The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-02-09

them once more 10 the former room.
Mr.. WoOd SAID he did not wish the
House to be regarded by the country q
doing an inhumsn act but he thought
that before acting on the resolution, the
House should require q certificate from
some doctor stating whether the health OF
the prisoners would be impaired or en-.
dangered by their confinement In that
particular room. That had been the Gus
tom in ELSEWHERE the prisoner complain.
ed OF his accommodations. .al
Mr.. Conger thought that there could
be no pretence Of right or justice on the
side OF any party which should perps.
trste such q cruelty IS to conhne prison.
ers in room in which their health
would be undermined, simply because
they refused TO produce certain papers,
which it was not in their power 70 pro-
duce. The mere statement Of that
to the common American mind would
produce the conviction Of An infamous
wrong done by the House, and no man
would dare attempt to justify the con-
duct which reminded one OF the days OF
thumb screws and InQuisition.
-oAs w hO', va oouoA W. wv wv
geant-st-Arms, said that that officer had
done sll in his power for the purpose Of
rendering the prisoners comfortable.
The room which they occupied was we'll
heated, well lighted and we'll ventilated.
1t WAS room which mad been used for
the same purpose by preceding Con
gresses. They were allowed 10 have con.
versstion with their friends.
Mr.. Conger-Many of the members
have sought Access TO them, but have
been denied
The Speaker explained by calling Al
tention u the TACT that the resolution
which placed the recussant witnesses in
the custody of the Sergeant-at.srms d.
rected that they should be held in close
custody. .2
Mr.. Banks thought that when the
House adopted that resolution il wasnoI
intended tnst An inquisitlOn should bo
established which should compel prison
ers to disclose what they did not desirs
to disclose. lie also called attention "
the fact that the prisoners had not been
kept in close custody, ~ the resolution
directed, but that they had been taken
before q committee OF the House and
compelled to give testimony without any
order of the House allowing them 70 DO
brought out Of custody.
Mr.. Sparks stated that all the time the
prisoners had been before the committee
they had been IN charge Of the sergeant
alarms.
Mr.. Burks said that when the witness
taasif, ioU, h. ns ,Yn,s Ian ha
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 il, the previous
question was not ordered.
Mr.. Cox moved ~ refer tho resolution
to the special committee on elections In
LOUISIANA, with instructions ~ report
speedily 10 the House whether such .
state OF affairs does exist n stated 10 the
communication from Gov. Wells and
Thos. q. Anderson.
Mr.. Wood sah the Republican side OF
the House was endeAvoring a. mlslsad
the country Ms TO the trus state OF affairs,
to throw on = msjority Of the House the
stigma Of inhumanity towards It's prison
ers. Those prisoners had refused to pro-
duce the papers which might have set
tied the Presidential question aRd might
have prevented the present iamsntabls
condition Of affairs.
Mr.. Cox thought that the action OF
the minority OF the House looked too
much like lionizng the Louisiana Re-
turning Board and making q pretsncs OF
humanity in 40 doing. The room 10
which the prisoners were confined was
we'll ventilated and well light
cd - Hale - IL ia neither. - and
well seated. The prisoners were taken
every day TO the House restaurant,
where, II they we're 10 die, they would
DIE from repleLion, and yet the gentle
men on the other side had an impression
that the prisoners were getting NJ thin n
death skeleton. Ii thst we're 90. Why
did not their friends advise them 10 pro-
duce the papers demanded. IL IL hsd
not been that certain threats had hsen
made IN kill; II II had not been
that one OF the witnesses had bssn .
walking arsenal, they might long since
have been allowed the privileges which
the gentleman from Name M. Hale]
bimielf enjoyed. II there was any ioan-
dation 10 the complaint which they made
be hoped the committee on Louisiana
affairs would examine into il and remedy
IL The resolution was then referred,
ycas l45. nays %. .f
Mr.. Carr asked leave u onsr resoln,
ton recItiug that tie Electoral Com
mission mas refused ~ 90 behind the re-
turns and admt the testimony taksa 10
tie Southern States By the House Cotn-
mittses. and directing that the members
Of the Louisiana R-turnIng Beard bs re.
leased from the custody oi the Sergeant
st. arms. Messrs. Eden, Bland and others
objected.
Mr.. Bueknsr introduced q bill abolish
ing the Board Of Conmis, ionsr Of Police
OF the District Of Columbia. Referred.
Tne House then went into Committss
OF the Whole on the deficiency sppTo.
priation bill. Ar. hdsn 10 the chair.
Mr.. Fo.ter made formal amendment
10 order 70 correct ths statement made .
| dsy or two ago by Mr. Randall tbst =
tnsiority Of the House had lsst year re-
duced the eIpenditurss Of the govesn-
ment t20,0VO.OOJ 1, had reduced jts
expenditure. actually about t23.UO0,0O0,
| from which amount must be suotrsctsd
s6,O00.0O0 winch would bs expanded tbs
| year in dehcisn sncies. leaving about ST.
10000 reduction. Mr.. Randall
compared The appropriation made BY tho
Forty third Cor gr@s and those maze
BY tue Forty fourth Congress. 10 tis
two sessions u the Forty third Coagrsa
thcrs hAd bsen appropriations Of t2ss.-
ODJ.vOp. 10 Ibs nrt ss.Ion Of ihs
forIy y-iOurtb Congress tLsrs bsd besn
spproprislIoEs Oi t0rty eight millions.
The probabilities were that this year tSs
appropriations soald amount 70 oas ben
dred and iorty.mIIlions, making 10 he
aggregate for the tso sessions Of tbs
Forty fourth Congress IN sppropristion
Of two hundred and ninety mtllions,
which would BE- reduction from tbs
/ l. ~