The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-05

"A Dis SSraCeful scene
sc1A A1AA : f4A ttA E-h e.
.......-....wAsHNGToN, March Z. !.
The House met at 3 O'Clock, and " as call
/ ed 70 order by McPhersoRs Clerk Of the
The absentees were Cox of New York,
| and Hamilton of Florida.
The states of New Hampshire, Connec-
! ticut, Virginia, George, Alabama. Mlssis-
/ siBpi. Ioufsi9na Texas, and the 2lat Dis
! trict Of PennsylvanIa (Covode's), and the
/ Sd and Atm Districts of South Carolina,
! Woodward offered 2 resolution referring
I the returns from the Zisb District of Penn
! sylyania % the Comm sttee oa Elections.
4 ticable whieh of the claimSnts has pranla
4 yaefe right TO a seat. t
! Schoaeld made IL a point of Srder that I'm
! the organization-syf-th the House. the Clerk
could not entertain a motion OF reference
70 a com fnitt which the Clerk - staiu ed.
amend the roll OF nlemhers by. adding TO
| it the name Of II. ID. Foster IS represe nta-
! Wash Ourne, OF Illinois, rose TO a motion. !.
4 which he said would take precedence OF
4 the "a otion suhml sted By woodward. and
i toat was that the House now proceed 20 the
election of a Spea Eer.s& fE#
/ The Clerk entertained the motion of
Washburne, and. it was agreed to by l34
Brooks made a point OF order that the
Recording Clerk had not called the q nanaes
OF the members elect from Georgia and
The Clerk overruled the motion. - n
: Brooks appealed from the ruling Of the
The Clerk refaseG TO entertain the &p-
| peal. Then commenced a scene of noise
time tnreatenea TO result I'm q general row
Brooks, lat the top of his voiee,) asserted
bis right 70 appeal from the tyranny Of
Washbnrna. OF Illinois, demanded that
the Clerk should 20 on aud call the roll.
The Clerk was proceeding, ibnt Brooks
seemed determined not 70 pc put down ia
chat way. aud Shouted: have the right
t. Cgppeal from the tyTanny Of the CLERK. !"
tle4naR from New York shou d take his
seat. -13faq to
Brooks .ass7 antIy declared that the genr
tielaen frcfp New YORK could not take his
seat on rh e order OF the Clerk.
Tie Clerk Esmt4eed Brooks that he (the
Clerk was aeiing upger auInorlty OF law
gs5a BEG1f %ds the edrK tess ss
not acting under such authority, but in
1P&shbnfne, P 6f Tiilnois, demanded that
the Cierk snould put NE Question on Ahe
ated James G. Blaine, of Maine. 80 "A
Brooks inElsted on his right OF appeal,
and tried 10 make himself heard. but hisl
voice was drow reed In shouts OF " call the
@FIle Gleslx once -IasSEe directed Brooks to
Brooks re used, aud Asserte6 shat he vas
a member OF the Honse, while the person
HndsFtaE K, is. ng 70 dictate 70 hiE was CLERK
The Clerk retorted. the gentleman was
not a. mspber sot the House, b1t only
Brooks-And the Clerk is not a Clerk
offhe House, nor even "a Clerk elect.
The Clerk replied that the gentleIE an
was mistaken. By the law the Clerk %
the last. ii ouse isDlerk 6 this body.
BrOoks-The Clerk IS bound by law and
rules, and the rule is that pending the
election a r
order, and shall decide all questions OF or
der that may arise, subject 10 appeal Of the
The Clerk, interiupting Brooks, said: IT
is n very unpleasant duty FOR ths Clerk.
Brooks. 1nterrupttng-I know IL lss ont
the Clerk Is bound by the law, and is bound
to near the iSsg- " a E
BroOks-The Clerk is not enforcing the
law, but is violating IL. t.l
Great confusion and eZeitement.
Wash burne, of Illinois-The member
from New York should be PU2 under arrest
by theSergeart & at-A rms. , -
At this time almost all the IN EN- bers were
on their feet, the Republicans calling TO
order, aud the Democrats sustaining
Brooks. The excitement was intense on
ldpide 'es St % Ind uii I'd tte ss Question I f order
by wnat ru les the Clerk was gOyerned-by
the rules Of the House, or by the laws Of
The Clerk replied that he was governed
by the law Of the LAID aud by the rules of
Eidriuge-It is the law OF the land which
the gentleman from New York seeks TO
have enforced, aud the Clerk refuses 20
e,Ttert ain appeal. L DO not believe the
ma a tority here TO day would deny the right
OF appeal to n member.
Iau,i shouts of Call the roll"
The ('iarE, in the midst or the now in
creasing confusion, ipquired whether
there were any nominations for the office
u EIfridse. however, persisted in keerIng
the floor, and trying To make himself
n 1t right bur would say the right of APP
peal was ..lowed to the members OF Con-
gress, aud he demanded that right now.
fAppiause and encouragement from the
Jones, of Kentucky, addressed ths Clerk,
bur he was met vita shouts OF, "Call the
Eidridge put it totRe other side whether,
when an appeal was taken taken =. ia respectful
. Brooks--It never has been denied. tGreat
excitement.l
that we are ali slaves. [Great exctement.J
1 appeal TO the sense OF the public, OF the
men WHO hold IN power Of the majority.
Jones. of KeptucEy--I desire to make
point of order I ask to have the rule read
which seostTes the Tightof appeal "
IOgan--I appeal to the Clerk TO keep or
der. If the gentlemen are determined to
make displays of this kind, ask that the
C.erk shall have them arrested by the Ser
geant-at-Arnls. IIhls suggestion was heard
by the clapping of hands on the Republi-
can side and in the galleries.
Books defied the gentleman from IlI-
nols to make any arrests.
The Clerk again inquired whether there
were any other nominations for SpeaE er.
EAdridge persisted in appealing to the
sense of justic of the majority. tCries OF
T" call the rOii.'tl
Brooks-I insist on nay right of appeal.
The CLERK called upon q. :. Woodward
and voorhees, to act as Gellers in counting
the votes Tor Speaker.
Eidridge-I ask the gentlemen II they
will not let us appeal from the arbitrary
action OF the Clerk. lCails to order.i
LOgan-I insist that the Sergrant-at-
| these
Br9okSTbe fsr9 S ere Is NO sergeant-t Arms.
/ T,ogan-We wifi do IL ourselves. Al
plause and encourage =Inent on the Reput
iican side Laughter aud defiance on I.
Democratic side
I,Ogan-If / were Sergeant alarms 1
/ would do IL very quick. De assured OF ! hat.
| Stokes at the same time was vocifera ting
/ in an excited manner, and threatening
| vengeance on the Democrats. but the only
wOrds the repori er distinguished were to
| the effect that the DeLo ocratic members
ygere worse than rebels 3llf6 rsE
To this Eidridge replied something.
which seemed to be An invitation 10 stokes
[ TO srDd his rebel soldiers. IUproar, con-
/ fusion, AMI exc1temeBtl re =
The Clerk called on Woodward and
others to take their places as IelIers at the
| desk where the other tellers were already
| seated. Woodward complied with the
hGt ~ y0eshasS e6G e est snd
| made some conciliat0ry remarks as to
} Brooks having the right TO appeal, aud
suggested mat khe "a taPPsaA ,,ts De ehOerlaLied
The CIerK stated that ne had no desire
whatever to make decision that would
I do violence to the feelings OF any member,
/ ar TO do anything that would throw the
S,c,S - :, - confusion; but he was Obliged 10
| administer the law so as to effect the
I examination of the House. He egretted
/ tThat any decision of his snould be regarded
/ by any gent eman as an invasion OF his
fpsrsonaLri ig hBz, dor IL was NOT so IN ten ded.
/ He appealed to the tellers TO take their
places.
Brooks, satisfied with thu remarks OF
the Clerk withdrew his appeal but with
out aequieScing IN the decisions.
The Erllers took their places. The storm,
4 which had looked so pOrtentous, passed