The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-14

committees to visit the States Of Louisiana
and Florida, and authorizing said sub-con-
mittee be authorized to sit during the sessions
of the House or during the vacation and that
they have leave to report at any time.
Mr.. Conger, OF Michigan, made the point Of
| lege It bore nothing on It's face that showed
| it was q question OF privilege. Besides it
| changes the rules OF the House, and gives I'M
| usual privileges to q subcommittee Of the
House. such as the laws do not warrant 1t
empowers the subcommittee to administer
oaths. and that was violation OF the rules.
Mr.. Potter said il ever there was n question
OF privilege presented this was certainly one.
A sovereign State comes here with the de-
caration that due effect was not given to her
electoral votes by reason of frauds and fraud
ulent returns. and they ask that the matter
may be investigated. If this was not ques-
ton Of privilege then nothing could be such.
subject of this magnitude was certainly a
question of privilege.
Mr.. Hale said questions Of privilege were
treated of directly by the rules, and they
were enumerated and this did not involve
question OF privilege under the rules. II this
a9nde s one Of the hssds IN
the rules. It was not question of privilege,
it was merely an expression OF opinion. He
would await with some sOlictude the de-
| that an investigation Is to be gone into as to
the title OF the President, and looking to i'm
parchment then it must be q question of
| privilege; but as mere expression of opinion
| it is not such.
Mr.. Garfield, of Ohio, said the gentleman
put in the claim OF privilege because
| of the fact that his resolution was based
on a memorial of sovereign State,
NJ n Of g Legislature did not come
| The Speaker Don't you recognize the right
of a State to petition?
Mr. Garfield-Yes. sir
| The Speaker memorial of Il State is in
| the nature of petition.
Mr.. Garfield said there was no doubt about
that, and this very petition from Maryland
was discussed when it was brought here, but
| a petition cannot be revised to a question of
privilege. Ii the gentleman says that his
resolution is to pave the way for an i'm
parchment, then it may be question OF
privilege, but If it is to determine the
title of the present Chief Magistrate OF
the United States he claimed that had been
done by both Houses Of Congress, and the
exlgency of a political party cannot make
this a question of privilege. He also made
point OF order against the resolution, that it
authorized the committee to sit during the
sessions of the House, and to report at any
time, which was against the rules. but he
was glad that these men, after all this talk,
in the language Of Shakespeare, "left off their
damnable faces, and now let the play go on
| Mr.. Cox, of New York, said that Mr.. Gar
field was member of the Electoral Commits
sion and had voted with seven others steadily
not to go behind the Florida returns, and now
the majority Of the House have n right to pass
! this resolution. 1t Is a question of privilege
of the highest character 1t may reach inn
parchment under the terms Of the resolution.
| 1t may be made precedent to impeachment,
and it is therefore question OF the highest
privilege.
Mr. Conger, of Michigan, said that the me-
mortal upon which this resolution was based
is not at present in the possession of the
House, The gentleman from New York has
not got it.. for it was sent to q committee, and
| it would not belong to the House until n com
mttee reported it back. He could not under
stand how any member could lay his hand
upon n paper which belonged to a committee
and bring it before the House as question OF
privilege. 1t was an impertinence. for the
gentleman from New York was not even n
member Of the committee to which the paper
was referred He lays his hands on it in VIC
| lation of the rules of the House, and it was
therefore disrespectful to the Judiciary Com
mittee.
Mr.. Mills, of Texas, failed to see any sound
reason why this should be recognized as q
question Of privilege. The Forty fourth Con
gress solemnly declared the present incum-
of the United States, and that was the end
of it. That Congress alone had the power to
act on the question. There is not
shadow of authority for action by
presidential question in the Forty fourth
Congress, and on the fourth of March, 1877,
the whole matter was settled and ended, and
he repeated that the adoption Of this resolu-
ton would be nothing short of usurpation of
power by this House.
Mr.. Potter, of New York, argued that it
was question of highest privilege for the
House to investigate these alleged frauds
He disclaimed any attempt to disturb the
title of the President.
The Speaker ruled that the question was q
privileged one and an appeal was taken. The
decision was sustained by a vote OF 1913 to 1903.
The Republe ans at this stage began to fill
buster, and by refusing to vote destroyed a
quorum, whereupon motion to adjourn was
| carried