Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-03-05

ne WOulO, anu ne WOulN uOt IL ue COuiu.
lie proposed to make plain and sober at
tempt to convince his fellow members who
were to act on the resolutions, as to what
was their pro er duty in relation to them
He would begin where be had left off the
other day, on the question of jurisdiction.
Mr.. Poland then proceeded to reply to the
argument made against the power of the
House to expel members tor offences COM
mitted before election, and to sustain his
position by parliamentary precedents.
Having disposed of that subject, Mr.. Po-
land came back to the facts in the case and
to the scheme of the Credit Mobilier and it's
inventors. He said that it did not require
great ingenuity to get up scheme to cheat
the government out Of $40 GOO, but it
did require good deal of wit to get up the
machine ~ necessary to run it successfully.
They had contrived the scheme, but there
was no man in New York shrewd enough to
get up the running machinery. They bad
to send almost as far as Boston to find a man
and they got the right man. But difficulty
grew out of that This Boston lawyer said:
- A mill with forty-seven millions in the
hopper-a mill by which you are going to
fetch more than half that sum out of the
government when you have got man with
wit enough to devise the means by which
you can do that, and cover it up, you cannot
put off that man with a fee of $4,000. He
must have $4,000"
The machinery had just got into operation
so that there would be no difficulty if they
could stop Investigations IN Coz gress and not
be troubled by government directors Con-
gress and government directors were the only
things lett that were to be feared, and these
had to be taken care of. Accordingly Mr..
Ames had come 70 Congress with shares OF
Credit Mobiier stock In his pocket, and went
around to various members of Congress and
leading men, and said that he had got an
excellent investment, a thing which would
pay ten per cent, and offered it to members
who he said had been good friends to the
Union Pacific Railroad He was fixing 1t so
that those who took shares from him should
think it was an honest thing. He had found
1t necessary to clothe it In the habllments Of
honesty.
The hammer fell, the debate closed, and
the House was brought face to lace with the
ques ion.
Mr.. Far1sworth, for the purpose of refer
| ring the whole matter to the public, moved
to lay it Oh the table The vote was taken
| by yes and nays, and resulted-yeas So,
nays l64.
While the vote was progressing Mr.. Brooks
sat at his desk with his ht ad down, apparent
ly absorbed in reading; while MIR. Ames sat In
one OF the front row OF seats, the one usually
occupied by Mr.. Wallace OF South Carolina
leaning bis head ON his hand and appa-
rently following the vote attentlvely. A
handsome Louquet, offered by some sym
lathIzng irIehd stood on the desk beiole
nm The tie was taken in per ect silence
| r;,b h..
hall. SO that the responses were distinctly
heard. he members seats were all filled
many new members being present, and the
galleries were densely packed F.; even the one
assigned to men was occupied to a large ex-
tent by ladies.
The next question was on substituting
Mr. SARGENT resolutions for those reported
| by the Select Committee.
The vote was yeas us, nays 10.
MessIs. EIdrldge and VOORHEES,, having
orgy ally voted " no. changed their votes
to 'saye, and endeavored to give their rea-
son, but were forbid debate during the roll
call
| The question then REQUIRED on the first Of
Mr.. Sargent resolutions as follows:
| "ResoIved, That the House absolutely con-
dennis the conduct OF Cakes Ames, member OF
his House from tie Stale of Massachus etts, IN
| seeking to procure CongIesslon attention to the
affairs OF corpora ion IN which he was interested,
and whose interest directly depended on The leSls
latIOn of Congress, by inducing members OF Con-
gress to invest in the stock of SAID corporation"
The resolution was adopted Yeas ISL,
nays sc.
Mr.. Brooks voted in the negative.
The next resolution of Mr.. Sargent was
then voted on. 1t it as follows:
| Resolved That the House absolutely condemns
| the cOuduct of James Brooks, 4 member OF tIIS
| House from New York, for the of his positi TN
| of government director of the Union Pacific RaIl-
| road and of member of this House TO procure the
| assignment to himself or family OF stock IN The
Credit Mobier of America a corporation having a
contract with the Union Pacific RaliIoad, and
whose interests depended din ecty upon the leslsia-
ton of Congress.
The resolution was adopted-yeas. ia =;
nays, 30
Various efforts were afterwards made to
censure Kelley and others, who had owned
Mobllier stock At the evening session,
Mr.. Kelley defended himself, Tue debate
was very bitter, and the House appeared
quite at loss what to do with the members
implicated by the report. Alter the speech
IS by Mr.. Speer, the mover OF the Kelley
resolution, and others, Mr.. Hawley said be
had resolution to offer, partly in the inter
est Of public business, but chiefly IN the in
terest of justice 1t was that
Whereas. The Select Committee had made
known to The House that it was restricted in the
scope of its report by The terms of the resolution
under which 1t acted; Therefore,
Resolved, That the testimony taken be recon-
mitted with instructions to report whether any
further action Is necessary to manifest the judS-
ment of the House on connection of members OF
Co gress with the Credit Mobiller or with any
corpoI alton dependent on national legislation
Mr. Wood made the point IF order that
the resolution was not an amendment to the
pending one.
The Speaker sustained the objection.
MIR. Dawes rose and said, speaking in a
tone of great vehemence and exhibiting ID
tense excitement: - 1t is strange that the ger.
tleman from Connecticut llawley) should
want to adjourn the House with an investi.
CATION over the heads Of members. He ha.
proposed to impose duty on COMMITTEE
of tile House which he knows cannot be per
formed III the waning days of this session
and vet be is willing to let members res
under such charges as an unfinished nvesti
CATION may leave. Now, Mr.. Speaker, i
any DO ~ has any charge to bring against mt
let him brIng 1t here and now and without
further invt stigation. | viii submit it Il
, the Judgment OF the House, but | pray NJ,
friend from Co nectcut (Hawley) not to ad
. luul 4 this House with an unfinished invest
CATION hanging over my head. II nv irient
from Connecticut has anything to lay at ny
: door, let him lay it here and now, and VIII
take the judgment OF tie House upon it.
, Sir, the Committee of Investigation ha
acquitted me, and | here submit it's specia
, vel diet to this House without one Word.
any body has anything to add to that verde
let him do it here and now. 1 have sat her
three long days in this discussion withou
opening my mouth, conscious of the purity o
; my motives aid OF every ,fical act since
came into this House. l am ready to In, e
! here and now any charge which any membe
will lay at my door but it is due to me ant
) due to my associates that this House shal
not adjourn with an unfinished investigation
hanging over our heads.
There was or eat confusion and excite
ment IN the House while MIR. Dawes wa
speaking, which did not subside for few
! oftor