The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-02-06
Browns Debut.
An Exc iting Scene i'm the House of Rep
reseMtatives.


The most exciting scene in the House of
Representatives for years occurred Thursday in
connection with the civil rights bill. The de-
bate opened early and dragged along without
interest until Mr.. Eldridge announced that he
yielded fifteen minutes to Mr.. Brown of Ken
lucky. The House Immediately became
hushed and all eyes were turned to Brown. 1t
was known that he was smarting under what
he regarded as an insult put upon the Southern
people on the day previous, that he was bent
on retaliation and that he might be extremely
violent his fiery temper and powerful rhetoric
gave Only too much reason to fear. He began
by denouncing the civil rights bill, declaring
that it was born in malignity passed in viola
ton of the constitution, and would be executed
in violence and bloodshed. Mr.. Hale of New
York promptly called him to order, but the
speaker ruled that the language did not trans
gress rules, and Mr.. Brown continued as fol-
lows addressing the Speaker:
Mr.. Speaker-your conduct in this and other
matters daughter at the effect of Browns obe-
dience to the speaker) reminds me of passage
in Junius, where he describes bad tenant hav-
ing received notice to quit, breaking the fur
niture putting the house in disorder, and do
ing all he could to vex the landlord. Mr..
Speaker, the South is broken. Ut lies in help
lessneSs and despair, with houses dilapldated,
villages asted, It's people bankrupt. Is there
nothing in that situation TO touch you with
pity? If your magnanmity cannot be reached,
will you not be moved by some sense of justice?
In 1872, by conspiracy between the Attorney
General and Kellogg and a drunken Federal
judge, the sovereignty of state was over
thrown.
That usurpation has been perpetrated since
nv baVOnntS ISut rncpntlV of
erals entered the legislative halls as Cromwell
entered the English Parliament with Colonel
Pride, and ruthlessly expelled the occupants.
Onward and onward you go in defiance OF the
sentiment of the country, without pity and
without justice, remorselessy determined, it
seems, to drive the southern people to deStruc-
tioo, to give their roofs to the flames and their
flesh to the eagles. A federal general steps on
the scene and sends a despatch to the world
that the people of that state are banditti. We
bave heard it echoed elsewhere that they were
thieves and murderers and night-rders. The
clergy OF that state, jew and GENTLE, have de-
MED it, The business and the northern resi-
dents have denied it. A committee of your
own house, majority being Republicans, has
given it its solemn and emphatic contradiction,
and nailed the SANDER to the counter. Now
what should be said if that accusation should
come from one Il speak not of men, but of Ian
guage within the rules of this House)-lf that
accusation against that people should come
from one who is outlawed in his own home
from respectable society, whose name is synon-
ymous with falsehood; who is the champion,
and has been such on all occasions, of fraud;
who is the apologst of thieves; who is such
prodigy of vice and meannesS that to describe
him imag gination would sicken and invective
would exhaust itself. In Scotland, years ago,
there was a man whose trade was murder, and
he earned his livelihood by selling the bodies of
his victims for gold. He linked his name to
his crime and to-day throughout the world it
is known as "BurkiDg."
The Speaker-Does the chair understand the
gentleman to be referring in this language to a
member of the House?
Mr. Brown-No sir / am describing char
acter who is in my minds eye.
The Speaker-The chair understood the gen.
tleman TO refer to a member of the House.
Mr.. Brown-No, sir. / call no names This
mans name was linked to his crimes, aud to
day throughout the world it is known as "burk
ing" If l was to desire to express all that
was puSilanimouS in war, inhuman N peace,
fOrbidding in morals and infamous in politics.,
should call it Butlerizing.
For an instant after he closed there was dead
silence. The House seemed fairly to shrink be-
fore that witherng denuncation, but the next
moment the hall was in an uproar. Half a
dozen members gathered about Butler, who sat
scowling in his seat, and Messrs. Beck, Lamar
and few others hurried to their young friends
desk. Gen. Negley first gained the floor, and
fiercely demanded that the offensive language
be taken down at once. The Speaker ordered
that it be done, and presently the transcript of
the reporters notes was read to the House.
Mr.. Hale of New York got the floor at the
close of the reading and offered resolution of
censure. Mr.. Dawes followed Immediately
with resolution of expulsion, the reading of
which was created with applause from the Re-
publican side and from a portion of the CALLER
les. The Speaker checked this demonstration
sternly, saying that it was very improper for
the galleries, and more so on the floor. at is
put in Mr.. Crittenden of Kentucky, casting an
ugly look at the Republican side. Hale called
in an impetuous way for the previous question
on his resolution, at which Mr.. Dawes inter-
posed vigorous protest, amid cries of 'that's
right" good" from the Democratic side. Mr..
Hale insisted on the previous question, howev-
er, and obtained only one vote.
The debate which followed was one of the
most remarkable in the annals of Congress.
Within fifteen minutes it was apparent that
upon the bare question of Furnishing member
for gross violation of the rules of debate the
House was divided strictly on party lines. FL
nally it was decided to bring Mr. Brown before
the bar of the House, when he was censured
by the Speaker. Butler took occasion to make
his favorite remark that he had never COM
menced an assault on any man, and repeated
his hackneyed boast that if man attacked
him he never let him off till the man was
sorry.