Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1877 — FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.

Monday, Nov. 26. —Senate.—The political contest in the Senate was renewed. The Committee on Privileges and Elections reported in favor of seating W. P. Kellogg from Louisiana, a minority of the committee reporting iu favor of Spofford. The consideration of these reports was postponed. In the case of M. C. Butler, of South Carolina, Mr. Thurman’s resolution to discharge the committee from further consideration thereof came up as the regular order, and Judge Davis, of Illinois, addressed the Senate in support of the resolution. Mr. Edmunds, after a brief reply to Mr. Davis moved that the Senate proceed to executive business. Bejected—yeas, 28; nays, 30—Messrs. Conover and Patterson voting with the Democrats in the negative. The debate was then reopened and continued all night, the Republicans now and then varying the monotony by mating motions to adjourn. The Democrats, however, were firm, and obstinately refused to yield th ir advantage. During the debate Messrs. Patterson and Conover addressed the Senate at some length in explanation of their positions. House.—The House transacted no business of importance. Tuesday, Nov. 27.—Senate.— The Senate remained in continuous session Monday night every motion of the Republicans to adjourn or take a recess being voted down by the Democrats. The Republicans were equally obstinate in their determination to prevent a vote on Thurman's resolution discharging the Committee on Privileges and Elections from further consideration of the case of M. C. Butler, but to force It over until 12 o’clock Tuesday, when, as it was claimed, the Senate would enter upon a new legislative day, the report of the committee in the case of W. P. Kellogg could be called up as a question of high privilege, and take precedence. When that hour arrived, however, Mr. Hear, who occupied the chair, decided that the legislative day would continue until adjournment was had. '1 here wero many interesting anil some exciting scenes in the Senate during the progress of the parliamentary contest. To kill time, tt e Republicans called for the reading of the testimony in regard to the Hamburg (3. C.) massacre, taken by a eoinmitteo of the Senate a year ago, and abo tho brief of Mr. Corbin claiming a seat in the Senate from South Carolina. These documents consisted of several hundred pages of closely-printed matter, and the reading of them consumed some fittcen hours of time. Motions without number to adjourn, to take a recess, etc., were ’made and promptly voted down by the Democrats, with the aid of Messrs. Davis, Patterson and Conover. At about 3 o’clock in the afternoon the protracted parliamentary battle was brought to a close by the adoption of the Thurman resolution by a vote of 28 to 27, and the Senate adjourned. House.—Mr. Morrison addressed the House on ihe currency question.... Dins were introduced :By Mr. Mackey, for the revival of the franking privilege ; by Mr. Riddle, restoring to the pension rolls the names of all soldi' rs stricken off on account of disloyalty : also repealing the act prohibiting the payment by any officer to any person not known to hare been opposed to the rebellion : by Mr. banning, providing for the repeal of the special taxes now imposed-by the United States Government upon brewers, rectifiers, wholesale liquor-dealers, saloonkeepers, manufacturers, anil wholesale and retail dealers in tobacco, cigars, eto.; by Mr. Corbett, amending the constitution so as to give to each of the Territories and the District of Columbia one member of Congress. Wednesday, Nov. 28.—Senate.—The oontes between the opposing political forces in the Senate was resumed directly after the journal was read. Mr. Wadleigh, Chairman of the Elections Committee, moved, as a privileged question, to proceed to ihe consideration of the case of Kellogg over that of Butier. The Chair ruled Mr. Wadleigh’s motion iu order. Mr. Thurman appealed from the decision of the Chair, and the Vice President was sustained by a majority of one—Mr. Conover voting with the’Republicans and Mr. Patterson with the Democrats, Mr. Davis, of Illinois not voting. Upon a motion to’proceed with the Kellogg case the vote was a tie--29 to 29—and the Vico President gave the casting vote in the affirmative. Mr. Thurman challenged the right of the Vice President to vote on questions pertaining to legislation. Mr. Wheeler said he had carefully considered the question as to his right to v te upon the case, and he had no doubt of his right to do so under the constitution. Mr. Thurman then moved to recommit the Kellogg case, upon which a general debate ensued, which was participated In by Messrs. Hill, Saulsbtuy, Wadleigh and McMillan. Pending discussion the Senate voted, by a majority of one, to adjourn. House.—The House was not in session. Thursday, Nov. 29.— Senate.— Immediately after the reading of the Journal, objection being offered to any new business, consideration was resume I of tbe resolution for the admission cf William Pitt Ke logg as Senator from Louisiana for six years from March 4, 1877, the pending question being on the amendment of Mr. Saulsbury to commit the whole subject to the Committee on Privileges and Elections, with instructions to take testimony upon certain charges of the complicity of Gov. Kellogg with the Returning Board in frauds for the purpose of having himself elected to the Senate. A limg discussion followed. The D< moerats charged that they had witnesses ready to prove conclusively that Gov. Kellogg was in complicity with the Returning Board in fraudß to elect himself to the Senate. Without action on the matter the Senate adjourned. House.—Not in session. Friday, Nov. 30.—Senate.— The House joint resolution in relation to the Paris Exposition was amended and paseed... A number of bills were introduced and ref erred.... Consideration was resumed of the Kellog* case. Mr. Patterson delivered an. elaborate set speech k l^e attacks made upon his oourse by Mr. Edmunds on Tuesday. A motion to reoomSiLlL® * e P £ «« was lost—£9 to 30-th* Vice fTwwat gowning to ererotiq his ptejogetive,

as the motion was lost by the failure to receive a majority of affirmative, votes. At 2 o’clock Saturday morning a vote was taken on the original resolution to seat Kellogg, and it was adopted—Conover and Patterson voting with the Republicans In the affirmative. The vote stood 29 to 28. Mr. Thurman then mpved that M. C. Butler be sworn in as Senator from South Carolina. Agreed to—yeas, 29; nays, 28— Conover and Patterson voting in the affirmative. Messrs. Kellogg and Butler were then sworn i a as Senators The Senate, in executive session, confirmed the nomination of John M. Harlan, of Kentucky, to be Judge of the Supreme Court. A motion to reconsider was immediately entered, which would leave the question still open. The nomination of William Henry Smith, as Collector of Customs at Chicago, was returned without any recommendation. House. —No business was transacted in the House. Saturday, Dec. 1. —Senate. — A resolution was presented by Mr. Wadleigh, Chairman of the Committee on Privileges and Elections, declaring J. B Kindis entitled to a seat as Senator from Louisiana. Ic was placed on the calendar. Mr. Ingalls gave notice that he did not concur with the majority of the committee in submitting this report, and that he would hereafter present the report of the minority Bigned by himself andtwoothers—Messrs. MeMLlan, of Minnesota, and Cameron, of Wisconsin.... A bill was introduced l>y Mr. Voorhees granting pensions to soldiers of the Mexican war.... The Deficiency Appropriation bill was passed. ...The Senate, in executive session, confirmed the nomination of Owen P. Fitz itnmons to be Marshal of Georgia, after an animated di-cuseion, by six majority, the negative votes betog all Republicans. The nominations of Roosevelt and Prince to be Collector and Naval Officer of the port of New York, were reported adversely by the Commerce Committee, of which Mr. Uonkling is Chairman, and placed on the calendar. House. —A bill was unanimously passed, under a suspension of the rules, appropriating SI,OOO to each surviving officer of the lost war-steamer Huron ; SIOO to each surviving seaman ; and to the widows and children of the lost an allowance equal to a year’s pay of their respective relatives... .A motion to suspend tho rules and pass a bill to remove the difabilit es imposed upon any person by virtue of the thirteenth section of the Fourteenth amendment was lost—yeap, 90 ; nays, 62—not twothirds voting in the affirmative... .A motion to instruct the Ways and Means Committee to revise the tariff so as to make it solely a tariff for revenue was rejected—yeas, 66; nays, 76 ... j Both houses adjourned till 10 o’clock a. m., Monday, Dec. 3.