The Portland daily press., 1878-02-25
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADVANCE

The Speaker pro tempore-Tha Chair will again
submit the request that the gentleman from Maine
[ Mr.. Halel have further time.
No objection being made, leave was accordingly
granted.
Mr.. Elis-I Will state to the gentleman from
Maine tNr. Halel that as practicing lawyer have
nefended hundred OF feonies which have beon
prosecuted upon information. In regard to the par
tcuar of which he speaks the of the State
of Louisiana against Anderson, the information was
fled by instruction Of the grand jury delivered in
open court and that is tantamOunt to an indict-
ment.
Mr.. Hale-The gentleman knows that In regard to
case of importance case involving the political
prejudice here aroused, nothing could be equivalent
10 an indictment bya grand jury; nothing will stand
its substitute whatever may be its technical effect
in this case there should have been behind this poit-
ca prosecution the finding Of an Indictment, a bill
found by the grand jury itself. 1t is meet just
such cases that grand juries maintained.
Mr.. Davis, of North Carolina-Will the gentleman
allow me to ask him question?
Mr.. Hale-Certainly.
Mr.. Davis, of North Caroina-I understand tho
gentleman from Maine to say that the communica-
tion which he has bad read from Mr. Smaey con-
tains the argree ment which was made. Am correct
in that?
Mr.. Hale-Oh, said that summoned Mr.. Small
ley as witness, who present when everything
occurred in Louisiana, and who gives it his opn-
ion that the present condition Of affairs there is
violation of wnat everybody at that time understood
would be done in Louisiana.
Mr.. Davis, of North Carolina. Then desire to
ask this further question of the gentleman from
Mdine Was there any agreement by which forgery
and perjury in the State Of Louisiana should not be
prosecuted?
Mr.. Reed-Or treason.
Mr.. Hae-I have discovered at last
Mr.. Gibson-Will the gentleman allow me-
Mr.. Conger-One at time.
Mr.. Davis, of North Carolina-I want direct an
swer to my question. And desire to say that If
there was such an agreement, in my opinion every
man who was party to it ought to be in the peni-
tentiary. If there any agreement by which
forgery and perjury were to be condoned everybody
who was party to that agreement who consented
to it guilty of compounding a most iniquitous
felony, and ought to be where the original criminals
ought to be.
Mr.. Hale-I will now listen to the gentleman from
Louisiana, [Mr. Gibson
Mr. Davis, of North Carolina-I hope the gentle
man will answer me.
Mr.. Hale-After have heard the gentleman from
| Louisiana, GMr. Gibsonl
Mr.. Gibson-The article which the gentleman has
had read here, written by Mr.. Smalley, aludes to
some compact or agreement entered into on the one
| part by Governor Nichols, myself, and Mr.. Bush,
the Speaker Of the House Of Representatives of Lou
isiana, and ON the other part by the gentlemen
posing the commission sent to that State by the Pres
| ident of the United States Now, for one, must
/ deny that most emphatically. And call upon the
| gentleman from Maine to name single member Of
that commission who holds that there was any such
/ compact entered into by US.
| Mr.. Hale-The gentleman himself must call upon
| Mr. Smaley; was not there.
Mr.. Gibson-some of the commission are in this
/ city.
Mr.. Davis. of North Caroliua-The gentleman
| from Maine invokes Mr.. Smalley ss witness.
Mr.. Hale-The gentleman from North Carolina
[Mr. Days] has disclosed the senstiyeness that he
feels that the "law should be enforced that nrac-
tons of the law shall not be allowed 60 unpunished
suppose that he represents the feelings of the gen.
| temen about him, the feelings OF the Louisiana
| Democracy, the feelings of the Democracy Of the
United States. Now, il the Democracy in Louisiana
are so sensitive that intractions Of the law shall be
punished and that trials of criminals shall be had
why do they not take up the Of Supervisor Web
ber, Republican official, who returned to his home
in April last shot in cold blood at high noon in
the streets of his town from the courthouse? Yet
from that day to this with that murdered Sleep
ing in his grave, killed by shots from the courthouse
where were only Democratic officers at the time, I
have looked 10 vain for any record of any trial
| any punishment Of the murGerers.
| Mr.. Davis, of North Carolina-Mr Speaker
Mr.. Hale-If the gentleman is SO sensitive that the
law shall be enforced in Louisiana, let him not deal
alone with alleged alterations of local returns but
take into his purview the crimes of murder and as
assnation How does 1t happen that In the cases Of
all those who moulder in Louisiana swamps and cane
brakes no punishment has been inflicted since the
Nichols government came into power, upon any one
| of their murderers.
The only case have heard of where these crime
have at all been raked up in Morehouse Parish,
| where white man, Democrat, was shot few days
before the election in November, 1876 and after the
/ Nichols government came into power a colored man
was hunted up, brought to trial, convicted and
hanged, he protesting his innocence at the very
| ment he dropped in the struggle of death. have
not learned that this eagerness to punish has resulted
| in anybody besides Republicans being punished, or
his likely to SO result.
| Mr.. Davis, of North Carolina-I desire to say to
the gentlemen from Maine that know nothing OF
the facts connected with the Webber affair. If they
/ are as the gentleman states then the parties
/ gagged in it ought to be punished and any who
will make an agreement or enter into any arrange
ment by which they are not to be punished, ought
himself to go to the pententiary.
Mr. Reed. Why have they not been punished?
Mr. Davis, of North Carolina. VIII the gentleman
answer my question, and say whether there was any
agreement by which men guilty of perjury and for
gerry not to be punished? want that question
answered categorically.
Mr.. Robertson. 1 will state that so far as Weber
is concerned there coroner's inquest. The cor
oner discharged his duty faithfully Governor Mich
oils offered reward Of So 900 to ascertain who
guilty of the crime. Every effort has been made to
discover the perpetrators of that crime but without
effsct. If the gentleman any of his friends will
give the names of the witnesses am satisfied that
the officers of the law will prosecute that case, that
the parties charged with the crime will have fair
and impartial trial, and If found guilty will be pun
ished. There has been effort made to discover who
| those parties are, but that effort has failed.
Mr.. Hale. Mr.. Speaker, how great the contrast
between the Parish of West Felciana, where Mr..
Weber, republican official, is shot down at noon
day. and the parish of Morehouse, where demoecrat
is killed before election In one case whatever the
coroner's jury may have done, whatever reward may
have been offered, justice remains unavenged; tho
murderers stalS abroad to-day unpunished. They
are the neghbors of the man who was killed there
can be no doubt about that 1t was known who were
| in the building when the man was killed. But
punishment has followed in this state that is so SEN
sitiye about observing the laws. Yet in Morehouse
poor colored man who had no friends is not allowed
out, is tried, is convicted, and he drops on ths
scafOli protests his innocence befJre the men who
/ are Furnishing him. The country will look at such
instances Of the administration Of criminal law and
extenuaton and excuse go for nothing; and the grim
fact that five -thousand-dollar reward in Webber's
case failed to bring out witness against his MURDER
tells the terrible story of how safe it is yet in Lou
isiana to shoot republican and how dangerous it is
for anybody to bring the fhct to light.
Is the democratic party of the United States 80 ca
ger for the punish of crime? Is it so tender to
the public good. and anxious that every crime shalt
be punished? Why, SIR, it lived for years, and drew
its breath upon the of all vi1anes." That par
ty dragged the country into the blood-red of
| bellion.
1t stalks dedany to-day in all the So lthern States
over the bodies of murdered men, women, and chill
dren who have lost their lives for conscience sake
Mr. Atkins-That is not true in Tennessee.
| Mr. Hae-Its adherents lurk to-day in the sxamps
and ades and forests of the South and from their
| ambush