The New York herald., 1877-02-09

The committee hero adjourned until to-mosssW
morning al ten O'Clock.
GOVERNOR WELLS COMPLAINING on Hlo
QUARTERs-rHE MATTER BROUGHT BxYoRB
THE HousE--REcusAxr wIrSnssEs coxyINsD
IN LoATHsoME DUNGEONS AS ALLxsED-
DIFFERENCES OF OPINION ON THE SUBJECT.
wAsHxsros, Feb 8, 1871
The serscant.at-A Arms yesterday transferred Cover
Wells and General Anderson from tho Of thu
Committee Education and Labor 10 that previously
occuplet by them. and 10 which heretofore Wooley, J.
b. Stewart and other recusant Witnesses were cosnusd
The reason for the removal was that the committee
could not surrender their room, wishing 70 use n fos
the transaction OF business Wells complained OF his
quarters, but General Anderson, who keeps him com.
pany, expresses himself satisfied
serseant-at.Ar Thompson offered 10 remove Wells
to tho occupied by the coorcd members OF tho
Returning Board, but he refused being willing to
part company with Anderson Mr. Thompson says he
endeavoring TO procure more comfortable
quarters Tor Wells, who complains OF sickness
THE NATTER BEyoRg HOUSE,
In tho House OF Representatives Mr. Hale OF Maine,
rose "A privileged question: and road = letter which
had been addressed 70 him from Madison Wells and
Thomas c. Anderson stating that they wore confined
damp dark dungeon In the cellar or the Capitol;
that yesterday. by order of tho Speaker, they had
bceu transferred much better room and that they
had been brought back TO the cells By order OF the
Sergeant rms. and that account OF the bad
in tue cell one OF them Governor Wells) was now on
IA sick bed.
Mr HALE said his attention had been called py this
letter tho matter He mad gone 10 the cell in which
the prisoners were confined and had found u damp,
dark room, into which CLEAN OF sunlight could
never penetrate. and which had TO be illuminated by
gas The poisonous, and one OF the prisoners,
old over seventy ycars old. lay ON HIS bed Of
sickness II inhuman 10 keep them IN such .
rooin and he therefore offered resolution directing
the sergean, at Arms remove The prisoners to well
,htcd aud we'll ventilated room, whore their health
may not be endangered.
bir. Cox OF New York, callcd attention tho TACT
Congress had incarccrated Stewart and Irwin. Tho
prisoners were confined In the close custody OF tho
by simply purgng themselves OF tho contempt Of tho
House and answering the questions which they had re-
Mr. McCRARY, Of Iowa. inquired wnat questions
| they had refused TO answer.
Mr. Cox. OF New York, replied that they had refused
| to producc certain pa Jers.
| Mr. McCRAgy-Thcy confined for not producing
what not in thor poscsssion
Mr Cox replied that The House had already disposed
| OF that question The resolution wns Ia his judg.
mcnt, reproach on the Scrgcant.at Arms. The wit.
ncses had simply been treated AS other witnesses bad
| boon.
Mr. WILSON, OF Iowa. spoke In favor Of tho rcsolu
ti0n stating that ater frequent fruitcss attempts 10
The witnesses he had succeeded in dong only by
an order from the Speaker. When he did succeed no
found them In small, il.ventiatcd cell He could
escape the impression that the officers in the Ser
gean-a,-Ams' Office did not wish the prisoners to be
well treated He honorcd the Speaker Tor his h00est
efforts 10 relcve their suffering. II abborrcnt
the feelings OF the American people that the House
should treat with such cruelty an old man seventy
old because hc mad Stood up for wLat no know
was right.
charge, but that ne had charge ot the the
Capitol, he had ordered that tho prisoners should DO
transc rred to the room OF tho COMMITTEES ON Educa.
uon, that committee had objected, and the sergeant
alarms had no power to do any thing but remove
them al once 10 their former quarters
Mr.. WOOD, Of New York, said that he did not wish
the House 10 be regarded by tue country as doing an
nhunan action bu. he thought that before netting on
tnc psuI utlonl n n 6caf
IRON some doctor stating that the health Of tho prs
oncrs would DO impaired or endangered by their con-
hnemcnt IN that particular room. That had boon the
custom always IN cases whcre prisoner complained
| OF his accommodations.
preence o right Justice the side OF any party
which should perpctuate such cruelty as TO conhne
prisoners room IN which their health would bc
dermncd SIMPLY because they refused 10 produce
tain papers which not In their power to produce.
mere statement vi that, 10 tho common American
mind would produce a CONVICTION oi an infamous
wrong done by this House, aud man would dare
attempt TO Justify such conduct which reminded QUE
OF tho days OF the thumb screws and Inquisition
Mr. CLYMER ot Pcnnsy vania GU behalf 0 tho sergeant
Arms sad tnat that officer bad done all In h pOwcl
for purpose OF rendering tho prisoners comfort.
ablc The room they occupied was well heated we'll
had been used tor The purpose by preceding Con.
crosses They wcro allowed 10 have conversations
with their friends.
Mr. CoxGER, OF Michigan--SIany members have
sought TO them anu been dcnicd
The SPEAKER explained that by calling attention to
tho fact that the resolution which placed tho recusant
Witnesses IN The custody OF the Sergsant-at.Arms
directed that they should be held In closc cusody.
Mr.. BANKS, 0f MassacE usctts, thought that when
the House adopted that resolution II had not Intended
that an inquison should be established which should
compel witnesses Disclose what they not desire
to DISCLOSE He also wished TO call attention to the
fact that the prisoners had not been kept 'close
custody" as the resolution directed but that they
had been taken before committee Of tho House and
compelled 10 give testimony, without any order Of tne
House allowing them to be brought ou. OF custody.
Mr.. SpARKs oi Illinois, stated all tho time the pris-
oncrs were before tho committee they had been in
charge OF the Sergeantat.Arms.
Mr. uIip0 nat " ia n ~ nj
ing before u committee be ircc
After some further discussion Mr.. Halo called tie
previous question on the adoption Of tho resolution.
but tho democrats voting against tho present ques.
ton ordered.
Mr. Cox moved TO refcr tho resolution to tho Special
Committee the Election Louisiana, with ,nstruc-
tons to report speedily 10 the House whether such q
state oi affairs does stated com mu l.
cation OF j. Madison Wells aud Thomas G. Anderson.
Mr. WooD, Of New York. said that the republican
sido OF the House endonvoring to misIead tho
country to tho true state OF affairs, ana TO throw
upon tho majority Of the House tho stigma OF in.
humanity toward Its prisoners. Those prisoners had
refused to produce papers which might have settled
the present Iamentap condition OF affairs
Mr.. Cox thought that the action oi tho minority OF
the House looked too much like iionizna the Lousi-
Returning Board, aud making prstence 0i hui
manty In 80 doing Tho room In which tho prisoners 9
wero confined was well ventilated aud well lighted
(Mr Hale--It Is nethcr)--and well heated. The pris.
oncrs taken every day to tho House restaurant
where n they wcre 10 die they would dc from rcpc-
ton and yet gentlemen tho other side had tho i'm.
preston that the prisoners getting thin az
Death tho skeleton and Time the shadow II
that were why did not their friends I'D.
them TO produce tho papers demanded OF them ?
II II had not been that certain threats bad been
TO kill; II had been that OF tho witnesses
had been n walking arsenal, they ought long since
have been allowed tho privilege which the gentleman
IRON Maine MIR Halc) himself enjoyed. They could
not be treated as well as member oi Congress was
treated, but II there any foundation tho CON-
plant which they made, he hoped the Committee on
Louisiana Affairs would examine into and remedy
The resolution was then rcerrcd yeas las, nays So