Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-02-04
Exciting Scenes I'm the House.

III.
bill being up. a"nou':cd hal l. intended to
allow debate to 20 on and to cal! the previous
question at o'clock tod y, dividing the time
for debate equally between the two sides
Mr. Niblack, Of Ind, called attention to
what he termed The extraordinary penalties
contained in the bill, and asked why the dam
ages to be collected we're not made equivalent
TO those sustained as in other eases. >.
Mr.. Butler asked ii he made that feature OF
The bill 80 would the gentleman vote torlt
MIR. Niblack said there would be DO necessity
for the bill, for it was already the common
law.
Mr.. Butler said the law now recognized their
right to 90 into public inns or III the cars but
among the colored people there was class OF
persons who had taken their wages for cen
tuary, and they did not have much money to
carry on suit. Congress had given them this
right aud was now bound TO secure 1t to them,
and a. there was one portion OF the country that
denied them, unless forced To do so, severe pea
allies we're imposed by the bill. 80 as 10 ne
United States Courts the cases were put where
they we're like to get justice. What objection
had the gentleman TO having the cases tried
in Courts recognized by the laws OF The couh-
try2
Mr. Niblack said the expenses OF suits IN
these courts were much greater than the State
Courts, and a poor man could not afford 10 APP
peal to them. :.
Mr. But!er-And therefore We !aVo made 1T
tho duty of the United States District Attor-
neys to see that these men have their rights.
MIR. Butler continued, defending the refer
cnce Of cases under The bill 10 thr United States
rather than the State Courts, on The ground that
.rn,,ll ,ok nn.nrI rho nnlDrnI
men their rights
Dir, Niblack said that the practical deciara.
ton was that the Government was bad, and
asked if ii would not be better to abolish the
Government and declare sel!:government u
failure.
Mr.. Butler said if bsnditt horse thieves and
muriercrs, vino went about at night committing
murders, were 10 the Ina jority, the Govern
ment was wrong.
Mr.. Mclean, Of Texas, asked if he asserted
that majority OF the Southern people We're
horse thieves and murdeTcrs
Mr.. Butler BY no means. | said the minor
ity: that there we're certain men who go around
by plight committing murders.
Mr.. McLean-Iou said the majority.
MIR. Mclean made some further reuiarks in
low tone, ihaudbe in the gallery.
MIR. Butler then yielded the floor 10 Mr..
Lynch, Of Hiss, aud the latter was about to
commence, when
Mr.. Butler said he had not heard the NUT
tered exclamation Of the gentleman iEoll Texas.
He was informed by gentlemen around him that
the gentleman had said he Mr. Butler) Was
the only murderer on THE floor
Mr. Randall, Of Pa, said it was too late bow
to make poiut Of order on the language.
Mr. Butler said he desired to remark, that
if uttered, that sort ofinsultlng, ungentlemaniy
and rubianly language could not disturb any
one DOW. The day Tor that vas paase!
Mr.. Lamar, Of Miss, inquired il the gentle
mau 5 language vas parliamentary.
Mr. Butler said he applied it to no man. 1t
was merely a characterization Of the language
The day has gouc by for any such attempt at
Intimidation.
Mr.. Randall OF Pa.-Oa, that all amounts
to ahuchs.
A scene Of confusion nov ersued, and each
member was on his feet at o.ce.
Mr.. Mclean, Of Texas, said be understood
the gentleman from MASSACHUSETTS to say tha:
majority OF tho people Of the South We're mur
derers, horse-thievcs and banditt II he did
pot say 81, he (Mr Mclean )retracted all lie said
II the gentleman had said so he did not re-
tract at ali. Let the gentleman make the most
Of it, and if be has any sons let him send them
along
Mr.. Butler denied that he said majority Of
the Southern people were murdercrs, 10. lie
said minority.
Mr. Herndon, of Texas. Mr. Atkins ofTenn.,
and others. Yon said majority.
Mr. Dewitt, Of New York. And you said
also that the judges on the bench could not be
trusted
Mr. Butler. Why do you take up another
mans quarrcl2
Mr.. Dewitt. Because heard and know what
you said.
The excitement had now grown so great that
members on both sides demanded that the Ian
guage used should be read from the official notes
OF the reporters, to ascertain exactly what had
been said.
The official report showed that in reply to Mr.
Niblack's question Mr.. Butler had said that if
majority were horsc-thieyes, baudttl or muir
derers there could be no security in the State
courts
Mr.. McLean's remarks were also read, as fol-
lows: You arc the only murderer on the floor
You killed man in New Orleans
The Speaker said that if he had heard that
remark he would hove declared 1t out of order
MIR. Mclean. [ addressed the remark to the
gentleman himself, and not to the House.
The Speaker. The gentleman had DO right
whatever to do that.
MIR. Butler said that as the matter had now
gone into the Record he desired to say that il he
was murderer bccaused he hanged man in
New Orleans he gloried in it. The trouble ofthc
country pow was that that he had not hung
more of them. Applause on the Republican
side, and cries OF that's good. ]
Nlr. Lamsr, of Miss, asked the Chair to
rule whether the language Of Gen. Butler to
the gentleman from Texas, that his language
was uDgentIemanly and rufhanly was para-
mcntary.
MIR. Butler repeated what he had before
said that he had characterized the language
used and not the man who used it.
The Speaker said be had no doubt the gen
tlcman Mr.. Butler would himself admit that
the language was supplementary, DO matter
what the transgresson or provocation was.
Dir. Lamar said he made the point solely 10
the Interest OF future good order and dccorum