New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-12
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 49, 1869

Mr. ScHENCK (Rcp., Ohio was the next speaker He
reviewed the proceedings Of yesterday down 10 ING
point where the presiding officer Announced that
lhe objection or the gentleman from Massachsetts was
oyerruled The Senate gentlemen wonder, he con
nued that any OF should conclude that apy form
OF Language whatever 1t is proper to consider TINS
entatYes III II be not invasion OF the rights of she
House then we are the merest ornamental appendages TO
ts proceeding OF counting votes that body was
mace when dancing attendance another The reports
Of the Associated Press that the Speaker made
uney erposlll0n In threatening with arrest members
OF the House for disorder when they expressed some
what too exetedly perhaps, their feelings of Indignation
tramped down and thrust out Of the way. How came
the Speaker to make that 9rder thought we were in
the Senate as the presiding officer and with due defer
vas not Toyac in ia @ b,d Dt tat ~ eS LAY e
arrest, unless under some general claim peace
officer whose jurisdiction extends over u.s. ought not to
nave threatened us ana can only account Tor the
Speakers dong so by supposng that Like many Of the
rest OF u IT,, h. was exf no by tas unusual
Mr'Speaker CQLFAX, from his place Oh the hOOr-Will
the gentle s, man s.1. from OHIO yield to me
Mr.. COLFAX-I did not intend TO participate any
further I'm the discussion having stated my views 70 the
House last evening unless my Official conduct was ar
ragued, as IL Is now aagned, by the gentleman from
Ohio The Speaker OF e House feels that it is the right
OF every Representative arralSn nun n ne .sasrees
with HIM as 70 the performance OF his duty III Tie case
have been dcrelict If he had not performed IL. he
would have been subject to the eensure OF
the HG o dd he aSs not at
that was then transpring The Speaker reads from the
to attend the House in its sttngs to ap IN the enforce
OF order under the direction Of the Speaker The
gentleman from ONO has for half an hour insisted that
the House Of REPRESENTATIVES under the Constitution
in session In this hall yesterday IL was House OF
Representatives; there was Speaker The 22d rule re-
quires that the Speaker shall sit at the place OF au
thority.
Mr.. COLFAX-I do not yield to tho gentleman from
MASSACHUSETTS. have my cooquy with the gentleman
Mr. BUTLER-I did not ask you. Sir
Mr.. COLFAX-TheSpeakerl to SIT by the SIDE Oh the
Presiding Officer I'm Joint Conventions but s no less the
Speaker of the House at the tmehe is charged with inc
maintenance Of order. When the House Is in session.
this rule is mandatory IL there Hor1e Q: Repre-
sentatyes here yesterday then the Speaker exceeded
his authority; II there was House OF Representatives
here yesterday then he performed his duty IN endeayor
ing to command the order that had been disregarded
by tho refusal TO obey the order of him who presd
distinctly in Article H. that the President Of the Senate
shall, IN the presence of the Senate and OF the
must be a House Of Representatives there; there
was a House Of Representatives, there; there was
Speaker there; there was Sergeanta Arms there they
were not ciphers they had duties deyovng upon Them
Let ask further II this order exists in the Joint Con-
If the President Of had ordered the Sergeant
alarms OF tho Senate to enforce the rules OF order upon
would have been redoubed 1t would have been SAID
that nc had not the power 10 order his sergeant Arms
senatves their own hall but under the twentysecond
rule there officer 10 enforce order and he shinks
the performance OF his duty and for that he Is
subject for all his official acts. to tho censure Of this
Mr. SCHENCK-I have not the slightest idea Of pro-
posing the censure OF the Speaker think he was ex'
cited like the rest OF W..
and addressed the House saying that he did so as the
Immediate representative of the principal parsonage az
fected by the proceedings, meaning Senator WadeJ lie
discussed the question at considerable length as covered
by the Constitution the laws and the rules and then
said: We have heard IL said that turbulent scene was
enacted yesterdays shameful scene. admit 1t and dc
plore Who was it ask. ana appeal to the memory
and conscience OF member OF the House. made the
turbulence Was IL not caused by the theatrical attitude
OF ferocity which exhibited on the part OF members
80 Igu WIN
IN, e Pc si5ine Oacero f the Joint Conventions
Was IL not men who used expressions Ike these move
that this Convention do now dissolve ana tha the Seae
cear this hall OF interOpers 1t language like this;
IL was an attitude Of unparalleled nsoenee 1t was the
yerv fci shirt of disorder that spirit which would pre-
FER To reign In hell rather than to IN heaven that
made this which ougt to have peen one Oh calm
Sneaker was the fell spirit which disturbed the harmony
ana conduct Of proceedings Of that Joint Convention
Yesterday and the country, and believe, the members
~ the Uouse win recognize the debt OF gratitude that
they owe the Speaker the House. who Threatened TO
use the consabuary force at his command.
Without entering upon any particular defense Of the
President of the Senate. desire to say in conclusion
that had that officer done otherwise than he didbad he
been intImdated from the execution Of his high duty
and had We by any course OF intimidation or COERCION
found ourselves chaos after the Attn day Of March next
with President elect think the country would not
have found it difficult to point out the source OF that
great disaster Aud now, speaking In behalf OF all who
agree with Inc this subject and acting, as DeeYo IL
my duty act standing in the relations do to the case
move that the pending resolutions DO d upon tue laoe
Mr. BIrTLER-Tbat Is the meanest act ever saw any
man do lCrles OF Order" order"l
Mr. GARFIELD-The motion that made was not my
own idea and as SO many friends around me desire TO
have discussion withdraw the motion to lay on
the table.
Mr. LOGAN G2ep. III obtained the floor but yielded
setts who said Mr. Speaker-I trust that In this very
grave matter Of constitutional law aud Of the privilege
~ with that care and GOODNESS and that candor
which its Importance demands Tho question before the
House is one compounded OF facts and Of law The facts
1 Sh
The law shall address myself 10 in some consderaple
do not reply TO those unwarraned assaults upon me-
Laughter on the Democratic side II am very hard
pressed return assaults in the way that did on one
occasion when hoped that had forever sllenced
a aSor that Voted 81 times for Jefferson Davis
returned that assault In way that thought the man
who made 1t would never make another upon me- IL mas
been the rule 81 my he to Now as To the
defamation Of this AS 10 the gentleman from Ohio
NIr. Binghan), who made that splendid defamation
the gathered wisdom Of thousand years;
about the million OF men VINO had shed t ne r
| must say that always liked that speech Soars OF
laugbter AS to the other gentleman from ONO lslr.
Garneld who has chosen 10 arragn my motives and to
send TO the country branded In parliamentary Ian,
guage being actuated by spirit OF hell nave oniy 10
speaketh" lLaughterl Now. Mr.. Speaker want atten
ton To the law Of this matter Inc law Is tnit Tue wee
I'm the presence OF the two Houses suppose tere Is no
better ruo OF law than that where power eSPtSsI
intendment. Tho Constitution gives the power 10
the Vlco-President To open tue electoral votes,
stops there, aud then says they snail DC
counted Counted wherei In the presence OF the Two
Houses Why IN the presence OF the two housesf MY
friend from Ohio r Shellabarger says In order that
they may bo witnesses that 1t IL done right Exactly;
hut N IL done wrong what to do and that Is the
question here Tho VcePcsdent says he may do as no
pleases and cannot help whether he does II right OF
II no can do 10 wrong Does the Constitution mean thatf
Ia there anybody living or dead who Will undertake
10 M n
ceremony II have no power II We are naninate VIII
nesses vOccess Witnesses pOweress Witnesses and yet
we are i'm such condition that the Speaker tells us that
the House Is In full vigOr, with power even 10 arrest It's
members the highest exercise ofpower blythe House, ana
Ia In PM viz ia "A