The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-02-09

Gov. Wells Petitions the House
WhereupOn there is a Debate.
HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, February s.
COMPLAINT FROM MADISON WELLS.

soon alter business was begun in tn
House Of Representatives to-day, Mr.
Hale rose to a privileged question an,
read letter addressed to him from J
Madison Wells and Thomas c. Anderson
stating that they were confined in dam,
dark dungeon Of the cellar OF the Capitol
that yesterday, by order Of the Speaker
they had been transferred to much bet
ter room, and they had been brough
back to tho cell by order OF the Sergeant
nt.Arms; that on account OF tho bad aii
in the cell one Of them Gov. WeIls) wa
now on his sick.bed. Mr.. Hale said hi
attention had been called By this letter
to the matter. He had gone to the cell
in which the prisoners were confined and
found II n damp, dark room, into which
a CLEAN Of sunlight could never pene.
trate, and which had to be illuminated
by gas. The air was poisonous, and one
OF the prisoners was an old man, over "a
years old, laid on his bed Of sickness. II
was inhlman TO keep them in such q
room, and he offered n resolution direct.
ing the Ssrgeant.at.Arms 10 remove the
prisoners TO well lighted and we'll ven.
tilated room, where their health may
not be endangered.
Mr.. Cox said il was in this same cell
that the Republican Congress had incar.
cerated Stewart and Irwin. The prisoners
were confined and in close custody OF the
Sergeant.at-Arms, but they could release
themselves by simply purging themselves
OF contempt Of the House, and answering
the questions which they had refused to
answer.
Mr.. McCrary inquired what questions
they had refused TO answer?
Mr.. Cox-They had refused to produce
certain papers.
Mr.. McCrary-They are confined for
notproducing what was not in their pos.
session.
Mr.. Cox-The House had already dis.
posed OF that question. The resolution
was in his judgment rcproach on the
Sergeant.at.arms. The witness had simp.
ly been treated as other witnesses had
been.
Mr.. Wilson spoke in favor Of the reso.
luton and stated that after frequent
fruitless attempts TO sec the witness he
had succeeded in so doing, only by order
from the Speaker, When he did succeed,
he found the witness in small, i'll ven.
tilated cell. lie could not escape the i'm.
preston that the officer in the Sergeant.
at-Arms' office did not wish the prisoners
to be well treated. He honored the
Speaker for the honest efforts to relieve
their sunerings, 1t was abhorrent to the
feelings OF the American people that the
House should treat, with such cruelty, an
old man, over 20 years OF age, because
he had stood up for what he knew was
right.
Mr.. Buckner Introduced bill abolish.
ing the Borrd OF Commissioners of Police
Of the District Of Columbia. Referred.
W. j. Williams, Of Michigan, intro.
duCed bill repealling the statutes, pro-
hibiting appointments and promotion in
in the staff Of the Army. Referred.
The Speaker said the witnesses were
not in his charge. but us he had charge
Of the rooms in the Capitol he had or
dered that the prisoners be transferred
TO the room OF the Committee on Educa-
ton, but the committee had objected, and
the Sergeant-at.Arms had no power TO
do anything but remove them once more
TO the former room.
Mr.. Wood said he did not wish the
House 10 be regarded by the country as
doing an inhuman act, but he thought
that before acting on the resolution the
House should require n certificate from
some doctor, stating that the health Of
the prisoners would be impaired or en-
dangered by their confinement in that
particular room. That had been the
custom always in cases where prisoners
complained Of their accommodations.
Mr.. Conger thought that there could
be no pretense OF right or justice on the
side Of any party, which should perpe-
trate such a cruelty as to con6ne the
prisoners in n room in which their health
would be undermined, simply because
they refused to produce certain papers,
which it was lot in their power TO pro.
duce. The mere statement Of that to the
common American mind, would produce
conviction Of infamous wrong done by
the House, and no man would dare TO
attempt to justify the conduct which re-
minded one OF the days OF the thumb
screws and inQuisition.
MIR. Clymer on behalf Of the Sergeant.
alarms said, that that officer had done
all in his power for the purpose OF. rem
dering the prisoners comfortable. The
room they occupied was we'll heated,
we'll lighted and we'll ventilated. It was
the room which had been used for the
same purpose by the preceding Congress.
They were allowed 10 have conyersa-
ton with their friends. .1
Mr.. Conger-Many members have
sought access 10 them and been denied.
The Speaker explained by calling at
tention to the fact that the resolution
which placed the recusant witnesses in
the custody OF the Sergeant.at-Arms di.
rectel that they should be held in close
custody.
Mr.. Banks thought that when the
House adopted that resolution it had not
intended that an inquisition should be
established which should compel the pris.
oners 10 disclose what they did not desire
to disclose. He also wished to call atten-
tion to the fact that the prisoners had not
| uGcll hCpt III GlOoC NNhtou1 1ld tuG TGSOlu"
tion directed, but that they had been
taken before committee Of the House
and compelled to give testimony without
any order OF the House allowing them to
be brought ont OF custody.
Mr.. Sparks stated that all the time the
prisoners we're before the committee they
had been in charge Of the sergeant.at.
Arms.
Mr.. Banks said that when a witness
was testifylng before a committee he was
free man.
After some further discussion, Mr..
Hale called the previous question, on the
adoption OF the resolution, but the Dem.
ocratS voting against 1t, theIpreyions
question was not ordered.
Mr.. Cox moved TO refer the resolution
to the Special Committee on Elections in
Louisiana, with instructions to report
speedily to the House whether such a
state Of affairs does exist as stated in the
communication from Wells and Thomas
G. Anderson.
Mr.. Wood said the Republican side oil
the House was endeavoring to mislead
the country as to the true state Of affairs
TO throw upon the majority Of the House
the stigma of inliumanity toward il
prisoners. Those prisoners had refused
TO produce papers which might have sci.
t1nI thn IT ,,on,.f -. 4 -.