The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-03-08

process was stopped the country woult
believe that that was the purpose and hC
would believe it too. Applause on the
Democratic side and question by Blaine
What gag process?
1t had gone forth 10 the country tha'
/ the Committee had Connived at the alb
scouding Of Fan important witness
against the protest OF the Republican
members OF the Committee, but it was
needless for him 10 say that that charge
was fatty false, and having wondered
that those Republican members had
allowed it TO go ont on this authority
without contradiction, hei went on IC
argue thatit would be utterly impossible
to ever convict the late Secretary Of WaI
or any other Cabinet officer except by the
testimony OF accomplices, and yet the
/ House was TO be told that m accOmplict
should not testify before Committee
except at his own peril. ltwas against
that that he protested. lie intinated that
the phrase "l.et no guilty man escape
would he construed by the country to
mean "Let no man escape who daretel
on those who are in authority He
warned the House that the voluminoui
| investigations that were now progressing
would be stopped, and that it would be
utterly impossible to carry them further
successfully unless there was deciara'
tion that the testimony Of witnesses
should not be used against them.
Mr.. Lamar said there should not he any
exhibition OF party feeling or excitement
in the presence OF such solemn events
as were throwing their shadows over the
House. 1t seemed to him that the voice
OF faction should at least bc hushed. lie
regarded this mandate, or summons, OF
subpoena issued to the members OF the
committee by the Supreme Court Oi the
| District OF Columbia as m outrage on the
privilege of this House. lie did not say
that the object oil the court was to hush
the investigation. He regarded it as a
violation OF the privilege oil the House
for the court TO issue summons TO 4
member and order him to bring along
with him the records OF the House, and to
remain in court and not depart till al
lowed by the court or the District Attor'
ney.
Mr. Blaine-Does not the. GenLirnnn
from Mississippi see, and does not the
whole country see that having possession
OF evidence on which an Indictment can
be founded, and having in its possession
every paper in the case, the House puts
its itself behind its technical privilege
and throws itself across the indictment OF
Belknap, and that to-day it stands as m
obstacle to the indictment OF the late
Secretary of War.
Mr.. Lamar-Neithcr the gentleman
from Mississippi, nor the country, nor
the gentleman from Maine sees any such
4 thing.
Mr.. Blaine-Itis nothing but that.
Mr.. Lamar-Itis anything but,that, the
question is simply whether this house
will permit its records to be At the beck
and call OF the District Court. There i:
no doubt but that when the investigation
| is completed it will he within the diEcre.
tiUn Of the House to permit the courts oi
the country to come in and get evidence
| hut not pendendtc lite, while the investiga.
ton is going on and while the committee
is taking iurther testimony, such pro-
position was mOnstrouS and ridiculous.
Mr.. Blaine said he agreed with Mr.. La
mar that while the affair was IN hminc il
would be improper ior court TO inter
| iere, but that was not the case here. The
question was whether the House would
permit the testimony and papers in the
| hands Of its committee to be sent to the
court. The House could refuse it or
could send it, and now, said he, ! dare
that side of the House to refuse Ap'
pIause on the Republican side and great
excitement.
Mr.. Lamar continued his remarks
which he closed by offering resolution
reciting a history OF the case, declaring
/ the mandate OF the court TO be abreach Of
the privilege OF the House, and directing
the nlembers'Of the committee TO disregard
such mandate.
Mr.. Kasson invited the House 10 lool;
coolIy nj the situation rs developed this
morning. The question was raised here
as 4 question oil privilege on the part Ol
u member Of the House who had received
u judicial invitation to aid in the indict'
ment and punishment oi criminal. II
was an extraordinary case and one with
out precedent and against precedent. He
asked whether there had ever been any
such proposition rs had been suggested
TO the HOuse-Condemning sworn CX-
ccntor OF the laws because he had direct.
cd his subnrdinates to enforce those laws
The grand iury was sworn to indlct men
guilty OF crime within their Jurisdiction
and the House and the committee had nc
right to cmbarrass the grand jury in the
execution OF the laws OF the land.
Mr.. McCrecry reminded his colleague
that the committee had in its possession
the contract which must be the founda'
ton OF any proceedings for an Indictment
Of this offender, and that that contract
was probably the very thing that the
grand Jury would get hold oil
Mr.. Ciymer remarked that that con-
tract was between Caleb =. Marsh and
John S. Evans, and that the Secretary Of
War knew nothing oil it when it was
made, nor for two years afterwards.
MIR. kasson, in the course ol some iur.
ther remarks, referred to the interview
which blackburn had had with some oi
the parties implicated, and suggested
that the Grand Jury might have desire
to examine him about it.
Mr. Blackburn replied with some heat
Of manner) that il the gentleman from
Iowa said that he had had conversation
with Mrs. Belknap, and at great length
he would copy the remark OF Senator
and would authorize the gentleman from
Iowa whenever he heard anybody max
ing any such statement to say that he had
his lBlackburn'sl authority ior telling
that man that he lies, TCireat excite
ment
Mr.. Kasson-Do understand the gen
tleman to say that he had no conversa.
ton on the subject Involved in this prose
cution Outside Of the committee room?
Mr.. blackburn have filed state
ment on the subject which neither the
gentleman from Iowa nor any other mar
can impugn.
Mr.. Kasson-Then | appeal to thai
statement, and ask il that is not 60 i
the interview was not pertinent to the
case, why was it reported and made pub
lie? And, il pertinent to the case, why
are not the criminal courts OF the coun,