New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-02-14
David nndIex FInId.

A letter from Washington to the Cleve-
land Leader. February 5, says;
David Dudley Fields name was stricken
from the rolls of the New York Bar Asso-
citation a couple of years ago for conduct
unbecoming gentleman and a lawyer, and
he is Just beginning % play tricks here
which would tempt any but an ex-COnfed-
crate Congress TO follow the example of the
Bar Association. In the committee to-day
Judge Lawrence produced pamphlet bear
ing the imprint of a private publishing
firm in this city with the title, Testimony
relating to Louisiana and Florida taken by
the Committee of the House of Representa-.
tives on the Powers, Duties and Privileges
of the House of Representatives in Count
ing the Electoral VOte-Hon. j. Proctor
Knott, chairman. From the notes of the
Official Reporter"
Mr., Lawrence asked the chairman if he had
authorized the printing of the testimony in
any such form. Knott replied that he had
moi; that he had no knowledge of its being
done, that this was the first intimation he
had Of it. Judge Lawrence then said in his
opinion it was violation of the rules OF the
House, of all precedent in committee prac-
tice, and an act of gross disrespect to the
chairman and the committee. Mr. Sparks,
of Illinois, Democrat, said he agreed with
Judge Lawrence. M7. Lawrence said tur-
Their, that no member OF the committee or
clerk had any right to give the official copy
of the stenOgrapher's notes to any person
for any purpose, and proposed that the COM
mittee proceed to discover how this pub
location has been made.
Mr.. Field became very red IN the face
and moved that the room be cleared. He
did not want any witnesses of his disgrace
The reporters we're then driven out and the
committee sat in secret session for hall an
hour. The pamphlet contained extracts
from the testimony of Democratic witnesses
without their cross-eXaminatlon or any tes-
timony in rebuttal, being entirely ex parte,
but pretending to be complete. MR. tlelO
had it prepared secretly and presented be-
fore the Electoral Commission as part Of
the Democratic record. Through mem
her of the commission the fact came to
Judre Lawrence's knowledge. The act has
entirely DESTROYED Fields influence with
the commission and will greatly prejudice
the Democratic case. Even such parusaps
as Proctor Knott denounce Fields acnon,
but excuse it on what Maddox called
| '1broad moral grounds" because Mr. Field
is not familiar with congressional commit
tee usage.
In their secret session Field was given q
very wholesome verbal chastisement by
Professor Seelye, Sparks and others, and NJ
made a very humiliating apology to tht
committee, explaining, as Knott dld, ina
1
! insisting that had he suspected such action
was not perfectly proper he would have
been the last man in the world to hay'
taken it. He begged the committee u
overlook the offense this time, promising
solemnly not to be guilty of breach o
honor again. So it's action was taken
Field expressed a wish that the matte
might not be made public or placed upoi
me records of the committee, and at his re
ouest it was stricken Off. 1t is the opinion
| however. that his crocodile tears sheul'
NOT have influenced the committee TO 8
much lenieney, and that they should
least have let his dishonor been MADE
matter of record. Professor Seelye ha
been In a state of violent indignation 10
several days ct Fields conduct, and he II
marked this evening that having reileYe
himself he felt better. Being asked how .
had relieved himself, he declined to stat
saying it was a committee secret