Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1870-03-18
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.


WEDNESDAY,, March 8, 1870.
Mr. Durham moved that the House do
now resolve itself into the Committee of
the Whole, and upon that motion called
the previous question.
Upon the call for the previous question
the yeas and nays were called and the mo-
ton for the previous question was rejected
by vote of yeas 45, nays 47.
The question then required upon the
motion to go into the Committee of the
Whole.
Mr. French opposed the motion. He
thought the House should first take some
action upon his resolution introduced yes
terday.
The yeas and nays were called, when Mr..
Durham's motion was adopted.
Mr. Pou took the Chair and announced
that not knowing the hour when the House
would go into the Committee Of the Whole
he did not renew the summons for Gen.
LittIefeld, but would send one for him i'm
mediately.
The Clerk read the proceedings of the
Committee on yesterday, and after some
debate they were approved.
Gen. Littlefeld then appeared on the
stand.
Question by Mr.. DurheFn: State the cir
cumstances under which Senator Robbins
borrowed $50 from you, spoken OF yester-
day; the uate of the 10 IN; the purpose
for which it was borrow ed, and when II
was returned, and the circumstances under
which 1t was refunded.
Answer. [ cannot now remember the
date, but it was sometime last Spring, l
was coming up the street near the Bank,
met Senator Robbins, he was going out of
town and wanted to loan $40, / replied I
did not have it, but if he would go to the
Standard Office I would let him have it he
accompanied me to the Office and direct
ed the Cashier to pay him $50, which he
did. A few days after that met him
(RobblAs) in the Capitol yard, he handed
me $50 bill in the presence of several
gentlemen, remarking that he wanted them
loaned, but it had not been received for
corruption. It was the circumstance and
the mirth it created that impressed it upon
my Qittleield's) memory.
| Question by the same: Are the two per
sons named yesterday the only persons you
have loaned money?
Answer. do not think they are.
! Question by the same Give the names
of all other members you can recollect and
| the amount loaned to each.
The witness protested against answering
questions relating purely to his and other
mems private business. It was not only
violating his, but the rights of those to
whom he referred. He pronounced it an
outrage and asked decision of the Chair,
and if that decision should be unfavora-
| BILE, he would ask some of his friends to
appeal from that decision.
The Chair said the only protection that
| Courts gave witnesses was to allow them
to refuse to answer a question upon the
ground that it might tend to crlmlnate
him. He held that the question was ad-
missible. Here long debate arose upon
thI ,')int whether an appeal from the decl-
| s41u of the Chair was admissible IN Com
mittee of the Whole, and upon the admis'
sibility and propriety of MIR. Durham's
question:
Mr.. French said in order that the House
might instruct the Committee in regard tc
questions of this nature he would move
| that the Committee rise, report progress
and ask leave to sit again. The motlor
was put to vote and adopted.
Mr.. Pou (Chairman) reported progress
as directed, and asked leave to sit again.
Mr.. Durham moved that the COMMITTEES
be instructed to require the witness to an
swer his question.
Mr.. Downing moved to lay the motion
on the table.
The yeas and nays being called, Mr.
Downing's motion to table was rejected.
MIR. Durham called the previous ques-
O~~>-
mittee to require the witness to answer
his question.
The yeas and nays were called and the
House rejected the call for the previouI
question by vote of yeas 45, nays ~.
The question REQUIRED upon Mr.. Dur
hams motion.
MIR. Downing said that he did not IN
derstand that the committee arose for the
purpose OF entertaining any such motion
He thought it was for the purpose o.
adopting some rule as to questions of thi
kind. He hoped that MIR. DIS motie1
would not be adopted and some rule
agreed upon to regulate questions OF thll
nature.
Mr.. Welch hoped the motion would bt
adopted The names of two gentlemen
had been given and now he was in favor
of removing ali restrictions in this direc
ton. He wished to have all money
loaned, presents of watches, horses, &c.
thoroughly investigated. He could no
understand why innocent men should op
pose this they could not possibly suffer
and if there were guilty men here they
should be made to suffer. He thought il
due, not only to the fair name Of the State
but to the reputation of honest members
that tie imputa;ioDs Of fraud and corrup
ton now resting upon this Legislature
should be thoroughly ventilated. If cor
ruption was proven upon any OonserYatlYe