The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-06-22
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WASHINGTON, June q, 1870.
GENERAL AMNESTY.
Mr.. BUTLER, (rep.) of Mass, from the Reconstruc-
ton Committee, reported bill for full and general
grace amnesty and oblivion OF wrongful acts dom Is
and omissions OF all persons engaged In the war OF
the late rebellion. Ordered to be printed aud re.
committed.
THE FUNDING BILL.
Mr.. SCHENCK, (rep.) OF Ohio, from the Committee
on Ways and Means, reported back the Funding BILL
with one slight verbal amendment, and asked that
1t be made special order in the House for Tuesday
next
Mr.. RANDALL, (den1) Of Pa, objected to It's being
maze special order.
Mr.. ScHENCK withdrew the BILL saying he would
take the chances of its being made special order in
the House next Monday, under suspension of the
rules.
THE MORNING HOUR
was occupied with reports from the Committee on
Claims, and large number of private bills were
Among the bills reported was one by Mr.. FLA,
rep) OF N. h. recltng that 1878 1862 was due by the
terest on expenditures during the war OF 1872 that
One-thrd OF It had been assigned to Maine, and that
the claim OF both States had been assigned to the
and directing certificates to be issued for the same
10 that company.
The morning hour having expired the bill went
over without action.
THE CASE OF B. F. wHITTEMoRE,
OF South Carolina, came up by special assignment
citing the action Of the Committee on Military
Affairs and the House In reporting resolution de-
naval seadeshins unwortnv az seat the Hoys an ~
Representatives, recitng his election and the pre-
sentation of his credentials, and resolving that the
House OF Representatives decline to allow the said
Il. f. WhittemOre TO be sworn In as a Representa-
tive in the Forty-rst Congress and direct that his
credentials be returned to him.
Mr.. LOGAN proceeded to address the House in sup
port OF the resolution and quoted the statute which
rendered Mr.. Whittemore liable TO be tried crimi-
nally for the offence, and on conviction to be
dered Infamous ana incapable Of holding any place
or trust or profit under the government OF the United
States. He held that judicial action OF the House in
the matter disqualified him the same as If he had
been tried and convicted in q court OF justice. II
the House had power to expel. then by a parity Of
reason II had the power TO exclude; otherwise the
power to expel did not amount to anything. This
mans constituents hail been notified that the House
mao soemniy declared that ne was unworthy TO &C.
proper, as II to insult the House, to reelecJ him.
Inc House had no right to say that men should be
excluded on account of politics or faith, but 1t had
the right 10 say that a man of Infamous character
should be excluded.
Mr.. ELDRIDGE, (dem.) Of Wis.,, suggested the dan
ger OF assuming such right, which might be ex-
tended TO the exclusion of men on account OF poll
tics or religion.
Mr.. LOGAN denied that the position which he took
was open 10 such criticism. lie had directly dis
CLAIMED the power OF the House to exclude men on
OF what the law declared to be crime. The case OF
Mr.. Glddings, OF Ohio, who was censured by the
House for introducing antslavery resolutions, who
resigned ana who was reelected and admitted at
the same Congress, was not a contrary precedent,
because his 0fience was not crime. so, too, with
BROOKS and keltt, OF South Carolina. Their offences
were not penltentary crimes. The case of Matte.
son, OF New YORK, was not "a precedent either, be-
cause, although censured by the Thirty-fourth
Congress he was reelected to the Thirty.nfth Con-
gress, when the power and jurisdiction of The Thirty
fourth Congress had expired. The case Of Wilkes,
in the British House Of Commons, wasa precedent,
not against, but in favor of his position because
although Wilkes having been expelled four times
by one Parliament was admitted to his seat by
another Parliament 1t not before the record had
been expungod and wiped out.
Mr.. FARNswoRTH, rep.) OF ILL.,, took offence at an
allusion made AGAINST hn py Mr.. Logan, as friend