he had issued an
order that no Senator nor Representa-
tive in Congress should present him
SELF in person until he had bowed be-
lore private secretary, and had re-
celVed FOR his errand the sanction of
mat august parsonage. "At that
time continued Mr.. Grosvenor, II
was In the midst of matter connect
ed with my official relations TO the
President. and after having concluded
1t, ! filed statement at the Executive
Mansion that j would never again seek
10 see the President OF the United
states under the present administration.
And l have kept my word. My con-
stituents never commissioned me TO
percolate my business with the Execu-
tive through the clay of private Sec
retary."
1t was unfortunate, Mr.. Grosvenor
went on to say, that the President ex-
cluded himself from communication
with the members of Congress. He
surrounds himself with a skrmish line
Of moderate capacity, and keeps him
self away from us. | condemn myself
for not having expressed these views
carefully considered by the parties i'm
interest. there might now be two or
three friends of the President In Con-
gress."
Mr.. Dazell Republican). of Pennsylva-
mia: 1t will be better in the next ad-
ministration.
Mr.. Grosvenor: l can't speak for
that. But | may express the hope that
never again will there be an administra-
tion which will refuse access to the rep
resentatives Of the people. The people
are greater than the President, and
when he fences himself in he should be
careful that the portals are guarded by
the highest intellects of the country.
Mr.. Richardson DemocraD Of Tennes-
see: / suppose the gentleman speaks as
advance agent of the new administra-
tion? Uaughter)
Mr. Grosvenor: l am the advance
agent about as much as the gentleman
from Tennessee was the agent of his
party In that unfortunate affair. Re-
newed laughter)
Addressing himself TO the merits of the
bill. Mr. Grosvenor said that If the
President told the truth in his veto
message about the condition of affairs
in Texas. the bill ought not pass.
The bill passed-1H to 6S-more than
two-thirds voting in the affirmative.
NIGHT SESSION.
At the evening session ten private
pension bills, previously reported from
the Committee of the Whole. were
passed. At 101J the House adjourned,
until Monday next