National Republican., 1876-12-21

for the protection Of their freedom of communica-
tiSu; II We now declare tn that teiegssms ans are not
last step will then have hren taken. The tele-
graph is an institution which was not known to
post cffce, transmits more than aught else the
81 tcrets Of the people. He had never yet seen
Congressional investigation SO important as that
the whole protective machinery Of the law
should be destroyed TO enforce 1t.
On the contrary, Mr.. GARFIELD argued that
in very few instances had Q whole telegraph
Office been searched over for telegrlins. The
theory had never been held that telegrams were
not privileged He referred to the Investigation
of which he was chairman, of what was called the
Black Friday conspiracy, The purpose of the
Government had used his knowledge to help
alorg that disaster. The committee after full
CONSULTATION unanimously agreed that 1t would
had been sent by officers Of the Government
within given time Of that afternoon, for they
could by that means as as well ascertain the faets @
patches that had been sent during the entire
day.
Mr.. HKwITT's REMARKS.
Mr.. HEWITT, of N. Y, said that he subscribed
to The statement Of the gsntle%%sn from rom Ohio % as
spondence. He would not agree that the same
protection should be thrown around communIca-
that what the gentleman had said of the secrecy
of the Post Ofice was much Of delusion. He
could say Of bis own letters that they had been
opened in their passage through the New York
post office their contents noted and then sealed
up again. The Posi- Once, therefore, does not
have. As to the Individuality Of kilograms, he
wanted 1t understood that the practice Of exam
lining them was not inaugurated by the Demo-
tive from the State of Massachusetts tGeneral
BItlerl in the Impeachment trial Of Andrew
johnson and IN this very 0CngIs;s st the
that had passed to and from the chairman Of the
Democratic committee Of Mississippi. He (Mr.
telegram which he had sent the last campaign
that he was not willing to have shown, and he
had given the president Of the Western Union
Telegraph Company full authority to produce all
he 6ad sent. [Applause on the Democratic
Mr.. GARFIELD, of Ohio, said If the gentle
man from New York really believed that his
mail had been tampered with he should move a
committee Of investigation, and the Republican
side would do all they could to forward the inves
Mr.. SPRINGER, of Ill, said he saw no differ
ence as privilege between telegram and
ined, and notably that Of ex-President Johnson
The committee Of the House desires now to get at
the truth, and 1t Is important that all the facts
should be brought to light at this time. The
Democrats want to get down to the bottom facts,
although 1t has been announced that the House
the whole setermImation Of the matter is now win In
the hands Of the Vice President.
Mr.. HOAR, Of Mass, expressed profound
regret that In the consideration Of this great
question Of the Constitutional powers Of the
House, Mr.. HEWITT should have seen fit to give
APARTIsAN TURN TO THE DISCUSSION.
If his letters have been tampered with as he sus-
poets, the use to be made OF that fact is not to
throw It into Constitutional discussion, but let
him use 1t In Its place and ask to have It probed
to the bottom, no matter whether such o thing
has been done under q Democratic or Republi-
can administration. But 1t was out Of place in
this discussion.
The question was then taken first on Mr..
HURD's proposition, and it was rejected by a
vote of % yeas to 122 nays. The vote In detail
was as follows:
Mr.. KNorT's proposition was then adopted as a
substitute for Mr.. LYNDE's by rising vote Of
ll6 yeas to 81 nays.