Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-01-10
ALEXANDRIA:
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1913.
From OUR CONFESSION DENT At WASH
ISGT0y.s
- Friday, January 9, 1918.
INGT0y.


- Friday, January 9, 1918.
The case Of colonel john Anderson
was again before the house Of represent
tatives the greater Part Of yesterday "a
H. the conclusion Of my last letter, l sta
ted tha.-the serjean. at arms, with tie
spe aker's order to take him into custody,
was gone in pursuit of him. Yesterday
the speaker announced that Anderson
was in custody to the house, and Mr..
Forsyth moved that committee Of pri-
vheses, composed Of seven members,
should be appointed, to report to them
upon oath what the proceedings were
which ought to be adopted. This propO-
sition was vehemeady opposed by seve-
raj members, who without any acquaint.
auce with the prisonen set their faces a.
sainst the proceeding. not so much in his
defence. as in defence Of the csnstitu-
tionAl rights and liberty Of the citizens
Of the United States. They said that
though Anderson might have transgress-
ed the bounds Of pruprie,y, the proceed
Ing against him, and particularly his ar
rest, were unwarranted by law, and d.
rectiy in violation Of the express terms
Of tire const;tution--that the house had
no legal authority to act so--apd that be-
fore any step could properly be taken, the
real constitutional power Of the house in
that respect ought to be enquired into
and ascertained.-if any such power or
law did exist, it was incumbent on gen.
tlemen to point it out satisfactorily before
they hurried the house into such an act.
In tie rules of the house, there was no
provision even limited at for tie punish
ment Of any but its own members
10 this country, no man could be pun.
ished for an act which he did not know
to be criminal and where, it vas ASK
ed, vas the law to make that act char
ged to the prisoner crime. The
FIRST question, therefore, Tor the house
to d. eide was, whether they had hight
to arrest and bring any citizen By cor.
pulsiun to thcl, bar. On The other hand,
il was insi It'd TIA! the constitution had,
from the necessity Of the Case, granted
to the house every power requisite to lis
defence and The protection Of its purity
I, at the point hal a!ceady been settled
by three cases at least, ole (thst Of Ran
dJlph and Whitney, in 1876. Tin which
counsel was allowed to the accused, who
we're found guilty; a second in 1910,
when person vas brought to the bar for
an assault and battery out Of the hoass
upon member; and one Of q later date,
where printer vas called before the
house 10. the publication Of its shut dours
proceedings, and had he refused to au-
swer, would have been committed to prI-
son. Tie members who spoke in ppo.
sitiou were Mr.. Elerrick, Mr.. Cushmar,
aid Mr.. Bail. Tney who supported the
esnlutioE we're, beside Mr.. Forsyth, Mr..
Tucker, Mr. hopkinson, Mr.. Pitkin, and
NJ. serg ant. The resolution passed
u,t,out division, and Mr.. Forsyth, MIR.
Hopk nson, Mr.. Tucker, Mr.. Rtkip, Mr..
Taylor, MIR Johnson, Of Ky. and Mr..
Sergeant. were appointed a committee
accordingly.
After retiring for some time, during
which other business mot worth particu-
larizins herel proceeded, the committee
returned with report that Anderson
should be brought to the bar and called
upon to answer such questions as the
house might put TO him; to be specified
BY them in writing. Anderson was ac-
cOrdingly called in-the speaker address
ed him, and after impartipg to him the
charge and the resolution Of the house,
and informing him that lie wa, at liberty
to take the aid OF counsel in his defence,
appointed the prisoner to appear again at
the bar on the morrow (this day. at one
o'clock. when ha was apain conducted