The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-18
Bithmond 1ispatth.
SATURDAY,. MARCH ls, 1871,
THE CIRCULATION OF THE pIapATCH
Is LARGER THAN THE COMBINED CIR
CULATION OF ALI. THE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF The CITY.
The Debate Bet-vccr, Speaker Baaine
and Beast Batter.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
FRIDAY, March 16.

AOOS6 Of hEfhESENTATlNS,(
FRIDAY, March 16.
Mr.. BLAINE: Did not the gentleman
distinctly know that drew the resolution?
Mr.. BUTLER: No, sir.
Mr.. BLAINE Did not take it to the
gentleman and read it to him?
Mr.. BUTLER Yes. sir.
Mr.. BLAINE Did l not show him the
Mr.. BUTLER Yes, sir.
Mr.. BLAINE: IN my own handwriting 1?
MIR. BUTLER: No. sir.
Mr.. BLAINE And at his suggestion ]
added these words: "And the expenses Of
fhc eomm1tree Shall be PAID from The con.
t!ngcnt fund Of the House of Representa-
tlvcS.' Applause And the fact that ways
and means were wanted to pay the expenses
was the only objection he made to it.
Mr.. BUTLER What was the answer the
gentleman madeT l suppose / may ask
that. now that the Speaker has come upon
the floor?
MIR. BLAINE: The answer was that I
immediately wrote the amend,nsnt proyid-
ing Tor The payment of the EXPENSES Of the
committee.
Mr.. BUTLER: What was nv answer?
Was 1t not that under no circumstances
would have anything to do with it, being
bound by the action of the caucus?
Mir. BLAINE: No, sir; the answer was
that under no circumstances would you
serve rs chairman.
Mr.. BUTLER Or have anything to do
with the resolution.
Mr.. BLAINE: There are o24 members OF
the House of Representatives. A committee
OF thirteen can be found without the gen
ticman from Massachusetts being on it. His
service is not essential to the constitution
Of the committee.
Mr.. BUTLER: Why did you not find
such Il committee, then?
Mr.. BLAINE: Because knew very well
that if [ omitted the appointment of the
gentleman it would be heralded throughout
the length and breadth of the country by
the claQuers who have so industriously dis
tributed this letter this morning that the
Speaker had packed the committee, ms the
gentleman said he would, with "weak-
knced Republicans" who would not go
into an investigation as vigorously as he
would. That was the reason. Applause
So that the Chair laid the responsibility
upon the gentleman Of declining the ap-
pointment.
Mr.. BUTLER: know that was the trick
of the Chair.
Mr.. BLAINE: All! the "trickN' We
know now what the gentleman meant by
the word trick" l am very glad to know
that the I" trick was successful.
Mr.. BUTLER: No doubt.
Mr.. BLAINE: 1t is this trick" which
places the gentleman from Massachusetts
on his responsibility before the country.
Mir. BUTLER: Exactly.
Mr.. BLAINE: Now, sir, the gentleman
from Massachusetts talks about the coercion
by which tiIty.eight Republicans were made
to vote for the resolution. l do not know
what any one of them may have to say, but
il there be here to-day 4 single gentleman
who has given TO the gentleman from Mus
sachusetts the intimation that he felt CO.
creed. that he was in any way restrained
from free action, let him get up now and
speak, or " forever after hold his peace"
Mr.. BUTLER: Oh yes.
Mr.. BLAINE The gentleman from Mas
Sachusetts says in his letter: ''Having been
appointed against my wishes, expressed
both publicly and privately, by the Speaker
rs chairman Of 4 committee TO investigate
the state Of affairs in the South, ordered to-
day by Democratic votes, against the most
earnest protest OF more than tlCO. thirds ma
jO12ty Of the Republicans of the House,
Mr.. BUTLER: Yes, sir.
Mr.. BLAINE This statement is so bold
and groundleSs that do not know what
reply to make to it. 1t is made in the face
of tue fact that on the roli-call IS Republic
cans voted for the resolution, and 10 be-
sides the gentleman from Massachusetts
voted against it. If there he any one of the
gentlemen who voted for the res
olution under coercion. / would like the
gentleman from Massachusetts to designate
him.
Mr.. BUTLER am not here to detail
private conversation.
Mr.. BLAINE : On, no! But you will
distribute throughout the entire country
calumnies purportng to rest
upon assertions made in private CONVERSE
ton, which, when calledfor, cannot be ver-
flied.
MIR. BUTLER Pardon me, sir. l said
there was 4 caucus
Mr.. BLAINE: / hope God will pardon
you, hut you ought not to ask me to do it.
Laughter
Mr.. BUTLER: will ask God, and not
you.
Mr.. BLAINE : am glad the gentleman
will.
Mr.. BUTLER: have DO favors to ask of
the devil. And let me say that the caucus
agreed upon Il definite mode of action.
Mr.. BLAINE: The caucus Now let
me say here and now that the chairman of
I hat caucus, sitting on my right "a chcva-
lier" III legislation, ''sdns pcu1' ct sans re-
TrOche," the gentleman from Michigan MIR.
Blair), stated, as Il man OF honor, as he is,
that he was bound to say officially from the
chair that it Was not considered and could
not be considered binding upon gentlemen.
And more than that. Talk about tricks |
Why, the very intamy of political trickery
never comprised q design so foolish and so
wicked us to bring together caucus and
attempt to pledge them to the support of
measures which might violate not only the
political principles but the religious faith of
men, to the support Of Il bill drawn by the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Butler),
" hich might violate the conscientious scru-
pies of men. And yet, torsooth, he comes in
here and declares that whatever caucus
may determine upon, however hastily, you
must support it however wrongfully. Why,
even in the worst days of the democracy,
when the gentleman himself was IN the
front rank Of the worst wing OF it, when
was it ever attempted to say that a maJori-
ty of q party caucus could bind men upon
measures that involved questions OF constl-
,utional law, of personal honor, of reli-
.ious scruples: The gentleman asked
what would have been done-he asked my
colleague (Alr. Peters, what would have
been done-in the case OF members or
party voting against the caucus nominee for
speaker. | understand that was intended rs
, thrust at myself. Caucus nominations OF
,1licers have always been held as binding.
But lust here let me say that if minority
lid not vote against the decision Of the
caucus that nominated me for Speaker, in
nv Judgment it was not the fault OF the
Gentleman from Massachusetts. [Applause.]
If the requisite number could have been
ound to have gone over to Inc despised
Nazarines on the opposite side, that gentle
nan would have led them as calamity as