TABLE OF CONTENTS, 1882. I. List of Forty-sixth Congress, Third Session, I-3 II. Messages of President Hayes: Fourth Annual Message-Inter-Oceanic Canal- Removal of Ponca Indians-Report of Civil Service Commission, . VI. Miscellaneous Votes in Forty-sixth Congress, Third Session-Counting the Elec- toral Vote-Repeal of Law requiring Stamps on Bank-checks-Expenses of X. Proposed Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, in Third Session of Forty-sixth Congress and First Session of Forty-seventh Congress, 62–73, 173, 203 XI. Constitutional Amendments made and pending in the States, XXVII. River and Harbor Bills, Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh Congresses,. XXVIII. The Bills to Reduce Taxation, Relating to Materials used in Vessels, and to HAND-BOOK OF POLITICS FOR 1882. I. MEMBERS OF THE FORTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. THIRD SESSION, DECEMBER 6, 1880-MARCH 3, 1881. The Senate. WILLIAM A. WHEELER, of New York, Vice President of the United States, and President of the Senate. *Qualified December 6, 1880, to succeed Hon. Luke Pryor, appointed by the Governor to succeed Hon. George S. Houston, deceased. + Died February 24, 1881. The House of Representatives. SAMUEL J. RANDALL, of Pennsylvania, Speaker. George M. Adams, of Kentucky, Clerk. Republicans, 131; Democrats, 150; NATIONALS, 12. Alabama-Thomas H. Herndon, Hilary A. Herbert, William F. Samford, Charles M. Shelley, Thomas Williams, Newton N. Clements, William H. Forney, WILLIAM M. LowE-8. Arkansas Poindexter Dunn, William F. California-Horace Davis, Horace F. Page, Georgia-John C. Nicholls, William E. Smith, Kansas-John A. Anderson, Dudley C. Haskell, Kentucky Oscar Turner, James A. McKenzie, Maryland-Daniel M. Henry, J. Frederick C. *Qualified December 8, 1880, in place of Burwell B. Lewis, resigned. January 22, 1881, he was unanimously awarded the seat vice Noble A. Hull. January 31, 1881, the House, without a division, afrmed the right of Mr. Sapp to a seat as against J. C. HOLMES, and of Mr. Carpenter as against JOHN J. WIL SON. March 1, 1881, the House unanimously affirmed his right to a seat, against the contest made by W. B. Merchant and Robert O. Herbert. Talbott, William Kimmel, Robert M. McLane, Eli F. Henkle, Milton G. Urner—6. Massachusetts-William W. Crapo, Benjamin W. Harris, Walbridge A. Field, Leopold Morse, Selwyn Z. Bowman, George B. Loring, William A. Russell, William Claflin, William W. Rice, Amasa Norcross, George D. Robinson -II. Michigan-John S. Newberry, Edwin Willits, Nebraska-Edward K. Valentine-I. New Hampshire-Joshua G. Hall, James F. New Jersey-George M. Robeson, Hezekiah B. Smith, Miles Ross, Alvah A. Clark, Charles H. Voorhis, John L. Blake, Lewis A. Brigham-7. New York-James W. Covert, Daniel O'Reilly, Simeon B. Chittenden, Archibald M. Bliss, Nicholas Muller, Samuel S. Cox, Edwin Einstein, Anson G. McCook, Fernando Wood,** James O'Brien, Levi P. Morton, Waldo Hutchins, John H. Ketcham, John W. Ferdon, William Lounsbery, John M. Bailey, Walter A. Wood, John Hammond, Amaziah B. James, John H. Starin, David Wilber, Warner Miller, Cyrus D. Prescott, Joseph Mason, Frank Hiscock, John H. Camp, Elbridge G. Lapham, Jeremiah W. Dwight, David P. Richardson, John Van Voorhis, Richard Crowley, Jonathan Scoville,tt Henry Van Aernam-33. North Carolina-Jesse J. Yeates, Wm. H. Kitchin, DANIEL L. RUSSELL, Joseph J. Davis, Alfred M. Scales, Walter L. Steele, Robert F. Armfield, Robert B. Vance-8. Ohio-Benjamin Butterworth, Thomas L.Young, John A. McMahon, J. Warren Keifer, Benjamin Le Fevre, William D. Hill, Frank H. Hurd, Ebenezer B. Finley, George L. Converse, Thomas Ewing, Henry L. Dickey, Henry S. Neal, Adoniram J. Warner, Gibson January 21, 1881, the House affirmed the right of Mr. Loring to a seat, as against E. MOODY BOYNTON. A resolution, declaring the latter entitled, received 13 ayes, noes not counted. A resolution declaring Mr. Loring entitled to the seat was adopted without a yea and nay vote. Mr. Field resigned February 21, 1881, to become an associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. **Died February 13, 1881. tt In place of Ray V. Pierce, resigned. Seated January 31, 1881, in place of Joseph J. Martin, returned elected. The resolution declaring Martin entitled and Yeates not entitled, was lost-yeas 110, nays A resolution declaring Martin not elected was agreed to-yeas 117, nays 106. A resolution declaring Yeates elected was agreed to-yeas 115, nays 103. 107. Atherton, George W. Geddes, William McKinley, jr., James Monroe, Jonathan T. Updegraff, Ezra B. Taylor,* Amos Townsend-20. Oregon-John Whiteaker-1. Pennsylvania-Henry H. Bingham, Charles O'Neill, Samuel J. Randall, William D. Kelley, Alfred C. Harmer, William Ward, William Godshalk, Hiester Clymer, A. Herr Smith, Reuben K. Bachman, Robert Klotz, HENDRICK B. WRIGHT, John W. Ryon, John W. Killinger, Edward Overton, jr., John I. Mitchell, Alexander H. Coffroth, Horatio G. Fisher, Frank E. Beltzhoover, SETH H. YOCUM, Morgan R. Wise, Russell Errett, Thomas M. Bayne, William S. Shallenberger, Harry White, Samuel B. Dick, James H. Osmer-27. Rhode Island-Nelson W. Aldrich, Latimer W. Ballou-2. South Carolina-John S. Richardson, Michael *In place of James A. Garfield, resigned, to take effect November 30, 1880. Texas-John H. Reagan, David B. Culberson, Virginia-Richard L. T. Beale, John Goode, West Virginia-Benjamin Wilson, Benjamin F. Martin, John E. Kenna-3. Wisconsin-Charles G. Williams, Lucien B. Caswell, George C. Hazelton, Peter V. Deuster, Edward S. Bragg, Gabriel Bouck, Herman L. Humphrey, Thaddeus C. Pound-8. DELEGATES FROM THE TERRITORIES.* Arizona-John G. Campbell. Dakota-Granville G. Bennett. Idaho-George Ainslie. Montana-Martin Maginnis. New Mexico-Mariano S. Otero. Utah-George Q. Cannon. Washington-Thomas H. Brents. Wyoming Stephen W. Downey. *Politics of delegates not marked. II. PRESIDENT HAYES' MESSAGES. [For his Inaugural and first Annual Message, see MCPHERSON'S HAND-BOOK OF POLITICS FOR 1878, pp. 40-50. For his second and third annual, and his special and veto Messages, see McPHERSON'S HAND-BOOK OF POLITICS FOR 1880, pp. 3-12; 95; 101-107; 109-111; 118-121; 126128; 129; 130; 134; 140-144; 186; 187.] The Fourth Annual Message, December 6, 1880. Fellow Citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives: I congratulate you on the continued and increasing prosperity of our country. ***** Continued opposition to the full and free enjoyment of the rights of citizenship, conferred upon the colored people by the recent amendments to the Constitution, still prevails in several of the late slave-holding States. It has, perhaps, not been manifested in the recent election to any large extent in acts of violence or intimidation. It has, however, by fraudulent practices in connection with the ballots, with the regulations as to the places and manner of voting, and with counting, returning, and canvassing the votes cast, been successful in defeating the exercise of the right preservative of all rights-the right of suffrage-which the Constitution expressly confers upon our enfranchised citizens. * In my former annual messages, I have asked the attention of Congress to the urgent necessity of a reformation of the civil-service system of the government. My views concerning the dangers of patronage, or appointments for personal or partisan considerations, have been strength ened by my observation and experience in the Executive office, and I believe these dangers threaten the stability of the government. *** Competitive examinations, in aid of impartial appointments and promotions, have been conducted for some years past in several of the executive departments, and by my direction this system has been adopted in the custom-house and post-offices of the larger cities of the country. In the city of New York over two thousand positions in the civil service have been subject, in their appointments and tenure of place, to the operation of published rules for this purpose, during the past two years. The results of these practical trials have been very satisfactory, and have confirmed my opinion in favor of this system of selection.************* I also recommend such legislation as, while leaving every officer as free as any other citizen to express his political opinions and to use his means for their advancement, shall also enable him to feel as safe as any private citizen in refusing all demands upon his salary for political purposes. A law which should thus guarantee true liberty and justice to all who are engaged in the public service and likewise contain stringent provisions against the use of official authority to coerce the political action of private citizens or of official subordinates, is greatly to be desired. The most serious obstacle, however, to an improvement of the civil service, and especially to a reform in the method of appointment and removal, has been found to be the practice, under what is known as the spoils system, by which the appointing power has been so largely encroached upon by members of Congress. The first step in the reform of the civil service must be a complete divorce between Congress and the Executive in the matter of appoint ments. ***It is, therefore, recommended that an act be passed defining the relations of members of Congress with respect to appointments to office by the President, and I also recommend that the provisions of section 1767 and of the sections following of the Revised Statutes, comprising the tenure-of-office act of March 2, 1867, be repealed. It is the recognized duty and purpose of the people of the United States to suppress polygamy where it now exists in our Territories, and to prevent its extension. Faithful and zealous efforts have been made by the United States authorities in Utah to enforce the laws against it. Experience has shown that the legislation upon this subject, to be effective, requires extensive modification and amendment. The longer action is delayed, the more difficult it will be to accomplish what is desired. Prompt and decided measures are necessary. The Mormon sectarian organization which upholds polygamy has the whole power of making and executing the local legislation of the Territory. By its control of the grand and petit juries, it possesses large influence over the administration of justice. Exercising, as the heads of this sect do, the local political power of the Territory, they are able to make effective their hostility to the law of Congress on the subject of polygamy, and, in fact, do prevent its enforcement. Polygamy will not be abolished if the enforcement of the law depends on those who practice and uphold the crime. It can only be suppressed by taking away the political power of the sect which encourages and and sustains it. The power of Congress to enact suitable laws to protect the Territories is ample. It is not a case for half-way measures. The political power of the Mormon sect is increasing; it controls now one of our wealthiest and most populous Territories. It is extending steadily into other Territories. Wherever it goes it establishes polygamy and sectarian political power. The sanctity of marriage and the family relation are the corner-stone of our American society and civilization. Religious liberty and the separation of church and state are among the elementary ideas of free institutions. To re-establish the interests and principles which polygamy and Mormonism have imperiled, and to fully reopen to intelligent and virtuous immigrants of all creeds that part of our domain which has been, in a great degree, closed to general immigration by intolerant and immoral institutions, it is recommended that the government of the Territory of Utah be reorganized. I recommend that Congress provide for the government of Utah by a governor and judges, or commissioners, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate-a government analogous to the provisional government established for the territory northwest of the Ohio by the ordinance of 1787. If, however, it is deemed best to continue the existing form of local government, I recommend that the right to vote, hold office, and sit on juries in the Territory of Utah, be confined to those who neither practice nor uphold polygamy. If thorough measures are adopted, it is believed that within a few years the evils which now afflict Utah will be eradicated, and that this Territory will in good time become one of the most prosperous and attractive of the new States of the Union. Our relations with all foreign countries have been those of undisturbed peace, and have presented no occasion for concern as to their continued maintenance. * * The provision made by Congress, at its last session, for the expense of the commission which had been appointed to enter upon negotiations with the Imperial Government of China, on subjects of great interest to the relations of the two countries, enabled the commissioners to proceed at once upon their mission. The Imperial Government was prepared to give prompt and respectful attention to the matters brought under negotiation, and the conferences proceeded with such rapidity and success that, on the 17th of November last, two treaties were signed at Pekin, one relating to the introduction of Chinese into this country, and one relating to commerce. Mr. Trescot, one of the commissioners, is now on his way home, bringing the treaties, and it is expected that they will be received in season to be laid before the Senate early in January*. *********** The relations between this government and that of the United States of Colombia have engaged public attention during the past year, mainly by reason of the project of an interoceanic canal across the Isthmus of Panama, to be built by private capital under a concession from the Colombian Government for that purpose. The treaty obligations subsisting between the United States and Colombia, by which we guarantee the neutrality of the transit and the sovereignty and property of Colombia in the isthmus, make it necessary that the conditions under which so stupendous a change in the region embraced in this guarantee should be effected-transforming, as it would, this isthmus, from a barrier between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, into a gateway and thoroughfare between them for the navies and the merchant ships of the world-should receive the approval of this government, as being compatible with the discharge of these obligations on our part, and consistent with our interests as the principal commercial power of the Western Hemisphere. The views which I expressed in a special mes For the important sections of this treaty, see the Chapter on Chinese Immigration.-En. |