The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-03-16

testify in certain cases," also, TIA; of ano: b
er bill, entitled, "a bill in regard to wit
nesses to be introduced PrIn ed ant
referred to the committee on jutiiciar,
to report at any time. The first bill pro
yides that when any person shall be re
quired 10 testify against his protest before
either the III ,use oi Congress, or any co.n
miitee thereof, or the Senate, sitting as
court OF Impeachment, and shall so tesiii,
under protest, he shall not thereafter b.
held 10 answer crimina ~ in any court O,
justice, or subject to any penalty, or for
fei'ure, or on any account, concerning
which be shall be 40 required to testify
provided nothing herein contained shall be
so construed to relieve any person from liza
bility to impeachment. The other bill pro.
vide- that every person who shall wiliully
absent himself from his place Of business
or conceal himself. or absent himself
from the United States, or being
absent, or shall willfully remain absent, OIL
shall flee, or attempt 10 do 20, for that ur
pose, and with the intent TO escape the ser
vice of any lawful writ, or process, requir
ing HIM to appear and testify, or give evi
dence, or produce books, letters and dOcu'
ments, or papers; for tina, purpose, and
for that purpose and intent, to avoid being
required to testify or give evidence, or fC
become a witness shall be deemed guilty ol
crime, and be puni-habie by fine not ex.
ceeding $4,000, or by imprisonment, no!
exceeding three years, or by both Of said
!, punishments. Nothing herein shall
be construed so a to exempt
any such person from lawful punishment
as for contempt.
Mr.. Knott proceeded to address the
House on the subject He said that the
testimony of Marsh had disclosed such in.
famous crimes on the part Of the late Sec
rotary "a had caused every honest man tc
hang his head with shame The commit.
tee had proceeded TO di-charge its duty, bu
had no sooner completed it than they wert
confronted with the fact that NJ ,rsh hal
\ fed beyond the jurisdiction Of the Govern
ment. He would not undertake to say
what wa. the immediate Cause OF Marsh,
prompt fight. II was beyond the power o.
the committee of the Hou-e to have order
ed him into custody, or 10 have restrained
him Of his liberty, but he might have been
taken in custody in pursuance of law by
another department of the government
There was but one method now by which
Marsh conld be brought back
that is, if the President of the Uni.
ted States really and honestly desired the
impeachment, indictment and punish
ment of the late Secretary of War All he
had to do was TO give assurance TO the wit
ness that i. he would cnme before the tri-
bunal and tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, he should have
| full pardon, and Marsh would be in Wash
ington in iorty-eight hours. Marsh was
not coming without such assurance, and
no sane man in his situation would come.
The question, therefore, presented itself to
the committee a to what was the most ad-
visable for the House to do, and the CON-
mittee had concluded that to present arti-
cies Of impeachment, with the certainty that
there would be no sufficient evidence to
sustain them, and would put the House in
an attitude which would render it ridicu-
lous in the eyes OF the world, and con.
temptible in its own estimation. He then
moved the previous question, and resisted
the appeal of the Republican members
to withdraw the motion. The previous
question was seconded and the resolution
adopted.
Mr.. Knott then moved the previous
question on the bill to protect witnesses
who shall be required to testify in Certain
cases.
Mr.. Kasson applealed to Mr.. Knott to in
sist upon previous question but to allow
some little discussion. A vote was taken
on seconding the previous question, but the
Republicans generally reirained from
voting, go that there did not appear to be
a quorum.
After some discussion, Mr.. Knott said
he had proposed from the beginning that
| the half hour left the committee after Sec
Onding the previous question should be
given to Mr.. Lawrence.
Mr.. Lawrence yielded part of that time,
to Mr.. Kasson, who undertook to show that
Marsh could not have been frightened by
any Cabinet proceedings, as he left Wash
ington at ll:30 o'clock on Thursday, three
hours before the report was presented in
the House, and could not have learned
anything abont the Cabinet meeting until
he read it in Montreal.
Mr.. Lawrence yielded the floor a few
minutes also to Mr. Blaine, who declared
that he was authorized TO s,y there has
never been any instructions in the Cabinet
to prosecute Marsh, and that
Mr.. Marsh's case had never been consid-
cred in the Cabinet, but it was simply a
question Of prosecuting Mr.. Belknap. II
anybody said that Mr.. Marsh had been
frightened out Of the country by anything
the Cabinet had done, he stated weat he
had no foundation for. In fact, the simple
failure Of the committee on Expenditures
in War Department, TO discharge Mr..
Marsh, would have retained him here, and
that he would vote for this bill even ii it
was full OF outrages, and he begged his
Republican friends to do so; but he VEN
tured to prophesy that no mat
ter whs, bills Of exemption were
passed, they would not get Mr.. Marsh.
1t looks to me that the late Secretary of
War will not be indie ed, because it is
against the dignity of the House to furnish
testimony. Nor will he be impeached. On
the who e, there is not enough to impeach
on.
The bill was then passed. Yeas, 26O;
nays, 10.
The discussion was continued at length.
Finally, the second bill, reported by the ju-
dietary committee, was recommiited.
The Speaker appointed Mr.. Phelps, OF
Connecticut, on the select committee on
whisky prosecutions, in place Of Mr.. Har-
ris, Of Virginia, who resigned.
Adjourned.
WASHINGTON, d. C., March 9.-Mr
Pierce offered resolution, in-truciing the |
committee on Indian affairs to inquire into |
the expediency of opening up the Indian
for settlement, &c Adopted.
Mr.. Cox offered a resolution instruc;ing |
the committee on foreign affair |
fv,tn ~ LIr.rl a. Nc |
Candpn, United States ciriz-n undergo
ing penal servitude in an English prison,
and whether OF not the case comes under
the sections Of revised statutes for the pro-
lection of naturalized citizens. Adopted
MIR. Clark, Of Missouri, from the post
)ffce committee, report the bill TO regu-
late the compensation Of postmasters, which
vas made special order for Thursday next
1t provides that the maximum salary and
OF any postmaster shall not
exceed 5000, except in New York, where
i shall be $4,000.
Mr. Stoweil. from the same committee,
eportsd bill authorizing the sender of
my third class mail matter to write on the
,utside OF the wrapper, his name and ad-
lress, with the name and number Of the
,rticles enclosed Passed.
Mr.. HAMILTON, of Indiana, offer, d
instructing the committee on
military affairs 10 inquire into the man.
cement of the Soldiers Home and the Na-
ional Home for disabled volunteers.
Adopted.
The House then went into committee of
he whole on the bill to crrry into effect
he Hawaii IN treaty, and was addressed BY
'lr. Luttrell and Others in support of the
ill, but without acting the committee