Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-08

any exhibition Ct party feeling or ez
element in the pTfBsncs of such solemn
events ss were throwing their shadow
over the house. 1t seemed TO him tina
the voice Of faction should at lesst b
hushed. He regarded this mandate, o
summons, or rub, uals, Is ued 10 mem
beTs OF cUngr - by the supreme cour
Of the District OF Columbia, as an out
rage on the p ivileg Of this house. h
did not say tbst the object of the cOur
was to hush or TO suppress the iuvestiga
ton. The question was ore purely o
parliamentary privilege. He regarded
IL - violation OF the privileges Of tht
hCuse for the court 10 issue a summons
To meH Der aud order him to bring
along with him the records Of the house
aud TO remain ia court and rot deDaTt
until allowed by the court or district
attorney.
Mr.. b aiEe-Dce3 not the gentleman
| from Mississippi zee, and does not the
whole country see, that having pOssea-
sion of evidence on which an lEdict-
ment can be found, and having in its
possession every psper in the case, the
house puts itself OehiOd its technical
| privilege and throws Itself across the in
dlctment Of Belknsp, and that TO day it
| stands as Rn obstacle, and the sole OBJ.
| stacle, 10 the indictment of the late Sec
| rotary of war?
Mr.. Lamar-Neither the gentleman
| from Mississippi, nor the country, nor
| the gentleman fl0m Maine, sees any
| such thing.
Mr. Blaine-It is nothing bat that.
Mr.. Lsmsr-It is anything but that !
| the question is simply whether this
haF n-lz tT.k Of ba
beck and call OF the district court
There is no doubt but that when inves-
LEGATION is cCmpete. it will be within
the discretion OF the house 10 permit the
cour.s OF the country 10 come in and
get evidence, but not psSl6eHte lite while
invEs ,jg4tion is going on, and while the
committee is taking further testimony.
Such q proposition was monsirous and
ridiculous.
Mr.. Blaine said he sgreed with Mr..
Lamar that while the affair was in
kiD1iTlt it would be improper for court
20 interfere, buG that was not the case
here. TIE question was whether the
house would permit tue testimony and
psperS in the hands of its committee TO
be sent 10 the court. TIE house could
refuse it, or could send it, "snd nOW,n
said he, impstupusly, 81 dare, dare
that side Of the house to refuse it,"
TApplause on the Republican side and
great excitement
mir. Lamar continued his remarks,
which he closed by Offering resolution
recilDg the history Cf the case, and de.
claring the mandate Of the court to be 3
breach OF the privileges OF the house,
and directing the members Of the COM
mittee to disregard such mandate.
Mr.. Kasson invited the members to
look coolly at the situation developed
this morning. The question was raised
here ss q question of TriVilege on the
part OF the members OF the h0use who
hadl received Judicial invitation to aid
in the Indictment and punishment Of
criminal Il wss an extraordinary case
and one without precedent and against
precedent. He asked whether there had
ever heeR sny such proposition as had
been suggested to the house co3demning
the sworn executor of the Ia VS. because
he had directed bis cub Irdina.es to en-
force those laws. The grand jury was
sworn to indict men guilty of crime
within their jurisd ,ctiOD, and the house
and the committee had 10 right to en-
barrass the grand jury in the execution
Of The laws Of the land.
Mr.. M'CTeSYy reminded his colleague
that the committee had in its possession
the contract which must he the foupda-
ton Of any proceeding for an indict-
ment Of this offender, and That that con-
tract was probably the vs5y thing that
the grand jury would get hold Of.
Mr. Ciymer remarked that that con-
tract wss between Caleb P. Marsh and
John 5. Evans, and that the secretary
lr,,nx.y - lns,
made, nor for two years sfterward.
Mr.. KassOn, in the course Of some
further remarks, referred to the inter-
view which Mr. Blackburn had had
with some of the parties implicated, and
suggested that the grand jury might
have 8 desire to examine him about it.
Mr.. Blackburn replied with some heat
of manner, that if the gentleman from
Iowa, said he had had conversation
with Mrs. Be KNAPP, and at great length,
be would copy the remark Of senator,
and would authorize the gentleman
from Iowa whenever he hesrd anybody
making any such statement to say that
he had his B ackburn'e authority for
telling that man that ms lies. [Great
excitement.
MI KassJn-Do I understood the
gentleman 10 say that he had no con-
versstion on the subject iavoIved in this
prosecution, In this crjminRiity outside
Of the committe room?
MIR. Blackb1Tn--I have filed s state
ment on the subject which neither the
gentleman from Iowa nor any other
man can impug0.
Mr.. KaFsOu-Fhen 1 appeal to that
statement, and ask if that is not so. II
the interview was not pertinent to the
case, why was it reported and made pub
lie; and il pertinent 10 the Case, why are
not the criminal courts OF the country
entitled to 1t? Applause on the Repub-
lic8n sid,
Mr.. Bisckburn-Wili the gentleman
from Pennsylvania inform the house
whistler the newspaper report is true
that he and his colleagues waited in a
body on the former secretary Of war?
Mr.. ksss0n-I will answer the ques-
ton with more cbet riulness than that
gentleman has answered mine.
MT. 81 kburn-Then trHst the gen.
tleman will tell US what occurred, and
whether he is the repository for his con-
fes-ion OF guilt?
Mr. Kasson-I will respond to the sub
POE -, To give any statement Of facts ia
aid Of the prosecution OF crime. VIII
the gentleman do so much, or Will he
plead his privilege and decline to aid in
the prosecution? BefJre The committee
msde its report there came request
to the entire Iowa delegation in both
houses to call on the secretary OF war,
as he wanted TO see them that day. We
went la intervening, senators and mem.
bers, and We met this statement from
him: "yVhen sent for you, gentlemen,
1 supposed there would be some cppor-
tuEity to he heard jn the house on this
subject. / have now learned that l am
mpesched, so that it is useless for me 10
trouble you with what I was going to
say as to the evidence il this case"
And we left him.
Mr.. AiEsworth asked why the Iowa
dele cation had lef. him out Laughter
Oh - q Democratic side Of the mouse
The debate continued amid great ex-
and with frequent demOnstra-
tons of applause and laughter on either |
side OF the house. Mr.. Blaine was the
central figure on the Republican side Of !
the bOuee, at which ell the chats OF elo- |
quence were launched from tine Demo-
cratic side. The debate was of such |
length, extending over four hours, that |
1t Is impossible to give a connected sum.
mary OF il. 1T was participated il by |