The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-03-16

| II WIS dganSt Ilat lnaI ne protested. He in
tlmated that the phrase "Let no guilty man es-
cape" would be construed by the country to
| mean LET no man escape who dare tell on
those who are in authority" lie warned the
House that the vouminous Investigations that
were now progressing would be stopped, and
that 1t would be utterly impossible to carry
them further successfully unless there was q
declaration that the testimony Of witnesses
should not be used against them
Mr. Lamar said there should not be any eX-
hibition 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 last
| he hushed. He regarded this mandate, or sum-
| mons, or subpoena, issued to members of the
/ Committee By the Supreme Court of the Dis
| trct OF Columbia, as an outrage on the privi-
| leges of this House. He did not say that the
| object of the Court was to hush or suppress in
| vestigations. The question was one purely of
| parliamentary privilege. He regarded it as u
| violation of the privileges of the House for II
| Court TO issue summons to Il member and or
| der him to bring along with him the records of
| the House, and to remain in Court aud not de-
| part until allowed by the Court or District At
| tOrney.
| Mr. Rlaine-Does not the gentleman from
| Mississippi, and does not the whole country
| see, that having possession of the evidence on
| which an Indictment can be found, and having
IN its possession every paper in the case, the
House puts itself behind its technical privileges
lIilONS llStll across lnG lnulclliltHt Oh
knap, and that to-day it stands as the obstacle,
anG the sole obstacle, to the Indictment of the
l"te Secretary of War
Mr.. Lamar - Neither the gentleman from
Mississippi, nor the country, nor the gentle
man from Maine sees any such thing.
Mr.. Blaine-It /, nothing but that
Mr.. Lamar-lt i; anything but that. The
question is simply whether the House will per-
init its records to be at the beck and call of
District Court. There is no doubt but that
tltE i,Na i tnl
within the discretion of the House to permit the
Courts Of the country to come in and get evi.
dencc, but not peHdeAte lite while the inyesti-
CATION is going ON and while the Committee i,
taking further testimony. such Il proposition
was mOnstrouS aud ridiculous.
Mr.. Blaine said lie agreed with Mr.. Lamar
that while the affair was in HmiNi it would be
improper for a Court to interfere. But that was
not the case here The question was whether
the House would permit the testimony and pa
pers i'll the hands Of lis Committee to be sent to
the Court The House could refuse it or could
send it; and now, said he (impctuouslv,) | iarr
that side of the House to refuse it. Appiause
on the Republican side, and great excitement
Mr.. Lamar continued his remarks which he
closed by offering a resolution rccitng the his
tory of the case, declaring the mandate of the
Court to be Il breach of the privileges of the
House, and directing the members Of the Com
mittec to disregard such mandate.
Mr.. KaSson, of Iowa, invited the House to
look cOOlly at the situation developed this morn
ing. The question was raised here aS i question
of privilege on the part Of member of the
House, who had received a judicial invitation to
aid in the Indictment and punishment of il Grim
NAL. 1t was an extraordinary case, and one
without precedent and against precedent. He
asked whether there had ever been any such
proposition as had been suggested to the House
condemnng the sworn executor of the laws be-
cause he had directed his sllbordinates to en-
force these laws. The Grand Jury was sworn
tb Ip1ir pt
diction. and the House and the Committee had
no right to embarrass the Grand Jury in the
execution Of the laws Of the land.
Mr.. McCrairy, Of Iowa, reminded his col
league that the Committee had in its possession
the contract, which must be the foundation of
any proceedings for an indictment of this of1end-
err and that that contract was probably the very
thing the Grand Jury would get hold OF.
Mr.. Clymer remarked that that contract was
between Caleb Z. Marsh and John s. Evans and
that the Secretary of War knew nothing of it
when it was made. nor for two years after
wards.
Mr. kasson. in the course of some further re-
marks, referred to the interview which Mr..
Blackburn had had with some of the parties
implicated, and suggested that the Grand Jury
might have Il desire to examine him about it.
Mr.. Blackburn repli ad, with some heat of
manner that if the gentleman from Iowa said
that he had had conversations with Mrs. Bel
knap, and at great length, he would copy tBe
q
gentleman from Iowa, whenever he heard any
body n5,king any such statement. TO say that he
had his lBlackburn'>j authority for telling that
man tnat he uts. Nreat eArltChltht.I
MI. ha>>on-Do understand the gentleman
to say that he had no conversation on the sub
iect involved in this prosecution involved in
this crlmnalty, outside OF the committee-rOom;
Mr.. Blackburn--l have filed statement on
the subject, which neither the gentleman from
Iowa, nor any other man, can impugn.
kpsSnn-Ihpn n ct. ant
and asl, il that Is not 50. If the interview WAS
impertinent to the case why was it reported
and made public: And, il pertinent to the case
why arc not the criminal courts Of the country
entitled 10 it; Applause on the Republican
| side.
Mr.. Biackburn-Nlil the gentleman from
Iowa inform the House whether newspaper re-
port is true that he and his colleagues waited in
il body on the former Secretary of War
Mr.. haSson-l Will answer the question with
more chetrtuInesS than the gentleman has an
sWered nlne.
Mr. Bhekhurn-Ihen trust the gentleman