The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-17


comes in here and declares that whatever a
caucus may determine upon, however hastily,
you must support it, no yever wrongfully.
Why even in the worst days of the Democracy,
when the gentleman himself was in tue front
rank of the worst wing of it, when was it ever
attempted TO say that majority of party
caucus could bind men upon measures that in
volved questions of constitutional law. of per-
sonal honor or of religious scruple? The gem
teman asked what would have been done he
asked my colleague (Mr Peters, what would
have been done in the case of n member of
party voting against the caucus nominee for
Speaker / understand that was intended as
thrust at myself. Caucus nominations of officers
have always been held as binding; but just here
let me say that if minority did not vote against
the decision of the caucus that nominated me
for Speaker, in my judgment 1t was not the
fault of the gentleman from Massachusetts.
lApplause) Ii requisite number could have
been found to have gone over to the despised
NaZareRes on the opposite side, that gentleman
would have led them as gallautly as he led the
forces in the Charleston Convention. (Renewed
applause and laughter.)
Mr.. Butler-Mr. Speaker
Mr.. Blaine-I have the floor | do not very
often ask forit.
Mr.. Buter-Let not your conscience accuse
you
Mr.. Blaine-Mr. Speaker, in old times il was
the ordinary habit OF the Speaker of the House
of Representatives TO take part in the debate.
The custom has fallen into disuse, and for one |
am very glad that it has. For one / approve of
IL.
should, with consistent fidelity to his own party,
be the impartial administrator of the rules of
the House, and constant participation in the
discussions of members would take from him
that appearance OF impartiality which is so i'm
portant to maintain in the rulings of the chair;
but at the same time despise and denoupce the
insoleAce OF the gentleman from Massac husetts
when he attempts to say that the representative
from the Third district of the State of Maine has
no right to frame resolution; has no right to
seek that under the rules that resolution shall
be adopted, and has no right to ask the iudg-
ment Of the House upon that resolution.
Why, even the insolence of that gentleman
himself never reached that sublime height be-
fore. (Applause.) That is the whole extent of
my offending-that l wrote reso-
lution-that 1 took it to various
gentlemen on this side of the House-that
! said to the gentlemen on the other side of the
House, This is resolution. you cannot afford
TO filibuster; it is resolution demanding fair,
impartial investigation, and under the rules |
desire that this resolution may be offered, and
my colleague (Mr. Peters, will offerit - and then
the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Butler)
telegraphs, he knows to how many papers
through the whole United States, for doubtless
his letter will be found in ertens0 wherever he
could get it inserted in this mornings journals,
that this was "a legislative trick"
Mr. Butler-And repeat it now.
Mr.. Blaine-Ihere are certain repeutions
which do not amount to slauder, and the gentle
man may repeat everything in that connection
as his colleague (Mr. Dawes) very well says
Except truth"
Mr.. Butler Gin his seaD-I did not hear my
colleague cay that.
Mr.. Blaine-The gentleman from Massachu-
setts, in his remarkable letter, uses this lam
guage:-"Because the very resolution which
authorized the committee was so framed, aud in
my belief, purposely, in the interest of the
Democratic party, that such committee cannot
report under the rules OF the House, in the face
of the Democratic opposition, and by their per-
mission. in less than year from this time-the
usual power not being inserted in 1t to report at
any time"
The gentleman from Massachusetts is very
astute lawyer, but it has fallen under my OBJ
servation that he is extremely ignorant of the
rules of this House. Had this resolution con-
tanned those words it would have been tanta-
mount to suspending the rules, and one objec-
tion would have prevented its coming in.
What does bis resolution say? THAT that
committee shall be appointed with power to
report in December. report after the meet
ing of Congress, during the entire month of
December, shall be in order at any time the
committee shall see fit to make report" Eight
and half months intervene between now and
December for the committees labors, and they
have one full month, with the privilege to re-
port at any time; and yet the gentleman says
the resolution was purposely so framed as to
exclude the committee from the power to report
at all. 1t was purposely framed to be carried
over the gentlemans point of order. l omitted
those words, presuming that if the committee
got through with their labors at the end of
nine months, one month at the beginning of
the session would be ample In which to make
their report.
/ am admonished by the gentlemen around
me of fact with which am myself familiar,
that the power to report at any time does not
always carry with it the exercise OF that power.
The gentleman himself has been chairman
during the entire Congress of committee en-
powered to report at any time on this very sub
ject and ON the subjects committed to 1t, and
the members of that committee will say whether
the gentleman always exercised his full powers
under the rules; and whether IL the power to
report at any time had been given TO that gem
tlemsn, as chairman of this committee, and he
had accepted the appointment, he might not
have construed it as he has construed 10 for
nearly two years. on the Reconstruction Com
mittee, to be the power to report at no time.
| Now, nobody regrets more sincerely than
| do any occurrence which calls me to take the
| floor on the question OF propriety. appeal to
members of both sides of the House. and they
will bear me witness, that the clrculatonsof this
| letter in the morning prints its distribution
! throughout the land by telegraph, and the lay
| ing it upon the desks of members, was intended
| to be by the gentleman from Massachusetts,, not
! offered boldly but coverty-I will not use a
| stronger phrase-an insult to the Speaker of this
| House, and as such resent it. / denounce the
letter in all its essential Statements and In all
| its misstatements and in all its mean differences
and meaner innuendoes. ldenounce the letter
as gToundless and without Justification, and the
| gentleman himself, / trust, will live to see the
day when he will be ashamed of having writ
| ten it.
Mr. Butler, of Massachusetts-By the ancient
| parliamentary law, of which l confess my igno-
rance, and Of which, if full knowledge of II
leads to such speech as we have just listened
to, / will be glad to remain in ignorance, some
one person shall be Speaker of the House, to
speak for the House Does Mr.. Speaker now dc
| so? The Speaker has left his place and his
| gavel, for the first time tor two Congresses