Mr. CONNESS. Mr. President, I rise to say a few words upon aquestion of privilege. Yesterday morning I had the honor to be the me dium of presentation to the Senate of a memorial from a very large and popular convention of miners held at the capital nip the State of California relating to the disposition of the mineral lands. Iliad in the report of the Associated Press this morning of the proceedings of the Senate yesterday, that it is stated that I presented a memorial from the Legislature of the State of California. I desire to correct that statement. It will also be remembered by the Senate that some remarks were made on the subject by the honorable Senfrom Ohio [Mr. SHERMAN and m self. The substance of what was state by the onorable Senfrom Ohio is clearly reported in the Associated Press reports, but no word in behalf of the memorialists is reported as spoken by myself. As a matter of course, so far as this subject can find its way to my constituents who are distant from this place, it will a pear that they had no voice in their behalf on the presentation of their requests to this body. Mr. President, I would not call the attention of the Senate to this matter, or delay it in its legitimate proceedings this morning for this particular case, nor for what is involved in it personal to myself, were it not that I am convinced that it has become a public duty to do so. I state further to the Senate, that a week since, or thereabouts, I presented 2 memorials of interest to the citizens of the State of California, whom impart representhere, which were studiously suppressed y the reporters of the Associated Press in the gallery of the senate, not a word bein said in regard to them. 2 days since I he the honor of presenting 2 bills in this body, one for the construction of a railroad from the waters of the bay of SanFranciseo to Humboldt bay, in the northern part of the State of California, a subject of considerable consequence there if not here; and the other, a measure of great consequence to the people of SanFranciseo, proposing to quiet the title to lands in that city, which were also suppressed. I am now enterin upon the sec on ear of service in this bo y, and since I have been a member of the Senate, all or nearly all of the business that I have attempted to do for the people who so generously sent me here has been regularly suppressed by the reporters of the Associated Press. I would not make this statement so emphatically but that it has come to my knowledge that one of these reporters not only treats in this manner me, and all the business which I do here, and thus my constituents through me, but he has also made it a business to avail himself of his place, as a correspondent of a Cincinnati journal, to make attacks, personal and vituperative, on myself, certainly without cause or provocation, evidently for the purpose of republication in the State of California. It has also come to my knowledge that I am not the only Senator whom that reporter employed by the Associated Press has undertaken to determine the status of in this bodg, the highest legislative body in the nation. f the Senate of the U.S., or the Senators composing this august bod, are not entitled to have a fair transcript of their proceedings sent out to the ople at lar e, then, sir, I must say, for one, that their rights and privileges are very limited indeed. When I state in addition that this reporter, who has made himself so obnoxious in this regard in the performance of a public duty, is an employee of the Senate, and, as I understand, paid from the Treasury of the U.S., performing the duties of a committee clerk in addition to those of reporter for the Associated Press, I believe Ialso state a fact of some importance to the body and to the country. I make these statements at this time particn1larly, not only in my owubehalf, but in behalf of the position of a Senator, and in behalf of other Senators also, so that the honorable chairman of the ComLibrary, to whom the subject of the syno tical reports that shall go out from this body to the country has been referred, and who have it underconsideration, may devise some remedy, ifpossible. I have been aware for a long time that outside parties have had access, not certainly with the knowledge of the respect able association called the Associated Press and known as such, but with parties connected with it, by which these suppressions were regularly and systematically carried on. I desire to direct the attention of the Senate and the country to this subject, without any hope, however, that what I say, or even the substance of it, will be sent out by the reporter of whom I have spoken, but with the hope that the attention of the Senate may be directed to the subject, so that such a synopsis of the proceedings of this body shall out to the country as will be a true reflex of its 1spublic proceedings.