The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-05-19
UNITED STATES SENATE.
Debate on the Premature Publica.
ton OF the Treaty.

tiOn OF the Treaty.
WASHINGTON, May lS.-The Senate
met at noon, and after some dilatory
motions, Mr. White, the Tribune CORES
pondent, was called before the bal
of the Senate. He refused to answer
the questions propounded by the Vice
President.
Senator Carpenter offered a resolution
with long preamble, setting forth the
circumstances and directing the Ser
geant-at-Arms to turn over the man
White to the Warden of the common
jail Of the District of Columbia, there
to be confined until he asserted his viii
lingness to answer the questions.
The resolution also continued the
Special committee during recess.
Mr.. Morton moved to lay the resolu.
tion on the table. Lost by vote oi
% to sc.
Mr.. Sumner moved to amend the
resolution by striking out all that part
regarding a common Jail and leave the
prisoner in the custody OF the Sergeant,
alarms. Agreed to by vote Of 81
to27.
Mr.. Wilson moved to strike out the
petition continuing the committee dur
ing recess.
M. Sumner supported the PROPOSE
ton.
Mr.. Chandler, with virtuous indigna-
ton, followed in an attack on White.
He said there was a reporter OF the press
in the Executive session Of the Senate,
and he hoped he would be expelled from
that body.
Mr.. Schurz then took the floor and
characterized Mr.. Chambers explosion
of virtue as the cheapest thing he ever
heard Of, especially as Mr.. White Of
fered to testify that he did not get the
copy Of the treaty, either directly or in.
directly, from any Senator or officer OF
the Senate. Mr.. Schurz expatiated in
beautiful speech, defending the course
of Mr.. White and analyzing the duty OF
a journalist in such a case.
Mr.. Logan then took the floor, and
held that it was the duty of the Senate
to stand by and support the committee
in their investigation, and that the wit
nesses should be proceeded with in ex-
tremes.
Mr.. Wilson took the floor and attack
ed Mr.. Chandler for his assertion that
the press had a reporter in the execu-
tive session, and asserted that Mr..
Chandler himself was one of such re-
porters and said on his own knowledge
that the Senator from Michigan has
talked outside regarding the doings in
executive session that all the Senators
had done it; that probably the most
indignant of all at the leaking has done
more of it than any other man in
Washington. He thought it better to
discharge the prisoners aud learn by
this proceeding to keep the secret pro-
ceedings more carefully in the future.
Mr.. Davis held that the probabilities
were that the copy of the treaty OBJ
tained for publication was the one
printed by the State Department before
the treaty was given to the Senate, and
under such circumstances there was no
violation Of the confidence OF the Sen
ate and this prosecution ought to cease.
Mr. Conkling made the point that if
the Senator did not hand over this trea-
ty until after it was delivered to the
Senate, Notwithstanding he had the
COPY before that, it was an equal viola
ton of faith as if he had used the in
formation as communication.
This Mr.. Davis denied and held that
the only confidence that could have ex.
listed between the State Department and
individual Senators was personal and
the Senate had no jurisdiction.
Mr.. Thurman thought that the gen.
tleman should not depart from the
question actually under discussion,
whether the special committee should
be prolonged beyond the end of this
session and if the committee continued
this trial would go on, through the
whole session. He thought the matter
had better be the count under the statute
and doubted the policy Of keeping the
prisoners in indefinite confinement; that
their punishment should be fixed and
determined.
Mr. Scott followed Mr.. Thurman in
a speech of great length reciting the
ideas of Messrs Conkllng and Carpen-
ter.
Mr., Morton denominated the proceed,
ings as persecution rather than a
prosecution, and took the ground that
II the committee be continued in order
to get an opportunsty to imprison the
witnesses, the committee sbonld be re-
ouested to stay in Washington during
the summer, in order to be ready to
hear the witnesses if they should be
ready to testify.
Mr.. Sumner combatted Thurman n's
propositiop. That clause authorship
the committe would continue the i'm
prisonment of the witnesses during
the recess He held that the witnesses
would be discharged according to par
liamentary usage, on the termination OF
the session, or could be taken out by a
writ of habeas corpus, and quoted
from authorities both English and
American on the subject to substantiate
his statement. There being no Consti,
tutional provision against the parlia,
mentarv ruling, it must be adhered to.
The witnesses could only be held by
the most unprecedented and remarka,
BILE action on the part Of the Senate.
That a committee appointed by the
Senate could exist only as long as the
session of its source. II the Senators
we're so assiduous about this matter
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