The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-09

vice of ony lawful writ or process requiring
him to appear and testify or give evidence
or produce books, letter documents or
papers, or For the purpose and with intent
avoid being required to testify or give evil
dence, or to become witness, shall be
deemed guilty of crime, and punishable
by fine not exceeding 900, or by i'm
prisonment not exceeding three years, or
by both of said punisbments. Nothing
herein shall be construed to exempt any
such person from lawful punishment as for
a contempt.
Mr.. Knott proceeded to address the
house on the subject. He said that the
testimony of Mr.. Marsh had disclosed such
Infamous crimes aud mlsdemeanors on the
part of the late secretary of war as had
caused every honest American to hang his
head with shame and ignominy. The COM
mittee had proceeded TO discharge its duty
but had no sooner completed it than the
committee was confronted with the fact
that Marsh had fled beyond the jurisdic-
ton of the government. He would not
undertake to say what was the immediate
cause of Marsh's fight. He would say, how
yer, that having testified before the com.
mittee, and having given no indication of
contempt of the house 1t was beyond the
power Of the committee or of the house to
have ordered him into custody, or to have
restrained him in any manner of his liberty
without having been guilty of almost as
great an outrage as that charged on the
secretary of war. Marsh, however, might
have been taken INTO custody in the pur-
euance of law by another department of
the government He (Kro,t) did not in
sinuate that the distinguished head of the
department OF justice or that the district
attorney was not aware of the proper mode
and manner OF securing Marsh's de-
tention, there was one method now
by which Marsh could be brought back to
that method was an infallib BILE one. 1t was
in the power of one man TO have Marsh in
Washington city in AZ hours. II was o
| profession from the earliest dawn of the
jurisprudence. If the president of the
United States really, honestly and sincere
ly desired impeachment, indictment or pun
ishment of the late secretary of war, whose
enormous crimes had dlssraced his own
| administrator and had caused every Amer
| lean cheek to mantle with shame, all tina,
he had to do was to give assurance to the
witness, Marsh that if ne would come be-
| fore the tribunals and tell the truth, the
whole truth and nothing bat truth, he should
have u bill of pardon and Marsh wdA1
be in Washington in 49 hours. Marsh was
not coming without such an assurance, ant
no sane man in bis situation would CONF
| without such an assurance after what had
been blazoned all over the country. The
| question, therefore, presented itself to tht
committee, what was most advisable fol
the house TO do, knd the committee hat
concluded that the present articles of i'm
parchment. with the moral certainty tha
there would be no sufficient evidence t
sustain them, would put the house in ar
attitude which would render it ridiculous
in the eyes of the world and contemplate
| in Its own estimation.
The previous question was seconded ant
the resolution was adopted.
Mr., Knott then moved the previou.
question on the bill, to protect witnesses
who shall be required to testify ia certain
cases.
Mr. Kasson appealed to Mr.. Knott no
to insist upon the previous question. bu
| to allow some little discussion.