Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-22
NASHVILLE TENN. TUESDAY. DECEMBER %. 1874

vent the removal of causes from State to
| United States Courts after disappearance
| Of the parties in the State Courts.
By Mr.. Wells-For the Improvement OF
the Mississippi river, between the mouths
| of the Missouri and Ohio rivers.
By NJ. Loughridge, Of Iowa, to restore
the income tax.
Mr.. Dawes, Chairman of the Committee
Of Ways and Means, made report Of the
refusal of Richard b. Irwin TO answer Ger
tain questions put 70 him respecting the
distribution by him OF the $3.50, 600 received
from the Pacific Mail Steamship Company
to aid in the procuring of an additional
subsidy for the China mail service. The
photographers report of Twins examina-
ton having been read. Mr.. Dawes moved
the adoption of an order that the Speaker
issue his warrant TO the Sergeant-at-ATms,
commanding him 10 take into custody
Richard B. Irwin and bring him to the bar
OF the House, to show cause why he should
not be punished for contempt. Mr.. Dawes
went on to say this witness readily, and al
most cheerfnlly states to the committee
and to the country, that for the purpose Of
procuring private legislation by Congress,
he has taken 100000 and brought il TO the
very doors Of Congress, and then be-
cause he did not enter these halls with
his money bags in his hands, and
walk up and down these aisles distriblI-
ting it, but put the remainder of his work
in the hands of third parties, he fancies
that he can put stop to this investigation,
ane the question for this House to deter
mine is whether, having had rolled on its
shoulders an inference which it is impossi-
BILE otherwise to repair, 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 meas
ure or who omitted TO vote against it, who
has not this charge laid at his door, and all
such members call on this House
to repel that inference, which
this witness seems voluntarily
and with great alacrity to desire 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, and Congress cannot omit to
investigate it to the bottom, and to under
stand It's length and breadth. If this money
reached corruptly no member ofthis House,
it was, however, expended to procure the
passage of the bill, ard whether it was by
private entertainments or any other process
whatever, then Congress must know in
what manner, or it must cease to have re-
gard, not only to the personal character of
its members, but to the respect of the peO-
pie for what is done in Congress. There is no
aspect in which this witness presents the
case that Congress can retreat from. i am
myself very well convinced cf the motive
which has brought him from Europe to
tempt the Committee of Ways and Means
to bring him here and TO draw out of him
just what has been drawn out of him. But
am filled with amaZement that any sane
man could for one moment suppose that he
could testify thus much and no more.
a long and somewhat technical discus
sion ensued as to the power of the House
to punish for contempt.
At lsst the discussion was closed, and the |
order ssked for by Mr.. Dawes was made |
without division Of the House.
Mr.. Dawes then called up the resolution |
for an adjournment over the Christmas hol- |
idays, fOm Wednesday, the 23d of Decem-
Der, to Tuesday, the 9Th of January.
Mr.. Hall, Of Maine, moved TO lay the |
resolution on the table. Rejected-yeas |
100, nays 126.
Mr.. Garfield moved, as an amendment,
10 make the adjournment from next
Thursday to the following Tuesday. The
was rejected, only 81 voting
for it.
The original resolution was then adopt |
ed for recess from Wednesday next to |
Tuesday, Jan. ). The vote was: Yeas III,
nays 90.