IN SENATE.
THURSDAY, November 16, 1865.The Senate met at 2 o'clock, in pursuance of a rule adopted yesterday.
In the absence of the Lieutenant Governor, the Principal Secretary commanded order, and,
On motion by Mr. CULLEN, Mr. Dunning was called to the chair.
PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS.
Messrs. MOORE, RICHMOND, NOYES, TERRY, CARSON and DUNNING each presented petitions similar to those described in yesterday's proceedings, for the repeal of the Act for the relief of families of soldiers, &c., which were referred to the Committee on Finance, without reading.
Mr. GIFFORD presented a similar petition yesterday, which took the same reference.
Mr. MILLIGAN presented two petitions similar to those described in yesterday's proceedings, on the subject of licensing the liquor traffic, which were referred to the Committee on Temperance.
Later in the session, Mr. DUNNING presented a memorial from Aquilla Jones, which was referred to the Committee on Finance, without reading.
EMPLOYES OF THE SENATE.
Mr. BENNETT, from the committee on that subject, reported an allowance for three days' services in the present organization, of $5 per day and mileage to one clerk and six doorkeepers; $3 per day to three pages, and $4 per day to two laborers.
The report was concurred in.
ELECTION OF A PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Donning in the chair) laid before the Senate the following communication:
INDIANAPOLIS, November 16, 1865.
HON. PARIS C. DUNNING,
President
pro tem, of the Senate:
Sir - The preparation to assume new official duties requires my immediate attention, and by reason thereof there is no probability that I will be able to resume my position in the Senate during its present session. Please communicate this information to the Senate.
Respectfully,
Your Obedient Servant,
CONRAD BAKER, Lieut.
Gov.
Mr. CULLEN moved that the Senate now enter upon the election of a presiding officer.
Mr. BROWN of Wells moved to amend by postponing the election till next Tuesday at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
On motion of Mr. BONHAM the motion to postpone was laid on the table by yeas 25, nays 23.
GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE.
By consent Mr. BEESON called up his resolution offered yesterday morning (in tbe hands of a special committee) to print 2000 copies of the Governor's message for the use of the Senate, and 8,000 for the Governor.
Messrs. CORBIN, and BROWN of Wells spoke in opposition to so large a number.
Messers. OYLER and CASON thought it not too large.
Mr. BROWN of Wells moved to reduce the number to 1000 for the Senate and 3,000 for the Governor.
On motion of Mr. CULLEN, the amendment was laid on the table - yeas 25, nays 23.
The original resolution was adopted by yeas 31, nays 16.
ELECTION OF A PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE.
The motion to go into an election of President of the Senate pro tempore was agreed to, upon a division - affirmative 24, negative 22.
Mr. COBB demanded a call of the Senate.
The call was proceeded with, and 48 Senators answered to their names.
On motion by Mr. OYLER, further proceedings under the call were dispensed with.
Mr. CULLEN nominated for President pro tem. Paris C. Dunning, of Monroe county.
Mr. CORBIN nominated James D. Williams, of Knox county.
There being no further nominations, the roll was called, and the ballot resulted: For Mr. Dunning, 24 votes; for Mr. Williams 22 votes, as follows:
Those who voted for Mr. Dunning were Messrs. Allison, Beeson, Bennett, Bonham, Brown of Hamilton, Cason, Chapman, Cullen,Culver, Davis, Dykes, Hyatt, Milligan, Niles, Noyes, Oler, Reagan, Richmond, Perry, Thompson, Van Buskirk, Ward, Woods and Wright - 24.
Those who voted for Mr. Williams were Mesrs. Barker, Bowman, Bradley, Brown of Wells Carson, Cobb,Corbin, Douglas, English, Finch, Fuller, Gifford, Hanna, Hord, Jinkens, Marshall, McClurg, Mason, Moore, Newlin, Staggs rnd Vawter - 22.
Messrs. Dunning and Williams not voting.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Bennett in the chair) declared Mr. Dunning elected, and appointed Mersrs Wililiams and Beeson to conduct him to the chair.
According to the forum -
The PRESIDENT pro tem, said: Gentlemen of the Senate: For this renewed expression of your confidence in me I return my grateful acknowledgements. page: 48[View Page 48] I shall attempt to discharge the duties of the position I now occupy with promptness, fidelity and impartiality, and especially, Senators, with impartiality.
BREVIER LIGISLATIVB REPORTS.
Mr. COBB referred a resolution reciting that on account of the expense of publishing the BREVIER LEGISLATIVE REPORTS, &c, the same be discontinued, &c. - speaking at some length in favor of its passage. He charged that the remarks of Senators were imperfectly reported; caused, it may be, by want of time on the part of the Reporter, or it may be if he reported more exteseively it would cost too much; he did not pretend to say but that the Reporter was sufficiently able to report us.
Mr. CASON was forced to concur in the remarks of the Senator from Lawrence. His personal relations with the Reporter, since 1861, have been of a friendly character, - he regarded him very highly - but as far as the BREVIER REPORTS were concerned they are not of a character he desired. He regarded this more as a want of assistance than as the fault of the Reporter. Personally, he would be glad to favor the Reports, on account of the Reporter himself, but felt it to be his duty to vote for the resolution.
Mr. OYLER. If gentlemen complain of the Reports because they do not like the appearance of their speeches when spread upon paper, it does not follow that the Reporter is at fault. He was not prepared to say that the Reporter is not sometimes at fault, but was prepared to say that in a large majority of cases the speech-makers are at fault. There is no man in the Universe that can report verbatim what is said in this Senate or any other deliberative body. It can't be did. It had been his fortune, or misfortune, to be occasionally heard here, and to be reported occasionally by the Reporter, and he had no fault to find with the Reporter. If gentlemen object to these Reports on the ground of expense, that is another question. If we are to dispense with the services of Reporters on the ground of expense, that would be "saving at the spigot and opening at the bung hole;" but if it is to be placed on the ground of the inability of the Reporter, I want to be understood as entering my protest against that, right here. I think the BREVIER REPORTS are a good thing; and I think as far as it is possible for ordinary intelligence to report us, we have been fairly reported, and consequently I am in favor of continuing these Reports.
Mr. BENNETT had been acquainted with this Reporter since the session of 1859 - had read these Reports find compared them with others, and while there were sometimes mistakes, whenever the Reporter's attention wag called to them, they never failed to be corrected in the BREVIER REPORTS. It is not expected that the Reporter will give the full speeches of Senators, if he did, Senators would ba much more ashamed of them than they now are. [Laughter] When Senators find they are incorrectly reported, if they will call the Reporter's attention to it, he will have it corrected for the BREVIER REPORTS - he does it in every instance. The people twenty years hence, as well as now, have a right to know what we say - and this is the only way we can perpetuate it. We ought to continue these Reports - they are interesting - the people read them, and take great pains to find out what their representatives have said. It costs but little, and when Senators expect by refusing to take these BREVIER REPORTS that they will get newspaper reports as now published in the Daily Journal they are mistaken. No newspaper can afford to pay enough to such a verbatim reporter as Mr. Drapier is, to keep him on this floor. They can not do it, sir. If you dismiss this Reporter what will you have in the place of his Reports? You will have just such reports as appear in the Herald now, as appeared in the Sentinel last session, and as were printed in the Journal previous to that session. In 1859 the Sentinel had this same Reporter and it had good reports. Last session the Journal had good reports, and this session it has good reports. We want that kind of reports, and we can't get them if we leave it to the newspapers to employ reporterswe have got to make up their pay in some way, and what we get in these Reports is valuable. These BREVIER LEGISLATIVE REPORTS we keep in our libraries where they stand for years, and future generations can see in them what we have done.
Mr. CULLEN contended that the people were not interested in the reasonings by which gentlemen here come to certain conclusions; they are interested only in one thing, and that is - How do Senators vote? and then - Did they vote right? When he goes home he can make known to the people the reasons that governed him in giving this or that vote; consequently there is no use in reporting how we argue, or what are our reasoning powers. The journal showing how every Senator casts his vote, is all any people ougnt to require. Although his personal relations with the Reporter are of the most friendly character, he must vote against the further employment of this gentleman, or any other to report simply the speeches of Sanators.
Mr. BROWN, of Wells, opposed the resolution - admitting that there were mistakes in these Reports, but averring that they were unavoidable. It is impossible for any one person to report verbatim what is said in this Senate the publication of such reports no newspaper could stand. They are compelled to condense them, and in the condensation of speeches, the ideas gentlemen regard as containing the pith of their remarks - not so regarded by the Reporter - have been left out. This had been the case with himself. If gentlemen would take pains to revise their printed remarks, the objection urged might be removed. I discover in the Journal of this morning I am reported as saying that if "Mr. Jefferson Davis was not pardoned by President Johnson, he would have no one else to look to but to God. No other power on earth could help him." My remarks suggested the opposite of what I am here reported as saying. But, sir, I can not regard as altogether objectionable the language thus imputed to me. I should indeed be sorry to believe that the power of God was not a power exercised upon earth, for then I could page: 49[View Page 49]conceive of no help for the local of the Journal. [Laughter]
Regarding this resolution seriously, I think the Senator from Lawrence, [Mr. Cobb.] is rather too severe upon the Reporter and his Reports. I think gentlemen will discover that the objections of last session will not hold good for this, because last session the Reporter was employed at the Secretary's desk, and was bothered with making up the Journal. Now that his whole time is being given to reporting his Reports may be more correct.
Mr. HANNA. This discussion is becoming tiresome, and as several speeches have been made on both sides, I move to lay the resolution on the table.
The motion was agreed to by yeas 23, nays 20.
DAILY HERALD REPORTS.
Mr. CULLEN offered a resolution reciting that as the reports in the Herald were not reliable, and as the reporter was grossly incompetent, the contract taking such paper should be rescinded. Mr. C. urged the passage of his resolution in a speech replete with instances of inaccuracies in the Herald reports for the past few days. In this morning's paper hardly a Senator was reported aright. He closed by saying he would not insist upon the adoption of his resolution just now, and was willing to let it lie on the table for the present.
NEWSPAPERS.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Richmond in the Chair) laid before the Senate communications from the proprietors of the following newspapers, proposing to furnish their issues at the rates named: The Volksblatt, wrapped and stamped, 8 cents per copy. The Daily Journal, the Daily Herald and the Daily Telegraph, wrapped and stamped, 7 cents; loose, 5 cents.
On motion of Mr. OYLER - yeas 37 nays 7 - the Doorkeeper was instructed to enter into contracts with the publishers upon the terms proposed.
SESSION HOURS.
On motion by Mr. CASON, it was Ordered, that when the Senate adjourns it be till to-morrow morning, at 9 o'clock, for the purpose taking up bills on the first reading; and that committee having work on hand be granted leave of absence.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Was granted Mr. Chapaman till Monday.
THE INCUEABLE INSANE.
On motion by Mr. BRADLEY, his bill No. 201, for An Act to provide for the care of incurable insane, was read the second time and referred to the Committee on Benevolent Institutions.
NEW PROPOSITIONS.
Mr. BROWN of Wells, introduced a bill [S. No. 208] for An Act to provide for the construction of sewers within incorporated towns.
Mr. BENNETT introduced a bill [S. No. 209] for An Act to apportion Senators and Representatives among the several counties of this State.
Mr. NILES introduced a bill, [S. No. 210] for An Act to amend section 584 of the General Practice Act approved June 18, 1852, [Concerning the docketing of appeals from Circuit Courts ]
Mr. OYLER introduced a bill [S. No. 211] for An Act supplemental to "An Act to incorporate tho White River Navigation Company," approved February 13, 1851.
Mr. THOMPSON introduced a bill [S. No. 212] for An Act to amend section 23 of "An Act to incorporate Insurance Companies," approved June 17, 1852.
These bills were severally read the first time and passed to the second reading,And then tbe Senate adjourned till 9 o'clock to-morrow morning.
