The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-08

4>>uC:
special II tho {, oa,cr.
WASHINGTON, July C, 1870. q.
The Fat, v OodS case came up rather
"acXpNc!cd! >o-day, the general under
Sanding bci hat il would lay over until
=rNt Friday, sat day having been set apart
t"r the report Of the House Judiciary Com
mdtec, but at halC-paSt , o'clock ar.
bingham asked 10 have read the resolution
accompanying thr majority report. NJ.
Eldridgc. OF Wisconsin. then Siibinlttedthe
minority rcncr; II the committee. together
with y resolution which he desired to have
ra,6 The prisoner WAS then brought III
md nI,crJ in . seal 10 the right OF the
~na,Lrr.- Gc>k. Very little or no notice
vtgs Iak.a Il either the accused or accuSci.
\,arIy every mrml'Cr. however. took ! scat
j., or ono ~ near ~ possible /" Mr. bln%-
ham. Alter The ~rcatin@ OF thr resolution
Mr. Einan.au took The door. nc SAID tins
va, . ra>r where an inCXcuSahlc assault
lal l,,.r n4dr upon Il member Of
fnr ujIrH states House o! Repre-
>~n,at,rs who WAS on his way here to
,,,t,c,n HI duties Is such. No member
,'r iI,, House questioned the fact that Mr..
Porter v.,> about L. leave the city Of Rich
,1,ud Tor this city i'll The evening train on
,a.. Snii, al May ll>i 10 discharge his duties.
IL, wa> irlouioH>lv assaulted 81 his way TO
IN. railroad depot 10y Patrick Woods, and
f., clearly the duty of the House 10 take
ap !t, matter according To the provisions
81 lhr Constitution for the protection OF
4,.,nA,r- Of Congress-. The accused WAS
moi ignorant Of The fact that Porter was Il
niru,l,r al Congress. having been Il dctcc-
,,,. in Richmond and. as testified by
colonel Joseph VI. Humphreys, OF Rlch-
,onnd, Woods not only made an assault,
lat followed il up. and after having
,lrirk Porter several times. drew II plslol
,rn!n his p"chci and Threatened Ito Kali
;Ar God dau.Hcli rascal. ii i The right OF
ryrvy representative in the country To pass
utnoui Iuoirsiation through the country,
,ijhcr in NiT.iuil or out OF Virginia. and
II is the rigii OF The people 10 bring the Of
t.u&rr Ia the hHI of the iiHuSc and infllct
punishment upon him and it is also the
lit vi the House TO punish its members
convicted II wrongful acts; that the
.nmlIr u]uc>I;ou ROW l.. What punishment
-ttiI hr jmI',trd Up"l Il man who has ma
nrir1i-ly aNu lyiouiol!Sly assaulted Il MEN,
tcr Of tins ~i!ul>r, and that. too, without
cause or rroyocAtlon. Mr.. Bingham con-
rl.Irh lv Sayiug he would not discuss the
minority report. but leave the matter 10
The ralm Judgment of the House.
General Altlcr said he, IL Il member of
~. commit" e. agreed in Ill but one parti-
,llr With ;h@ report oi the majority OF the
committee. tai he disagreed a to the length
of time 10 Wii"h the committee recon-
Yp,ulli .l!p3 t>vHmcnt. He was sorry the
i!r,i>' l. 81 WitI1iarElnolS aS to give an Of
fender Of liti> magnitude so short and mild
p~nai,hinrur III" evidence was all one way,
aai >lrNrG tlra: Pat. Woods was not in H.
amor. ar! knew Porter WAS Il member of
Congress. Even if he did not know it he
was gully ui i murderouS assault. And
IT. h. t1,i SCI !i.c 10 Il house, not knowing
any one va. in IL. and should have burned
o., man. H.. gu.,ii haze been held for murder
and lr>ui. III" question i. What shall be
ia. nuu-lm, nj: CASES rfthis sort have here
,,,urc hrct~.>,. y punished. Tiicreisnota
u,n nth, >r..,L. who Is safe. Lndert his lin
itrd punl,lu-"H'. the people VIII notice the
syupatLy c>liuitCG toward Woods, and
his ease viii not be IN example to prevent
rcpctition al those acts. Mr.. Butler closed
Win the statement that he would offer an
amendment l., lur resolution striking out
She words three months sud have in
serted in Hon thereof until the 18th OF
MARCH nrNt.F
Mr. Nlirij&c read from printed copy his
-p,trh in support 81 the minority report,
.iul hrld lat this WAS Il ca>c outside of
r4ril feelings OF prriudiccS. and asked il
Inc ii"l,>, can call ZIP before ii any citizen
and ry him without counsel and according
- lhr Irc,utirr>. rapriccs, etc.. of it,
members. =" denied The jurisdiction of
ii,. House iu >Irh eases rs The one
u,N hct"ic :, ald laid mtln'lcrS OF Con-
urr,~ are ulii cTiii - other men in per-
-.mti p|IUrg.i-. There was only one fact
IT, I..hti ana That WAS that Fat. woods
,.. r,unn So partially Intoxicated !; but
N3nJ~ no >rirc me would not he oiler-
,!a, onr. Fat. Woods did not assault Por-
bras Il m.mu,r oi this House. nor for any
lhN'tiuur a. such member. Congress Vas
uni mrntiunrt! hy Porter, Woods, or any
rnr else. 1t TIE time OF the difficulty. 1t
ht> h,rH proy, HAT Woods wasindiscrimi-
lat,y hostile IT, Radicals, and to this may
lr attributed Ihc assault upon Porter.
The prisoner Was brought here for IN al
!r2rd GRIM. ""G is entitled to 4 fair trial,
auI ln inyri he same chances rs other crlml-
uaI>. and mus; NOT be convicted beforehand.
I,.rrc i no proof that Woods knew Porter
was Il member OF Congress.
Mr.. EIdril.r referred 10 the fact that the
proprietor ura hotel in this city had attired
his servants in uniform that they could be
distinguished from the boarderS in the
houM'. and suggested that members of Con-
gI.~S should be- labelled. i'll order to he
Lnuwn from common people. 1t Is absurd
H. suppose tial the Iuaas of the people must
lnuW members on sight undo all
circumstances. We are not governed by
The laws OF the Parliament of England.
Some of their rules have been set up by the
chairman OF the committee rs examples for
It's: and what punishment may not be I'M
posed by the House if the law Of Parlia-
mcut is to be the law Of this House.
While this speech was being delivered
Mr.. Cox sat across the aisle from MIR. FL
,rid~. General Butler came over from the
other side of the House and sat down in 4;
chair next to that occupied by Mr., Cox,
aud they entered into conversation. Pre-
srntly Mr. Bingham joined them and also
entered into conversation, becoming quite
mirthtul. Here was Il remarkable trio-thc
Hero Of Dutch Gap, :. ;. Cox, and the Muir
dcrcr OF Mrs. Surratt-as Butler has seen fit
- call Mr.. Bingham-ali in Il jolly mood to-
~"rtlIrr.
Mr.. Eldridcc brought his speech to a
&. ,,,s", and Yielded the rcmalnderof his time
10 Mr. Cox, Of New York.
Mr.. Cox hcGai by saying he would not
touch the law points of this ease, but
merely illustrate Il few facts. As soon as
Mr.. Cox took the floor members who had
moved to the other side Of the house. and
those in the Hobbies, congregated near Cox,
expecting IS usual to hear some good points,
and ALSO to have a good laugh, in which
they were not disappointed. Mr.. Cox held
That the punishment, whatever ii might be,
fhould end with the session OF Congress,
and not Irc continued until the 9TH Of March,
Il, -n."cStcd by the gentleman from Massa-
c~hu-rrts. Besides, the louise was now
wasting money and valuable time on q little
ct>r Of assault and battery, whereas IN New
York OF Boston a hundred such eases would
hr disposed OF in a day. The member from
Virginia was not in the act OF returning
when this assault was made. When Porter