Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-03-17
CONGRESSIONAL.

/ MI nelly EO5b 70 a ptLbDAA1A "a PlesAite
ton and denial Of the charge made IN
the circular issued by Mr.. Butler, Ol
Massachusetts, that the high tariff
Representative combined with the
Democrats to pass Mr.. Peters resOlu-
tiOn yesterday, and then asked to be
excused from serving on the commit
tee appointed under the resolution.
Mr.. Butler replied that he did not
refer to Mr.. Kelly, and said that Mr..
! Peters resolution was trick to de-
feat the caucus Ku-KluX bill.
Many Republicans voted yea, fear
ing to compromise themselves by
voting nay.
Peters defended his resolution.
Dawes said nobody seemed to trOu-
BILE themselves about it but Butler.
Speaker Blaine took the floor, Mr..
| Wheeler in the chair, and proceeded
to say that he showed the resolution
to Butler, of Massachusetts, in his
| (Blaine's) handwriting, and added,
at Buffers suggestion, the words
I" and the expenses of this committee
shall be paid from the contingent
fund of the House of Representa-
| ves''-[applause] "a fact that ways
and means were wanted to pay the
expenses was the only objection he
| made to il.
Butler-Was not nay answer that,
under no circumstances would / have
/ anything to do with it, being bound
| by action of caucusP
] Blaine-NO, sir; your answer was,
| that under no circumstances would
you serve as chairman.
Mr.. Blaine proceeded to say that he
| appointed Butler chairman, because
! he knew very well if he omitted the
| appointment, the gentleman would be
heralded throughout the length and
/ breadth of the country by clacquers
J who have so industriOusly distributed
| khis letter this morning, that the
| Speaker had packed,the committee as
a gentleman said he would with weak
| kmeed Republicans, who would not
90 into an investigation as vigorously
! as ne would. That was the reason
he made the appointment. APP
plause. : So the chair had laid the re-
! sDonsibility upon gentlemen declining
| the appointment.
Butler-I know that was a trick of
/ the chair.
Mr.. Blaine-Ah, trick! I know new
what the gentleman meant by the
word "trick." l am very glad to
know the trick was successful. 1t is
| this trick which places the gentleman
| from Massachusetts on his spOsibility
! before the country. The gentleman
! from Massachusetts, says in his letter:
"Having been appointed, against my
wishes, expressed both publicly and
privately, by the Speaker as chairman
| Of the committee to investigate
/ the state of affairs ia the
South, ordered to-day by Dem
Ocratic votes, against the most
earnest protest of more than two
thirds of the majority Of the Republi
! can members Of the House" This
statement is so bold and grOundless, l
do not know what reply to make. It
| is made in the face Of the fact that
| fifty-eight Republicans voted tor the
resolution, and fOrty-nine, besides the
| gentleman from Massachusetts, against
! it If there is any one of the fifty
eight gentlemen who voted for the
resolution under coercion, i would like
for the gentleman from Massachusetts
] to designate him.
Mr.. ButleT-I am not here to detail
| private conversation.
Mr.. Blaine-Ah! no; but you will
| distribute throughout the country un-
| founded calumnies, pUrpOrting to rest
upon assertions made in private con-
versatiOns, which, when called for,
can't be verified.
Mr.. Butler-PardOn me, sir; I said
there was a caucus.
MIR. BlaiRe-I hope God will pardon
you; but you ought not to ask me to
do it. Laughter.
Butler-I will ask God, and not
you.
Blaine-I am glad that the gentle
man will.
Butler-I have no favor5 to ask of
the devil. The caucus agreed on a
more definite mode of action after
standing. The chairman of the eau
Gus declared officially that it was not
binding.
Mr.. Blaine proceeded to talk about
tricks. Why, the very iniamy Of his
political trickery never cOmpassed a
design so foolish and 50 wicked as to
bring together a caucus, and attempt
to pledge them to support measures
which might violate not only the pO-
litical principles, but the religious
faiths, of the men who support the
bill drawn by the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Butler)-Which might
violate the conscientious scruples of
men; and yet fOrsOOth he comes In
here and declares that whatever the
caucus may determine, or however
hastily, you must support it wrong
fully. Why even ia the worst days
of Democracy, when the gentleman
himself was in the front ranks OEthe
worse wing, was il ever attempted
to say that the majority party Of a
caucus could bind men upon meas
ures that involved questions of Con-
stituti0nal law, personal honor and
religious scruples?"
In reply to Mr.. Buffers reference to
the election of the Speaker, Mr.. Blaine
said: If the minority did not vote
against the decision of the caucus that
nominated me for Speaker, in my
Judgment, it was not the fault Of the
gentleman from Massachusetts,. IAp-
plause. IT the requisite number could
have been found TO have gone over to
the despised NaZarines on the opposite
side, that gentleman would have led
them as ne did the forces in the
Charleston Convention. Renewed
applause and laughter. 1 despise
and denOunce the lnsOlence of
the gentleman from Massachusetts
when ne attempts to say that
the Republican from the Third
district of the state OF Maine has no
right to frame a resolution, under
rules, and ask the Judgment of the
House on that resolution. Why, even
the insOIence OF that gentleman, him
self, never reached that sublime hight
before. Applause.
On Buffers repeating the word
" trick, /" Mr.. Blaine said that there
are certain repetitions which do not
amount to slander, and the gentleman
may repeat everything in that con-
nection, as his colleague, Mr.. Dawes,
very well says, " Except truth"
Referring to Buffers statement that
the resolution was framed in the in
terest Of the Democratic party, so
that a report cORd not be made for
one year in face OF the Democratic OPP
position, Mr.. Blaine said; at has
tallen under my observation that the
gentleman is very ignorant of the
rules Of this House." and proceeded
to show that the report of the Com
mittee would be in order at any time
during the month of December if the
COMMITTEES choose 70 make a re-
port. If the power to report
at any time has been given
the gentleman might have construed
it, as he has construed il for nearly
two years on the Reconstruction Com
mittee, to be power to report at no
time.
Mr.. Blaine concluded by regretting
the necessity for his taking the floor,
and said: But the circulation of Mr..
Buffers letter was intended. eovertly,