The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-01
SENATE WANTS INFORMATION AS TO
RATES AND RECEIPTS.
SENATOR SCOTS CASE ARGUED
Senat Pertus Presents the
Report of the Committee. Made by
Himself Alone-He Makes an Aryu-
ment Against Seating Mr. Scott 1t
House Passes the Postoffice Appro-
priatfon Bfll-The Pneumatic Tube
Service Provision Not Restored.
SENATE

introduced by Senator Perkins. of Cal |
~ifornia, calling on the secretary OF the
treasury 10 send TO the senate the i'm
ports by months and the rates of duty |
under the reciprocal agreement tina
went into effect in 1895. was adopted.
Senator Pettus, OF Alabama, then
addressed the senate in opposition 10
the resolution declaring that Mr.. Scott.
OF West Virginia, is entitled TO a seat.
Senator Pettus presented the minor
ity report OF the committee op privi-
leges and elections in the Scott case.
being the only member OF the commit
tee who declined to sign the majority
report. Il desire" said he, TO speak
TO senators who can decided fairly,
upon their own judgment and not upon
caprice and within"
After having been Interrupted by
Senator McComas 10 correct a state
ment of fact, Senator Pettus refused,
with some heat, to permit an Interrupt
ton by Senator Spooner, of Wisconsin,
who desired to ask a question.
Il shal not yield for debate of this
question:" aid the Alabama senator
1T is not fair and it is not just for a
senator to interrupt an argument Tor
the purpose of seeing whether he can
debate the question better than the
man on the floor"
Il think" said Senator Spooner, lit
would have been courteous in the SEN
ator to have assumed that | desired
simply to ask a question.
"Oh no., returned Senator Pettus.
ut would not be-. l have heard the
senator debate positions after asking
a question. l o the necessary pre-
caution. l do not approve of this prac-
tice of interrupting arguments. This
way of just bullying into the middle OF
an argument is excessively bad man
nerS even if il does so often occur in
the United States senate" (Laughter.)
Senator Pettus analysed the work in
the legislature, declaring of it: The
debauchery of such Internal proceed
ings cannot be too strongly
lied. 1t is a horrible state of affairs;
and yet we are told that the United
States senate cannot examine into a
fraud like that"
Later he pointed out that at one
point of the proceedings, Mr.. Scott
needed just one more vote. There
are some very smart people in West
Virginia. said he, and they went i'm
mediately to the bargain counter
Further along senator Pettus sharp
ly criticised the action of the governor
of West Virginia in entering into the
| case in the interest of Mr.. Scott. 1T
makes me SICK" said he, that the
governor of a state should get down
into the mud and dirt of a vile case
like this; and from his action I should
think they needed civil service in
Charleston"
How about Alabama?' inquired
Senator Elkins, of West Virginia, fac
tiously.
I'm not discussing Alabama now"
replied senator Pettus: but the sena-
tors picture is in this thing too. Don't
get impatient. I'll get to you after a
while" I%aughter.)
senator Pettus maintained that the
case had not been fairly investigated
by the privileges n elections COM
mittee. Senator'S" said he, until
you belong to that d~ebauched class
described by the senator from New
Hampshire (Chandler,) who vote on
cases of this kind from whim and cap
rice, you must vote on the law and the
evidence.
Senator Turley, of Tennessee, fol-
lowed with an argument in support
of Mr.. SCOTS right to retain his seat.
Senator Chandler, chairman of the
committee on privileges and elections,
presented an explanation OF the agree
ment entered into by the republican
and democratic leaders in the legis-
lature and in the state of West Vir-
ginia and declared 1t was perfectly
valid, perfectly honest and perfectly
fair. He held with Senotar Turley
that the senate had no right to enter
into an investigation of the action OF
the legislature in respect to the seat.
ing or unseating of any of it's mem.
bers.
Senator Morgan, of Alabama, made
an extended argument in support o.
the motion of his colleague (Pettus)
to recommit the case to the committee
with instructions to make a thorough
investigation of it.
An effort was made to fix a time fol
a vote upon h case, but Senator
Pettus objected, ~denouncing the effor
as indecent haste" The case theI
went owe until tomorrow.
At $40 O'Clock p. m. the senate ad
1ourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
After four days of discussion thu
house today completed the considera
ton of the postof1ice appropriation bill
and passed it. No one demanded
separate vote upon the amendmen
striking out the pneumatic tube pro
vision.
Without preliminary business. tn
house resumed consideration of tn,
p~ostoffice bill.
Mr.. Tawney, Of Minnesota, movet
to increase the salaries of 479 railwa,
postal clerks, Class s A, from $1,000 t