Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-03-20

The Fousc having crdCr consideration IN. re.
pm OF The selcc; committee appointed 10 iuves-
uIa;e the alleged Credit MoLilicF bribery
MIR MERRICk said:
MIR. SPEAKER: Never before did re-
tronsblli'y tall upon me like that which
was de,olvcd upon INC BY the order Of hi,
House. | had hoped TO pass the small
remnant Of my official career in iba, same
tranquility and obscurity through which i,
had elIded during the past two years -
But had to meet the responsibility which
desolyed upon NE BY the order of tic
House Of Representatives,.
Most OF the men who have been suffice
ted to The inquiry of this Committee have
been almost total strangers to me- Bat
my personal friends. and sad. indeed. it
is that this man is one of those who, un-
'ler the high sense of responsibility which
las been deyolvcd on me, have been
constrained to consider and charge before
this asscmblage rs guilty man
Mr.. Speaker, before going into the con.
sidera,iun Cf the particular question affcc-
ting individual members, it is proper 10
consider what is the true meaning and
purpose Of the rcpor. which has been made
by the committee to this House. 1t has
becu misunderstood. it has been misrcp-
resented. it has been falsfed: nay, the
committee have been held up to the world
rather as the criminal than those who have
been sulj, c;cd by the orders Of this House
10 their jurisdiction.
VIVA. is the meaning OF tina. report p
Have We undertaken to say that the men
who have been arraigncd before US arc
without fault Have We acquitted and
justified them before the American people
for all the things they have done in this
connection? Those who 80 read the report
misunderstood totally its scope and pur.
pose. We were charged with n specific
duty to inquire whether or not certain men
were bribed by Oakes Ames or others. and
in the discussion of the precise question
rs 20 whether men were or were not brib-
ed by Cakes Ames or others. certain ex-
pressions were used designed by the COM
mittce to reflect only the identical legal
question which vas propouudcd to rs, to
wit: Wig there such state of mind and
purpose ut the time aud in the act of the
reception of the contract as made between
them and him as make them guilty Of re-
ceing brides. And il was in that connec-
ten. with reference TO that precise ques-
tion which we were discussing and bound
20 discuss aud determine. that we used
that language which has been the subject
Of so much DEMONSTRATION and so much
ccnsure upon the members Of the commit
tee. ..
The language TO which | refer is to be
found especially on the ninth Page OF the
report oil that eosnmittee. Ii is in these
words:
The cen ni,tce do not find either OF the abov,
nau ed gsntrnen in his contracts with Mr.
Ants had any corrupt moSsse O: purpose him,
Set. CT was aware Mr.. Amts had any: nos did
ether Of th,m surrese he guilty Gfany inl-
Prcprie'y or any ,ndshsacy in bccOming pur-
chaser OF this stock
That phrase has been strained into a
whitswashing phrase. il / may be suffered
60 use the expression, 80 q total excnlpa-
ton Of all the parties concerned in this
transaction with reference 10 each and ev
cry stage OF their action in this regard
" men viii read calmly and dispassiona,c
ly oil that is said in tha>scpor,. that which
follows this particular language, they uns
derstaHd the import OF Eue lish differently.
far differently from what Ido ii they con-
slider the committee meant 10 eaeulpate all
gentlemen from all blame by reason Of the
Transactions in which they had been en-
gagged; for We vent On to say in the 6rsl
place that ''had il appeared that these
gentlemen were aware Of the enormous
dividends upon this stock and how they
we're 10 be earned. We cesla no, thus as-
quit ihem." Aequis them of whatf Ae,
quit them Of the act Of bribery in the re
erp,ion Of The costrac, and the profits o
the eonsrse. As saads between them anC
Mr. AIMEE. 'va ~
And the coasmissee 70 on then and die
eass the general subject As connected will
this matter Of indiscrectly placing them
selves In position unheccming 10 mem
bers Of a dciibcraiive iaw-making body
Aud We held up to them, By son,ras, will