The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-12-22

Tho steuographer's report of Twins exami'
nation having been read, MIR Dawes moved ad-
opted on an order that the Speaker issue bis
warrant to Sergeant-at-Arms commanding him
to take into custody Richard b. Irwin and
bring him to the bar OF the House toshow cause
why he Shouts not be punished for contempt
Mr.. Dawes went on to say, this witness
readily and almost cheeerfully states to the
Committee and to the country that for the pur-
pose of procuring private legislation by Con-
gress he has taken S750,000 and Brought it to
the very doors of Congress aud then because he
did not enter these halls with his money bags
in his haud and walk up and down these aisles
distributing his work in the hands
of third parties, he fancies that he can put
stop to this investigation, and the question for
this Honse to determine is, whether, having
rolled on its shoulders an inference which it is
impossible otherwise to repel, the House shall
let that inference remain that that subsidy was
procured By the expenditure of this sum of
money. There is no member whose name
stands recorded for that measure or who omit
ted to vote against il who has not this charge
laid at his door, and all such members call on
this House to repeal that inference which this
witness seems voluntarily and with great de-
sire to lay down upon them. But if it touched
the character of no member of the House, it
touches the methods of legislation and the
means of procuring legislation at the hands OF
Congress. Congress cannot omit to investigate
it to the bottom and to understand its length
and breadth.
If this money reached corruptly any mem
Der of the House it was nevertheless expended
to prevent the passage of the bill, and whether
it was by private entertainments or any other
process whatever, then Congress must know in
what manner legislation is procured here or
Congress must cease to have regard, not only
of the personal character of its members, but
to the respect Of the people for what is done IN
Congress There is no aspect in which this
witness presents the case that Congress can
retreat from. l am myself very well convinced
of the motive which has brought him from
Europe to tempt the Committee of Ways and
Means to bring him here to draw out of him
Just what has been drawn out of him, but
am filled with amazement that any sane man
could, for moment, suppose that he could
testify to this much and no more. #
A long and somewhat technical discussion
ensued as to the power of the House to punish
for contempt.
Messrs Stephens of Ga. and Butler of Mass.
argued that as the law provides for the punish
ment of a recusant witness by sending him Tor
trial before court and jury of the District OF
Columbia, the House had no other power In the
matter. They denied there was in this country
any such thing as parliamentary common law
and claimed the constitutional right of every
citizen to be tried before court or jury.
On the other hand, MesSrs. Dawes, Karson
and Breck claimed that besides the statuary
provision giving the court power to punish a
recusant witness by fine and imprisonment,
each House had the power to punish for con-
tempt. -r....i ..ft~
Mr.. Beck of KY. also suggested the propriety
of passing another law giving Congress itself
the power to commit recusant witness to i'm
prisonment in the county Jail for twelve
months. Hlf5EL LiHtNA fI -
Later in the debate Mr.. Beck said that he
was informed that Irwin was no longer in the
custody of the Sergeant-at- Arms, but, was pre-
pairing to leave Washington on the next train,
he having been discharged from custody under
the previous order of the House. The an
nouncement of Mr.. Beck caused some excite
mept, but the discussion continued. In the
course of it Gen. Butler characterized con-
gressonal Investigations as mud machines.
Finally the order of Mr.. Dawes passed. -.
Mr.. Dawes then called up the resolution for
adjournment over the Christmas holidays, from
Wednesday, the 23d of December, to Tuesday,
the 9TH of January. --.-.raEE
Mr.. Hale moved to lay the resolution On the
table. Yeas 100, nays 126.
Mr.. Garfield of o. moved. as an amendment,
to make the adjournment from next Thursday
to the following Tuesday. The amendment
was rejected without yeas and nays, only 81
voting for it on rising vote.
The original resolution was then adopted fol
recess from Wednesday uext to Tuesday, the
5th of January, Yeas 121, nays SO. So