The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-03-08
Forty.Fcurth Congress-First Session
SENATE.

cure economy aud certainty in the collection of
the internal revenue and prevent the recurrence
OF Official frauds in that branch of the public
service.
He said he would not ask the present consid-
Grafton OF the resolution. but desired to have it
lie on the table until Thursday, when he would
offer some amendments and ask the indulgence
OF the Senate to submit some remarks on the
subject. 1t was SO ordered,
The bill for the appointment of commits
sioner to examine and report upon the ravages
| OF insects upon agriculture was taken up and
| amended SO as to have the commissioner ap-
pointed by the President and confirmed by the
| Senate, and also to include cotton and tobacco
| worms
Mr.. Sargent suggested also the worm of the
| still, as the most dangerous but not considerd
80.
| Considerable debate ensued as to the practic-
| ability of employing an chronological commits
| sioner at $4,000 per year.
Logans amendment providing that the in
/ vests alton shall be made by the commissioner
/ of agriculture was rejected and the bill passed.
The bill for the admission of New Mexico as
state was recommitted to the Committee on
| Territories.
Mr.. Paddock introduced bill for the ap.
| pointment of army suffers by the general COM
manding the departments wherein the post
| traderships are situated. Referred to the Com
| mittee OF Military Affairs
The Senate then resumed the consideration
| of the Pinchback resolution, but without a
| vote went into executive session and soon after
| adjourned.
| HOUSE.
The bill for the continuance of work on the
| st. Louis Custom House amended by the SEN
| ate was passed.
Mr.. Lawrence of Ohio introduced bill TO
prevent monopoly and exorbtant charges in
| establishments at military posts and to secure
| good order at the same; also a bill to protect
witnesses on trial of impeachment Referred.
Mr.. Pierce of Mass, presented declaration
of the Boston Board Of Trade in favor of the
resumption Of specie payments. Referred.
| Mr.. Kasson introduced a bill to repeal so
much of the resumption bill as provides for
the redemption of legal tender notes, Refer
red.
The bill declaring subject to state taxation
lands heretofore granted to Pacific railroad
companies after debate was amended so as to
make it apply to all land grant companies, and
MI. Clymer of Pa, rising to question of
| privilege stated that subpoena had been serv-
ed on him last evening" issued by the Supreme
Court of the District of Columbia, sitting as
court and bring with him all the pa
pers, checks, documents, &C., and to testify in
regard to charges pending in that court against
the late Secretary of War. Two of his col
leagues (Robbins and Blackburn) had been
similarly subpenaed. He (Clymer) had APP
peared before that court and had stated that 10
obedience to the law he appeared at its bar to
obey its order, but that as a member of a COM
mittee of the House he thought that it would
be prejudicial to the highest interests of the
country that himself and colleagues should be
compelled to state what had transpired in their
committee room. He (Clymer) believed such
course would not only close the mouths of all
witnesses, but that in many cases it would
drive them from the land. He had said fur
thermore that while not plegding their privi-
leges as members of the House, they must
nevertheless protest against being examined
and would only consent to be SO examined af-
1 for q n nrda linn do oil 60 bat
by the court. Court had taken time for DELHI
Grafton and had determined if it needed their
attendance thereafter, to send for them. He
had felt it his duty 70 bring the matter to the
attention OF the House, in order that the
House might take such action in the matter as
would be right, just and necessary.
Mr.. Blaine asked Cymer if the court had
desired to ask for any Information that was not
contained in the published report and was not
| a matter of record and of general notoriety. He
| could very well conceive that the gentleman
from Pennsylvania might not wish to be called
upon in that court to testify of what is still
committee secret, but what point Of delicacy
| could arise as to those matters which were as
common as history could make them he could
| not see.
Mr.. Clymer replied that the court had not
proposed to ask them any questions at ALL
They were to be examined before the grand
jury. 1t the questions were to be asked by the
court in the presence of the public he might
not have as great an objection, but he and his
colleagues felt that if they were to 60 before a
| grand jury whose proceedings were necessarily
| secret, that the fact would strike terror every.
where throughout the land, and would close
all the avenues of testimony to the House and
its committee.
Mr.. Blaine reminded Mr. Clymer that his
own privilege as member protected him and
there was no power to compel him to testify.
| Mr.. Clymer repeated he had stated to the
court that he did not intend to plead his privi-
lege, so it might not be said that he intended to
exclude anything which should be rightfully
| known to the public.
| Mr.. Robbins, another member of the COM
mittee, made like statement in reference to
his being Subppnaed and declared it his belief
that the effort, if not the design, was to intim-
idate witnesses and throttle the investigation.
Mr.. Danford of Ohio, another member of the
committee, said he had no subpoena to go be.
fore the court but he would like to know from
the chairman whether any additional testimo-
| ny had been taken before the committee.
| Mr.. Lamar objected to that question.
Mr.. Blane-The objection must come from a
most inconceivable motive.
Mr.. Lamar-It may be mot i've which you
| misconceive, but nevertheless it is motive
which have, and that is the preservation of
parliamentary order / maintain that no mem
Der bias right to reveal the secrets of the COM
| mittee room.
Mr.. Clymer said there had been no additional
testimony taken before the committee, but he
repeated that the attempt to drag forth what
occurred in the committee room could result in
nothing else but detriment to the public veal.
Blaine-There should be no discussion or SEEM
ing discussion between the two sides of the
House in regard to the vigorous prosecution of
public criminals. What was the object of this
inves- tigation except to bring the offenders to
criminal justice. The committee could not
punish anybody. Everybody knew that this
was b1utuna tll'1aen
Mr.. Clymer-I have stated the facts of the
case to the House and if a necessary mputa-
ton arises that some one in the District wishes
| to close the avenues of evidence all over the
| country it is not who make the charge but
| the facts of the case.
Mr.: Blaine-The gentleman closes the ave-
| nues himself.
Mr. Clymer-I will not permit the gentleman
| from Maine to impute to me motives which 1
do not understand or to put insinuatons in my
| mouth which have not uttered.
| Mr. Blackburn of Kentucky, another member
OF the Committee, said he Was not surprised at
| the uneasiness and nervousness manifested nv
the gentleman from Maine. He (Blackburn)
| did not intend to charge that it was the pur-
| pose OF the executive to intimidae witnesses or
to throttle the investigation and to afford i'm
munity to criminals, but he did say that unless
| Inns gag process was stopped the country would
| believe that was the purpose and he would be-
| lieve 1T too. Applause ON Democratic side
and question by Blaine what gag process")
1t had gone forth to the country that the Com
| mittee had connived at the Ascending of an
important witness against the protest of the
Republican members, but it was needless for
him to say that that charge was fatty false
and he only wondered that these Republican
members had allowed it to go out on their
| authority without contradiction. He went on to
argue that it would be utterly impossible to
ever convict the late Secretary of War or any
| other cabinet officer except by the testimony of
accomplices and yet the House was now to be
| told that an accomplice should not testify be-
| fore Committee except at his own peril. 1t
was against that that he protested He init
mated that the phrase "Let 10 guilty man
escape" would be construed by the country to
mean, "Let 10 man escape who dare tell on
those who are in authority" He warned the
House that the voluminous Investigations that
were now progressing wouldbe stopped and that
it would be utterly impossible to carry them
further successfully unless there was declara-
ton that the testimony of the witnesses should
not be used against them.
Mr.. Lamar said that there should not be any
exhibition of party feeling or excitement in the
presence of such solemn events as were throw
ing their shadows over the House. 1t seemed
to him that the voice Of faction should at least
be hushed. He regarded this mandate or sum-
mons or subpoena issued to members of the
House by the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia, as an outrage on the privileges of
this House. He did not say that the object of