National Republican., 1878-04-24
.FORTY-HFTH CONGRESS.
[Cbntinued nom Flra Puyc. /

| else than have the paper read.
| Mr.. GARFIELD stated the ground Of his
appeal to be that when the gentleman rose
aud said he proposed TO offer q protest the
House and the Speaker could both determine
whether 1t was question Of privilege or not,
and the Speaker should have ruled on the case
as presented. His point was that Mr. Cox
| assumed that he rose to q question of priv.
| lege, and he denied IL was such q question a.
to entitle him to say anything or to have any.
| thing read
The appeal was laid on the table by vote
OF 131 to lO2.
The SPEAKER then directed the protest to
be read. When the clause was read protesting
against an infraction Of the rule Of the House
| requiring first consideration Of appropriation
| bills In Committee of the Whole ION q bill
whero tho tendency is to combine for general
| spoliation upon tho Treasury"
Mr.. CONGER demanded that the words be
| taken down because they impugned the mo
| tives Of members of the House. lie called the
gentleman to order, and denied his right to
| proceed under the rule.
Mr.. COX would withdraw tho offensive re-.
mark.
Mr.. wADDELL objected to the withdrawal.
The SPEAKER said the gentleman made
the protest part Of his speech, and he had with.
drawn what was offensive In the remarks.
Messrs. CONGER, REAGAN, and others In
sisted that under the rule Mr. Cox could not
proceed, except by consent Of the House.
The SPEAKER said he could II ho with
drew the remark.
Mr.. HALE said that the contest just decided
was that tho protest should be read 80 that the
Speaker could determine II this was a question
Of privilege. He thought now that enough
had been ..read for determination, and he
asked the Chair now to decide.
Tho CHAIR would do that after the paper
had been read through.
Mr.. cox rose to address the Chair and II
was insisted that under Rule 81 he could not
proceed until the question Of order on the Ian.
yuage used was determined.
Mr.. BUTLER said here was protest signed
by twenty-six men, and he wanted to know "
one could withdraw language In it without the
consent Of the other twenty five.
The SPEAKER said the protest was part Of
the gcntleman's speech, and he only Withdrew
certain remarks.
Mr.. WADDELL denied his right to with.
draw except by unanimous consent.
Mr.. cox here took the foor again and in.
sisted upon having his say in spite Of the Wig.
orous pounding of the Speakers gavol and
calls TO order from all sides Of the House.
Mr.. COX said that gentlemen who had voted
for this iniquitous bill should be more modest
than to object to the reading of respectable
protest. As = Representative lie claimed the
right TO have the paper read. He was pro.
ceeding to speak Of the merits Of the BILL whom
gentlemen drowned his voice by calls to order,
and 1t was some minutes before the Speaker
could restore order.
Mr.. ATKINS protested that Mr.. Cox had
not the floor TO discuss the merits of the bill
Mr.. COX said excitedly that he had the floor
by direction Of the Speaker and would speak
as he pleased.
This led to further disorder and confusion
during which the question Of the right to with.
m lp FLg ~ t,, 1,rna ploI
Mr.. SPARKS was one of those who signed
the protest, and he had no objection to the
withdrawal.
The question was finally submitted to the
House, and Mr.. Cox was allowed to proceed in
| order.
When the language was reached to tho effect
that such legislation encourages similar raids
| upon the Treasury to crafty local interests" i"
Mr.. CONGER demanded that these words be
taken down.
Mr.. COX. ] won't take that back.
Mr.. CARLISLE submitted that the words
were not ont of order.
The point was not insisted on, and after the
paper had been read through
Mr.. HALE made the point Of order that
| this was not question Of privilege.
Pending the decision debate was allowed.
| Mr. REAGAN argued that no question of
privilege was involved. He then went on to
argue .the points in the protest, and to defend
| the action of the committee, whose honor had
been attacked. He asserted that many Of
those who had signed the protest had come be.
fore the committee and begged for appropria.
| tons, and, when they could not get oil they
wanted, voted against tlle bill.
Several members. Give us the names.
Mr. REAGAN declined TO be personal, but
II the committee had acceded to the request
of members the bill would have run up to So.
600, 900 or Sl6,OOOO00.
Mr.. MITCHELL tried to get the floor to in.
tcrrupt, but was hooted and yelled down. lie
wanted to protest that ho had not applied for
u large appropriation.
Great confusion here cnsued, while dozen
members were addressing the Chair and Mr..
lTTNER made the House and galleries roar by
yelling above all the rest:
Mr.. Speaker! Ho! Mr.. Speaker! Ho! Mr..
Speaker!
Mr.. REAGAN then went on to say that the
committee had worked faithfully and had
made the appropriations as low as possible.
II was most unjust, therefore, for gentlemen
to reflect upon the committee as they had done
in the paper read
Mr.. COX (N. " had no intention of re.
flecting upon the committee. He had no
doubt they were honest, but he claimed hon.
csty for himself in presenting the protest. The
protest was in the interest of honest lcgiia.
tiOn. The hill was II lOg-rolling bill and this
pcrniciOus practice should be stopped. As one
member said, II the bill had contained S..
900, 600 it would have been lost If S6,O00,OOO
il would stand some chance, but II $1OO0,0OO
IL was sure to pass. The surveys ordered were
for streams which did not contain waite half the
year; or, as one member put 1t, which should
be macadami2ed to make them thoroughfarcs.
Laughter.l III the good old days of strict
construction such bill could not have passed.
The doUcems In this bill had been distributed
all over the country. New York got II large
appropriation, but he voted against tho bill.
Mr.. kENNA. Your district did not get any.
thing. Laughter
Mr.. ELLIS said he was one who had signed
the protest, and he did so because of the mani
ner In which it was proposed to pass tho bill
without consideration.
Mr.. ROBERTS asked the gentleman to say
whether he did not come before the commit.
tee aud ask large appropriation, aud only OPP
posed the bill when II was refused.
Mr.. ELLIS would come to that presently.
There was nothing here uapping his breast
which the whole country might not see aud
know. [Derisve laughter.l lie then went
on to say that some of the moneys ordered
were for creeks that would not float saw log.
He had gone before the committee and asked
for au appropriation for New Orleans and for
Red River, and ii WIS refused, while unmen.
tiouablc creeks in Pennsylvania were provided
for, rs for instance the Kiskminet.s and the
Concmaugh.
Mr.. WHITE Q'a.) said these streams were
important ones, and steamboats, run ON them.
Mr.. WRIGHT wanted to know where those
trout streams were located. Laughter.