Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-03-05

WIN lfNalt MONNiCf STOCK Ns us OstDnslUi
3Nucr 10 declared that Mr.. Brooks
ln wing Tie whole fraud, had deliberate !,
rg. Mmsg.l Ia The position to share in III,
spo's The committee held that the facts
proved aburdanty official misconduct OIL
&c rartof Mr.. Brooks aud the committc,
aho h,ld thar. as a matter Of law, that We.
good and sufficient grounds for his cxrul'
tion asa member Of Congress.
Analysis on BurLrR's REPORT.
1t had been argued yesterday, 10 some
thing called a report Of the judiciary Com
miitee, that Congress had 10 jurisdiction
over a matter oil this kind, aud had Nc
right TO cxpe q man for something done
prior TO bis ofh.ial term as a member The
committee differ entirely from that gentle
man, aud the few indorsers whom he bad got
aad whom he called members Of the judi.
ciary Committee. Laughter The select
Committee differed toto cqlo from those
gentlemen in regard to the law on that sub
jccf. 1t Lcyor had been the law, aud he
trusted Ia God that it never would be- OF
that il was ever to be held 10 this country
that the ylost criminal. murderer even,
who bad couccalcd bis crime from the pub.
he AID been elected member Of the House,
was to come here aud be allowed to sit be.
side such Christian gentlemen as were here
from Mas.achusetls- aughtet and that
inc House had DO power 20 expel such o
man, but that members must take him to
their bos0ms as an associate To say that
that was the law was a mockory. lie be.
liev,d that no such absurdily, aud 10 iu-
gcnuty on the part Of the gentleman from
Massachusetts,, tAlr. Buicr) or nybody
oisc, could ever make intelligent people oil
The country believe 10 it. 1t neoded the
mau who was the inventor Of the Credit
Mobdior machine to have devised such "a
doctrine. Laughter aud applause
Mr.. B,ck, Of Kentucky, here interrupt
ed Mr.. Poland aud said that he wanted to
ask hin question. as the pout be was dis.
GUESSING was the point Of difficulty with
him. They had both been members Of the
FJriieih Congress, when Mr. Bowen, Of
South Carolina, presented himself % be
sworn ia as member. Mr. Mullen, Of
Tennessee, had then risen in his place, and
said that Bowen, while Major in the
Confederate Army, had killed bis colonel,
for which be was arrested, tried, and i'm
prisoned that, while in prison, the FEEDER
al Army came along and broke his letters
that he then became a loyal citizen, and
that Gen. Sicklcs had told him Mullen
that owens conduct had been so bad thai
be had incaIcerated him again The mau
was known to be a bigamist yet, he had
been sworn in, aud no member Of the House
had ever moved TO expel him. He (Po-
land) was a member OF the House at that
time, aud had not made such a move. He
himself Beck had thought that the House
was disgraced by the presence Of men,
white aud black, OF infamous character,
sent 10 Congress from the Southern States,
but thc trouble was the power or right to
expol them.
Mr.. Poland did not see the precise point
Of Mr. Beck 5 question. He might as well
ask itoi himself as Of MIN.
Nlr, Bcck--Tho gentleman argues that
the House has clear jurisdiction over the
past conduct Of the members prior to their
election.
Mr.. Poland had not the slightest doubt
Of it. When the question as to Mr.. Bowen
had been raised 1t had been prcmaturely
raised. a man being murderer did not
make him Ineligible as member Of Con.
lress. The votes cast for him had to bel
and he bad to be admitted |
Jut as soon as he had got his scat it wa.
he duty Of other members Of the House. |
IS honest and decent men, to expe him, aud
i what was alleged against Mr.. Bowen
ras true he Gu ht to have been expelled. |
The gentlemen from Kentucky (Beck J |
ieemod to know more about the case than
he tPoanj) did, and therefore he was to be (
more blamed for non.action in the matter |
han himself. Ii MIR. Bowen had been
guilty Of the charges alleged against him,
The House had the amplest aud fullest legal
jurisdiction Of the matter, aud most GER
-Aiuly if the case had ever been properly
presented, and if his conduct had appeared
10 have been what was charged, he (Pohnd) |
would have voted for his expulsion
Mr.. Poland then proceeded to discuss the
report made by Mr. Butler, Of Massacbu-
sets, yesterday, aud denied that there was
any precedent in the parliamentary law for
the assumption in that report Ga the con.
trary, with the little search he had been
able to make since last evening he had found
in English Parliamentary history, two cas-.
cs subsequent to that Of John Wilkes; the
one the case Of Ward, charged with for
gerry, and the other Of Atkins, charged with
forgery, who were both expelled irom the
House Of Commons, the offences having
been committed before their election.
There never had been a question raised in
the English Parliament as to its power to
expel unworthy members, no matter when
the oifsnscs were committed.
Mr.. Ellridge-Does the gentleman
claim that Congress has the same power as
the British Parliament
Mr.. Poland Certainly DO.
The hali.hour extension of time here
came 10 an end.