Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-02-09
ARKANSAS.
The C0ntumaciOus Foster before
the Legislature---He viii An
swer Questions Monday.
A Fierce Debate In the House,
Arguments More PeiEted
than Elegant.
The Radical Organ Stirring up the
Monkeys Its Editor to be
Officially interviewed.


Special to the Appeal.l
LITTLE Rock, February SIN the
House to-day, after the introduction OF
number of bills of minor Importance,
Mr.. Chaplin, Chairman of the Commit
tee to Investigate the Affairs of the
State Officers, submitted the annexed
report:
Mr.. SPEAKER-Your special COM
mittee appointed to act under the fol-
| lowing resolutions of the House of Rep
resentatives, to investigate the affairs
of all State officials, and to have power
to send for persons and papers, and to
administer Oaths, beg leave to submit
the following: That your committee
have had a number of witnesses before
them, and from their testimony thus far
taken, are of opinion that said investi-
CATION is exceedingly oppOrtune; and
having to-day summoned one John Fos-
ter before your committee to further this
investigation, said Foster refused to an
swer such questions as your committee
deemed proper and right to propound to
him, notwithstanding said Foster de-
clared that he knew of irregularities by
way of favoritism and other things.
Now, in view of the labor to be per-
formed in bringing out the testimony,
and the great difficulty in getting wit
nesses to disclose such knowledge as
they are in possession of, be it
Resolved, That said committee be
invested, and is hereby clothed, with
power to have any and all witnesses
held in custody until he or they shall
answer all such questions, and disclose
all the facts within their knowledge of
any irregularities and frauds as they may
know or be in possession of relative to
the official acts or conduct of our State
officials.
A lengthy debate ensued pending Mr..
Miller's motion to adopt, Fosters
friends fighting the ground inch by
| inch.
MIR. Miller, ia the course of the
discussion, said in reply to Mr.. War
wick that whoever said that he had
made filings" at the members of the
House was an 'infamous liar,r and Mr..
Furbush suggested that the attempt to
squeeze Republican members was not
"worth damn.n Mr.. Furbush further
said: "You viii all steal; you all have
stolen. There are members of this
House who would steal the coppers off a
dead negro's eyes"
After more abuse and rulings from
the Chair on points of order, Foster was
brought TO the bar of the House and
asked why he had refused to answer the
questions asked by the committee. His
answer was that he did not think the
committee were delegated to ask the
questions. After sparring awhile, Fos-
ter agreed to answer the committee on
Monday, and the excitement is over
until then.
The Senate Civil Rights Bill, the
worst ever yet offered, came up in the
House, and was made the special order
for Monday. There is no doubt that
the House will concur, though several
of the more conservative Republicans
oppose it.
The Republican this morning made a
vigorous kick at the shins of its party in
the Legislature to a certain extent, de-
claring want of confidence ia their
promises of reform, and calling upon
them to make their words good,
and to Immediately proceed to such
legislation as would do honor to them
selves and bring relief to the State.
The article created quite a stir, especial
ly as there was a doubt expressed in it
"whether this diffidepce on the part of
the members to take up these matters
arises from want of legislative
experience, or from desire to
profit by legislation.n The article
commenced: ''Thus far we have alb
stained from making any reference to
the actioa of the General Assembly,
hoping, inasmuch as it is Republican,
that it would at an early day take up
the legislation TO which the Republican
party of the State stands solemnly
pledged by its platform, and in good
faith fulfill the pledges made to the
people," and closed as follows:
What we have here written has
been more in sorrow than in
anger, but there are times when it is a
crime to bear with friends infirmities
in silence
The matter eliminated in the appoint
ment of committee, on motion of Mr..
Miller, to wait upon the editor of the
Repu6licG1l, and ascertain from him the
names of the members whom he sus-
peeted of being influenced by mercenary
motives.
Associated Press Dispatch.l
LITTLE Rock, February S.-The Re
publican of this morning said there
were certain members of the Legislature
who were waiting to be bought to
vote for certain measures, and it could
name them. The article was read in
the House to-day. and a committee OF
three raised to investigate the matter.
The recusant witness, Foster, was
brought before the House to-day. The
questions asked him by the committee
which he refused to answer were de-
cided to be pertinent by the House, and
| the witness was remanded to the CON-