The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-12-16
ByTeIegraph
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT
70 THE DAILY lNTELLIGENCER
CONGRESS.
Thurman Comes to the Rescue
Of Grover.
Sharp Debate in the House on the
Committee Appropriations.
The Investigations in the South.
Xiv CON G RE S S.
SECOND SESSION.
HOUSE.
WAsurso1or. D. @. December Is.

tigating committees, reducing the amount
for the Senate from $4,000 TO $4,000
and increasing that for the House from
S2l 900 to $4,000, gave rise to some po.
litical discussion, conducted on the Re-
publican side by Mr.. Hale, Of Maine,
and on the Democratic side by Messfs.
Holman and Cox. In the course Of the
discussion the report Of the Democratic
visitors to Louisiana was read from the
Clerks desk. Its printing in the COngres.
Sioldl Record is thus secnred.
Mr.. Hale, a member OF the Appropri.
alton Committee, opposed the reduction
Of the sum for the Senate and spoke Of
the great anxiety Of the American people
TO learn he true state Of affairs in the
Southern States. He therefore argued
that there should be no pinching OF the
committees.
Mr.. Holman remarked that the Demo.
cratic side Of the house had certainly
showed as great anxiety for inquiry into
the events OF the late election as the Re.
publican side had, which had opposed
with great earnestness, and with only
three ,or four exceptions, the appoint-
ment OF those committees.
Mr.. Cox (of New York; took part In
the discussion, and commented on the re-
fusal Of Governor Wells, OF Louisiana, to
respond 10 the summons OF the lnyeSti-
eating Committee.
Mr.. Hale replied that all the docu.
mentS were supplied.
Mr.. Cox--But we want the originals.
Why withhold them? The pretext Is
that this Returning Board must report
to the Legislature Of Louisiana. Your
model Governor there defers 10 the
bogus Legislature and not to the Amer
lean Congress. am ashamed that that
side Of the House does not at once rise
up and instruct its pet Governor to re-
spond 70 the demand OF the committee.
Mr.. Townsend, Of New York (impetu.
ously)-The being ashamed is mutual.
Loud laughter.1 :
Mr.. Cox-My collegue who always
breaks in ont OF order has Just made
confession before the people-I am glad
OF it-coniession Is good for the soul.
He acknowledges that shame is on his
side Of the house. We do not acknowl-
edge any on this side.
Mr.. Hale-Because you are incapable
Of II.
Mr.. Cox-Now you sit down. Laugh
teri. My colleague said that shame is
mutual. / suppose he meant between
himself and the gentleman from Maine.
Hale). [Laughterl. We have no shame.
Shouts Of derisiye laug hter on the Re-
publican sidel.
Mr.. Hale-That is it exactly. We
will not have any controversy about
that.
Mr.. Cox-I mean that there Is no
foundation on which to build anything
shameful. Whyshould we be ashamed !
Your Returning Board in Louisiana sat
in secret. ..
Mr.. Hale-No sir.
Mr.. Cox-Oh, Yes!
Mr.. Hale-No sir.
Mr.. Cox-Why did not they put
Democrat on the Boardt
Mr.. Hale-Does the gentleman want
me to answer that?
Mr.. Cox-Yes.
MIR. Hale-The Returning Board as
originally constituted.
Mr.. Cox, Qmpatiently)--I do not want
you to 20 back as far as that, answer the
question yes or no; did not the Returning
Board sit the last two days In secret.
Mr.. Hale-It did not. The Board con-
sidered all questions openly and then re.
tired for deliberation as judges do,
daughter on the Democratic side) but
there was no bushes session OF the Board
In secret. Now. as to the question, why
did they not appoint a Democrat.
Mr.. Cox (ugain impatiently)-That
will do.
Mr.. Hale-Does the gentleman decline
10 let me answer that
Mr.. Cox-I decline further interrup.
tion.
Mr.. Halc-I thought it likely you
would.
Mr.. Cox, continuing, said II l am not
mistaken, the time will come when that
side OF the House, in accord with the |
Senate, will demand that We shall go be- |
low ali these parishes of Louisiana and
elsewhere. Thus only can this great ques.
tion OF the Presidency be settled. Thus
only can content and peace be secured
to our beloved country. With all sin.
oerity and In all good faith, second the |
effort OF my friend from Maine to make |
this investigation thorough and com.
plete. Let him take no step backward,
and he shall have the honor which be. |
longs TO gentleman aud patriot.
Mr.. Hale then took the eAoor to respond
to Cox. He declared that II the other
side was really anxious for fair inves-
tigation into the condition Of the South.
ern States here was an excellent chance
to improve it by giving to the Senate the
amount which that body had asked for
to conduct and complete the investigation.
He congratulated the other side OF the |
House on It's new born zeal for open in.
vesligation, and recalled the espionage
system under which the Investigations
were carried on last session. He said 1t
was marvel that the peryerSions which
went abroad in the recess in regard 10
the action Of the Returning Board had
not been corrected. II was 4 marvel
that any man should dare to assert in the |
House Of Representatives that the ses-
sions OF the Returning Board wore any
thing but open and fair. Tho document
Just read showed that these DEM
ocratic visitors were present and
witnessed tile canvass Of tho vote. There
never had been an hour from the time
that the Board met till II returned alter
examining all the returns to make up
the result that the committees on each
side had not been invited to be, and had
not been present, He predicted that
when the committees returned, and made
their reports, the majority Of the reports
would follow the trick indicated in the
report Of the Democratic visitors, in
which three fourlhs OF the space was Ia.
ken up with the technical quibbles. In
conclusion he explained how Il was
that there was no Democrat on the Re.
timing Board, saying tho appointment
had been offered 10 half dozen promi-
nent Democrats, and they declined.
Mr.. Cox inquired for their names.
Mr.. Hale said he could not give the
names.
~ ,Ln,.k, 40