Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-05-20
The Senate and the Tribune Cor
respondents.

The Boston journal correspondent at
Washington, under date of the 18th, says:
The Senate decided this afternoon, by a
vote of "a yeas to IA nays. that the two young
gentlemen connected with the newspaper
press as correspondents, are to remain GER
tainly until next December in close custody,
unless they will say who gave them treaty,
printed by the Department of State, but SUBJ
sequently made a confidential document of
the Senate.
The debate was virtually closed by Mr..
Sumner. His motion to abandon the whole
affair was not passed. In the course of his
remarks, he asked the Chairman of the In
vestigating Committee if, in following the
precedents established by the British House
of Commons, he would have the witnesses
made to kneel in the Senate when they tes-
titled, The whole proceeding, he said, re-
minded him of a stone in our commercial me-
tropolis on which is inscribed, ''Two miles to
New York" Since that stone was placed
there the city has grown beyond it many
miles, so that it is now near the centre of
New York. But it remains monument OF
past days and present progress. So do these
old questions of privilege remain to be
brought forward on occasions like this. Mr.
Summers argument against the right of the
Senate to prolong the session of its commit
tee through the recess, simply to keep the
young gentlemen at the bar in confinement,
were very able, but the majority, neverthe-
less, voted solidly in favor of the continuance.
The last three hours of the session were
consumed by a variety of motions calculated
to mitigate the proposed punishment of the
recusant witnesses. "A great point was gain
ed by the vote which left them in the custody
OF the Sergeant at Arms, instead of sending
them to the loathsome common Jail of this
district. Provision was also made, after a
hard contest, that if any time during the re-
cess they declared their willingness to answer
all proper questions to be propounded the
committee should be called together, and if
they failed to appear in reasonable time,
they should be set at liberty.
Messrs. White and Ramsdell, after the
Senate had committed them and had adjourn
ed, were taken by the Sergeant-at- Arms into
the reception room, where they receiv.
ed the congratulations and good wishes
OF many friends, including the Vice Presi.
dent Senators, Representatives, and gentle
men of the press. Mr.. Colfax, after leav ns
the Capitol, did not hesitate to say publicly
that now the affair was over, he would express
his opinion as a citizen, that after having
heard the arguments on both sides. his sym.
pathies were with the minority of the Senate
while he deplored the whole affair as unpro
ductve of good.
Gen. French, the Sergeant at Arms of tn,
Senate, will do every thing in his power t,
promote the comfort of his prisoners. He ha
quartered them in an airy committee room, il
the upper story of the Centre wing, the win
dows of which command an extensive view
of the city and the Virginia shore, while the,
are so high that it will not be necessary t,
have iron bars put in to prevent escape. To
night they were permitted to visit their Offices
in Newspaper row in close custody, where
they were warmly greeted by their associ
ates.