Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-06-07
GEN. HUNTON,S SPEECH.

In the account of the exciting scene in the
U. s. House of Representatives, published 10
yesterdays Gazette, q synopsis, merely, OF
what Gen. Huuton, the able Representative
from this district, said, was given. The follow
ing is the full text Of his speech:
MIR. Hutton [ desire, Mr. Speaker, as
chairman of the sub com ltlec II whom anu
sion has been fir qusutly made 10 the statement
Of the gentleman FROM Maine. 10 detaIn the
House TO make a short statement OF the mat
ters 70 which he has allud i, and trust that
ia doing this shall speak a. member OF the
c,mnittee, and tell calmly, dlspasslonaey,
fairly, what las occurred before that sub com
mi;,ee OF which the gcuts MAJ from Nlalne
cpmplaius.
bes leave TO say 10 advance that the House
has witnessed this morning remarkable, not
80 say an uucxamped scnnc, sccne when
may have its txaml lie in the history OF lcsisla'
tiuu but If 50, it mas escaped my observation
anl r,a,.iag gu the sutJec'.
During the present session OF this House TWO
resoluti ms were adopted each OF witch order
cd an investigation, each of which was referred
10 the Committee on the judiciary of this
House and each of which was referred to y
sub committee consisting Of Mr.. Ashc of North
Carolina, Mr.. Llwrcuce oil Ohi.', and myself as
chairman OF the comm C, aud before the
committee has fiji h d the taking OF tcsll-
mlnv before that committee has rrachei
conclusion, an effort Is made by the gentleman
| SUPPOSED to be mostly concerned IN these H.
vcs,iga!ious 10 take he consideration OF these
oncstious from the organ of the House aud re
mort u,on them lu pcr"0u l Dced GOT r2mihd
the Hpus.: what surt of report would com"
from that committee if it were allowed TO be
made BY the gentleman from Maine. But say
that after this House has ordered au luvestlsa-
| tipu and has committed that investigation to Il
COMMITTEE Of til. House 1t IS Mt OILY un Z
a,nllcd, but entirely against legislative pro
cecalnus for a ecntlsmaD to rise and undertake
TO autIclpa g what Inc conclusion OF that COIN,
Diuec shal be and t. state what the action OF
that committee has been.
| Npy. Mr.. Sneak r, in regard 81 the action
| Of this cllumttrc, | will cndGhvOr 10 follow
soue of the points III ,le 10y the gentleman
from Name, and if | state any Of the facts
wrong hope eli her OF the gentlemen OF that
cymnlttee will correct me, because desire to
statr nothing but Wha. is accurately true ~ the
statement shall submit TO the li' usc.
The first point madc by the gen;eman from
| Maine was that it very soou was discovered
that the resolution Introduced hy the g:nIlc-
mau from Massachusetts Mr.. IarboX was
aimed a, hiu,, alth ugh his rane WAS no myu,
toned in tie resolution, aud that ne learned
this FROM the proceedings OF the SUD com
ml',ec.
| beg 10 say to the House that the sub COM
mttce and its chairman first lcarutd from be
gentleman from Maine that he was the man
aimed at. He does not forget that after the
resolution OF Mr.. Tarb x was referred to the
! sub committee at his instance had an inter
~ an a
Committee OF Ways and Means and in that IL
terview the gentleman from NJ iuc spoke OF 1t
As resolution affecting him. Not only that,
: but he expressed himself satisfied and pleased
with The personnel of the sub committee, al
thouqh tho Of them aoere cOnfederutes And t
the lustauce of the gentleman :rJn Mapc a
day was appointed upon" which the sub.con
mittee was to cutter upon It's duties. And yst
be tells this House that he learned FROM the
sub. committee that be was the party to be III
vcstigated, and not the Uuion Pacific raiIIold,
as set out 10 the resolution OF Mr.. Tarbox. The
first | heard either from membrr OF the
House or member of the committee 90 the
subject was from the gentleman trom Maloe
Mr.. Blaine himself, that the resolution re-
ierred TO him, and he wanted the Investigation
commenced on a glveu day. and proceeded
with, with as much dispatch as possible from
that day. | told the gentleman from nane
that The Investigation | should undcrtakc
should be a. kindly as | could make it, and it
should be as fairly conducted as | could con-
duct ii, but as thorough as it could possibly be.
acceded to his wish that the Investigation
should net commence until q day not very dis.
tant iu the tu urc, think abou' ten days Oft.
The reason why he did DOT want the invcstiga-
ton to begin at once was hat he wanted &c 10
to Philadelphia duriug what is known IS tie
Centennial week, and did not want the nvestl-
CATION TO commence until the following week.
This request was granted with great deal ul
pleasure, and on the very day Indicated by him,
the very day he requested the investigation 10
begin, it was begun, and FROM that day TO this
there has been 20 hour hat the committee could
devote to this Investigation that has not been
devoted to it, except wien the gentleman hlul-
self prevented it, aud | say that more than two
weeks time has been lost to this committee DC
cause OF the conduct of the gentleman from
Maine; | do not mean to attach any blame 10
J him; the first was the pOstponemens unit! the
week after the Centennial, and the next was a
week ofiudisposltou Oh his part, and even this
morning | rose at the hour Of four clock to
come tofthis city, a distance of sixty miles, to
renew the investigation and get through with It
as sooD as possible. The gentleman trom Maine
and his friends we're not present, and the III
vestigatiou had to be postponed. Aud yet he
tells the House that the investigation is ''pro
longc,1, prol mged, pro7o"gco, and seeks TO
make the ilnprs sslon 90 the House that it is
the purp;s Of the committee to prolOngc this
inves cation for some sinister purpose. Why
he might just as we'll have said that W. desire |
to postpone it until after the l4th oil June, AMI
every member OF the commit &C will bear III
witness to every word Isay, that the Committee
worked IN season and out Of season; sitting on
one occasion nearly the entire day in order t.
get through with this investigation before ths
l4th day of June, and every delay that has
occurred, every day when the committee VS.
not able to be 10 session, it was either because
the gcDtlemau from Maioe was absent or re-
quested az adjournment. will not say every
day." for it is possible that there were one or
two days when we had meeting Of the flu!
committee, or something Of that kind. But the
delay has been at his instance, has been caused
by him. for this sub committee has worked a,
| Il say) no other sub committee Of this Hous =.
has ever worked. So much for the prolongiDe