The Leavenworth weekly times., 1876-03-09

all. IEev were TO be examined t.:Ore the
grand jury. If questions were TO have
been asked by .e court Ia the presence oi
the PUBLIC, be might not nave az great al
objection; but mis- colleagues had felt
that ii they were to 90 be ore a grand jury
whose proceedings were neceSs tr.ly secret,
the fact would strike t,rror every here
Throughout, the land, and would close all
avenues OF testimony 10 the House snt
its committees.
Mr. Blaine reminded Clymer that his own
privilege a. 4 member protected him, and
there was no power TO compel him to tes-
,ify.
Mr.. Clymer repeated, that he had stated
to the court that he did not intend to
plead his privilege, so that it might be
said that he intended 10 exclude any hing
which should be righ,iully known to the
public.
Robbins. another member of the com-
mittee made like statement, and deciar-
ed as his belief that the effect, If not the
design, was to intimidate the witnesses and
throttle the investigation.
Mr.. Danfurd, another member oil the
committee, said he had no subprna TO 80
before court, bat would ike 10 know
from the chairman whether any additional
testimony had been taken before the conf
mit,ee.
Mr. Lamar objected TO that question.
Mr. Blaine-The objection must come
from a most inconceivabie move.
Mr. Ltmar-It may be motive that
you misconceive, but nevertheless it is
motive / have, and that Is
the preservation OF parliamentary order.
1 maintain that no member has right
to tell secrets OF the committee room.
Mr.. Ciymer said there had been addi-
tional testimony before the committee, but
he repeated that the attempt to drag forth
what occurred in the committee room could
result in nothing but detriment to public
veal.
Mr.. Blaine-There should be no divi-
sion, or seeming division, between the two
sides of the House in regard to the vigor-
Gus prosecution Of public criminals. What
was the object otrthis investigation except
To bring offenders 10 criminal Istice Com
mittees could not punish any body, every
body knew that.
Mr. Clymer-I have stated the facts to
the House, and if any necessary imputation
arises that some one in this district wishes
to close the avenues OF evidence all over
the country, II is not | who makes these
charges, but the facts Of the case. Mr.
Blackburn, another member OF the commit
tee, said he was not surprised at the uneasi-
ness manifested by the gentleman from
Main. He blackburn old not intend
TO charge that it was the purpose of the
Executive Committee to intimidate wit
nesses TO throttle the investigation, and TO
afford immunity to the criminals, but he
/ 81 ,h
stopped, the country will believe that it
was the purpose, and that he would believe
it, too. Applause On the Democratic side. ]
1t had gone forth to the country that the
commit had connived at the ab.condiDg
of important witnesses, against the protest
of the Republican members of the COM
mittee, bat il was needless for him TO say
that the charge was fatty false, and he
only wondered that these Republican menu
bers had allowed it to go out on their au-
thority, without contradiction. He went
on TO argue that il would be utterly i'm
possible to ever convict the late Secretary
| of War, or any other Cabinet officer, ex-
cept by the testimony OF accomplices, and
vet the House was now to be told that an
accOmplice should not testify before the
committee, except at his own peril. Ii was
against that he protested. He inumated
that the phrase, let no guilty man es-
cape" would be construed by the country
to mean, 81 ct no man escape who dare tell
on those who are in authority" He warn
ed the House that the voluminous investi-
cations that were now progressing would be
stopped, and that it would be utterly i'm
possible to carry them further successfully,
unless there was declaration that the tes-
timony Of witnesses should not be used
against them.
Mr.. Lamar said there should not be any
exhibition of party feeling or excitement in
the presence Of such solemn events as weIS
throwing their shadows over the EOuse.
Ii seemed to him that the voice
of faction should at least be hushed.
He regarded this mandate, or
summons or subpoena Issued To members Of
Committees by the Supreme Court OF the
District OF Columbia as an outrage upon
the privileges Of this House. He did not
say that the object of the court was to hush
or suppress investigation. The question
was purely one OF parliamentary privil-
ege. He regarded it as a violation Of the
privileges Of the House, for the court to
issue a summons TO Its member, and order
him to bring along with him the record. OF
the House, and to remain in court and not
depart until allowed by the court or the
District Attorney.
Mr. Blaine-Does not the gentleman
from Mississippi see, and does not the
whole country see, that having posses
sion OF evidence on which an in
di 'tment can he found, and
having in its possession every paper in the
case, the House puts itself behind its tech
nicai privilege and throws itself across the
indictment Of Belknap, and that to-day it
stands ~ an obstacle 10 the indictment OF
the late Secretary OF War?
Mr. Lamar-Neither the gentleman
from Mississippi nor the gentleman from
Maine see any such thing.
Mr. Blaine-lt's nothing but that.
Mr.. Lamar-It's anything but that. The |
quest ion is simply whether this House will |
permit its records to be at the beck and /
call Of the district court.
Mr.. Blaine-The question was whether
the House wi permit the testimony in the |
hands OF its committee to be sent to the |
court. The House could refuse it, or send J
it. "And now" said he impetuously, Il
dare | dare that side OF the House to re- |
fuse it,
Applause on the Republican side and |
great excitement. Mr.. Lamar continued |
his remarks, which he closed by offering
resolution, reciting the history of the case,
and declaring the mandate of the court 10 be
a breach OF the privileges, OF the Home, and /
the members Of the committee to
such mandate. The debate con-
tinued amid great excitement and with |
frequent demonstrations of applause and /
laughter on either side of the House. Mr.. /
Blaine was the central figure on the Re-
publican side of the House at which all |
shaft OF eloquence were launched from the
Democratic side. The debate was OF such
length, extending over four hours, that it
IL impossible to give a connected summary
Of it.
1t was participated in by Messrs Rob
bins, Singleton, Danforth, Bebe, Kasson,
Cox, Bright, Blackburn, Hoar. Knott and
Hooker.
The Republicans intimated that the wit
ness Marsh had been allowed to escape the
through some motive the Demo-
Gratis had, and it was charged on the Demo-
cratic side that the President and Cabine,
we're instrumental in driving him fIom the /
through intimidation.
His escape was characterized by Mr.. |
Bebe as that OF an Obscure, petty thief, and
ne suggested that the Democrats were 20
intent upon greater game that they had al
owed that miserable offender to slip
through their hands, through the raachina-
ions OF the Executive and the Cabinet
,fhcers.
The Democrats, however, proposed 10
'ursne not the Marshes, who we're mere
richina, but the Williams in high places,
nd in that L.. Il