The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-04-08
HARD WORDS, BETNEfN BITLER AND
SPEAKER BLAINE.
A Pea Picture OF the House During the
Suuabbic.
Especial Photographic Correspondence OF the
Couricr-l ruruai.l

Especial Photographic Correspondence OF the
Couricr-Jou
WASiiINGToS, March lG.-Thc dis
integratiOn and decentralization which
have been going or in the Republican
party in Congress since the ith Of March
received Il forcihle illustration to-day
in one of the most extraordinary scenes
ever enacted in the House of EcrrcSen-
tatires. Not only was the Speaker
compelled to leave his chair and defend
himself or the floor of the House from
Il severe assault made upon him by Gen.
Butler, but five Republican members
arose in their seats and declined to serve
on the special committee to investigate
the South. which had been appointed
cstcrday. For two hours there was a
storm of bitterness, iuvcctiNc, crinnirii-
ton and recrinin:ition, charges of
trickcry and faisCh0oG, Of corruption
and slandcr, between the Republican, !
who have split on the policy to be pur
sued in legislation, that has never been
eaualled in the party ranks in Congress.
The Democratic members poured into
the main aislcS and viewed and list
enel with astOn;SEmCnt to Il SceUC so
remarkable that Gen. Butler, oven, de-
nounced ii as disgracoful to the party,
House and country. That side, how
ever, did not participate in the debate,
but seemed willing that the Rcpubli-
cans should fight it ont on their present
line, even if it protractcd the session all
summer. The galleries were quite full,
and enjoyed the display by bursts of
applause and roars Of laughter: The
occasion was on a letter which Gen.
Butler had addressed to the Republi-
cans of the Forty-second Congress, Civ
l. i,r 4
abide by the = Ion Of tho House yes
terday on f. ~ question, and
denouL being the re-
suit Of Il Ie. nncd by tho
Speaker and car., st by thirty
or forty .Rcpublicans, 2Mtcd with
the Democrats for that I6.tri- This
letter was not only puhlishcc5 in tho
Administration s--.le-, .."re this morn
ing, but was printed in Il circular form
and distributed on the desks of every
member and Senator. The feeling
among the Republicans at this step was
very bitter, and 1t contained SO many
misstatcmcnts Of fact that it was gener
ally assailed. Butler was not content
with writing the letter, but, in pursu-
ance of his purpose to break up the conf
mittcc of which he had been made
chairman, came into the House and,
taking advantage OF IL personal denial
Of the charge made by Judge Kelly,
launched into q debate to roiteratc every
one of tho propositions which he had
| made in his letter.
Finally, the Speaker took the floor to
answer Buffers charG" against him,
and he proceeded, with much feeling
and great force, to give the Massachu
sets member a severe and caustic sea-
i III 10 4,l u, H,,y
of falsehood out of his own mouth, but
proved TO the satisfaction of all present
that Butler had altered the record to
suit his own purpose. On the first point
he inquired of Butler if he did not
know that the Speaker wrote The rcso
luton for the special committee. But
Ter replied that he had no such inforIns-
ton.
The Speaker replied, "Nhy, sir, /
wrote If and showed II ~ you myself,
and yuu suggested! an amendment that
the expenses of Il hc paid out of the
contingent fund of III" House,
Butler wu1 th" very rict,ir" of rag" at
this announcement.
On the second point, !iutlcr had
charged in his letter th"t only twenty
or thirty Republicans had voted with
The Democrats for this committee.
eight, or nurc than majority of all,
had so voted. EIItlcT had further
charged That the Speaker had cocrccd
Republicans to vote for the committee;
whcrcupOn the lnttcr called on any
member to rise and state if such was
the fact, and if not to forever hold his
peace. Not 4 member rose; but Butler,
from, his scat, apitCfully reiterated his
statement. The Speaker, in the course
of his speech, charged that Butler
would have prevented his nomination
in the caucus, and, if he could have OBJ
tanned Il respectable minority to go
with him, ne would have led them,
just as he did the rebels in the Charles
ton Convention in 1860.
AS to the Speaker having played /,
trick upon the House, MIR. Blaine said:
''I despisc and spit upon the assertion
and dcnouncc his insoicncc in qucs
tioning my right to offer Il resolution >
Butler snarlcd out from his scat in n
| rage, at was Il trick; I rcitcrato it, sir
it was II trick
Blaine rcplicd-!.i consider this {;
covert insult to the Speaker, and as on,
Of thc ncalcst, most Contcnptibln anG
most unfair and unjust attacks. that
have ever been madc.''
n round Of applau-" greeted III" acn
! tincnt.
| Butler arose, and for Il fnu.:tcn
seemed so cnragcd us TO he unable I,
speak. Order having h"un restored h.
went ahead III a fCrc", reply, dcclHrine
| that, for ways that arc dark and trick
that are are vain. th"rc'S NOM like tn,
! Speaker, which the 9aDIu ] now rise r
! maintain. ANY gentleman -ujE I!It