Daily globe., 1878-06-10

Z -
PAUL DAILY GLOBE,
the receipt from Mr.. Irwin B. Linton, clerk of
the committee of investigation, &C., of which 1
believe you chairman, of a letter enclosing
a copy of a resolution (quoting). Without in
| tending any disrespect to the honorable COM
mittee Of the House of Representatives, l feel
constrained by a sense Of duty towards myself
and to the Senate of the United States, of
| which am member, to decline accepting
CHS invitation under the circums tances at
present existing.
| 1 had no information Of the proceedings be-
fore your committee to which its resolution
! above quoted refers, except what derived
from reading reports thereof in the public
newspapers. When observing from their peru
sal the manner and extent to which they
seemed to affect me, deemed it due to myself
and to the honorable body Of which I am
member. on Wednesday, the 5th inst, to bring
| them to the attention of the Senate in state
| ment and explanation of personal nature,
and as a matter of privilege moved resolution
of inquiry, which was adopted and of which
the following is copy (quoting it). l have
just submitted the whole matter to the Senate,
! which, by the adoption OF the resolution, has
taken jurisdiction and entered upon an investi-
cation, as requested. That body alone, so far
| as my conduct is concerned, is competent to
render an effective Judgment upon the ques-
| tion. So far, therefore, as your resolution in
| vites me to submit to the House committee an
explanation of my correspondence with Ander-
| son in evidence before it, consider that it
would be improper for me under the circum-
| stances to comply with it.
| am not officially informed of the subject
under investigation by your committee, in
reference to which am also, by your rcsolu-
ton, invited to appear and answer such ques-
| tlons as may seem pertinent, but from the
copy of the resolution of the House of repre-
sentatives, from which your committee derives
| its existence and authority as reported in the
| Congressional Record, learn that it is limited
to inquire into certain alleged frauds in cleo
| tions in Florida and Louisiana. and the con-
nectlon Herewith of certain named gentlemen,
of whom was mentioned as one. I have no
knowledge whatever of any matter relating to
this subject, except so far as it appears in cor
respondence with Anderson, which is in evil
dence before your committee, and, as for the
reason already given, reserve that for expla-
| tion before the committee ordered by the Sen
| ate. 1t only remains for me to subscribe my
self, respectfully.
| (Signed.) STANLEY MATTHEW'S
Mr.. Matthews letter having been read Mr.
Morrison remarked: ''We shall have to issue
| subpoena for him.
| Chairman-When Senator Matthews name
was first mentioned l inquired of members of
! the minority whether he desired to be present
Under the circumstances did not want the
committee to be guilty of any dlscourtesy in
proceeding without the attendance of Senator
Matthews, and therefore mentioned that fact
| to members of the minority, and they said they
| did not desire to have HIM present.
| MIR. Cox-The chairman has not been guilty
| OF any dlscourtesy whatever in that respect.
feel entirely sure Of that. The question of
what might be the privilege of member Of
either House had never occurred to me until
saw the point made in the newspapers It was
new one to me-one OF which 1 had no special
| occasion to form an opinion.
McMahon-l don't see how we could in ad-
| vance OF taking testimony have notified Sena-
tor Matthews to appear, as he was not named
in the resolution under which this committee
IS acting to all those who were named in the
resolution. We did not accord him the right
to appear by person or by council.
MIR. Cox, speaking for the minority of the
| com mittee-We of course have no hesitation in
saying that that was all that we asked for. and
if we were at fault in not making the question
wider it was from lack of knowledge.
Chairman-Everything was done that was
courteous in the matter.
McMahon-Did not our clerk forward to
Senator Matthews printed copy of the first
days proceedings in which his name is men
! toned?
4 The chairman called on the clerk and the
clerk replied he sent copies Of the testimony
to MIR. Matthews, MIR. Sherman and MIR. Hayes
| CAUGHT IN A LIE.
Butler-I wish to say that, knowing it to be
a fact, I supposed had misheard the reading
OF Senator Matthews letter to the committee
on that point wherein he stated he had nc
knowledge Of what was done here except from
public newspapers, and l was surprised on
reading the letter that had heard it correctly
Nt0n nt0S~ rAol Nj 4
to Mr.. Matthews may not have come to his
hands.
Mr. Cox-A fact occurs to me which ought tc
be mentioned in that connection. The day af-
ter our first lot of testimony was printed, be
ing in the Senate chamber in the afternoon and
casually meeting Senator Matthews. l asked
him if he had received copy of the printed
testimony, and he told me he had not. Then
having my own copy, which received from the
clerk, in my pocket I gave it to Senator Mat.
thews, supposing at that time however, that a
copy would be sent, as suppose it has been.
The clerk said it was sent to him by a page.
DIGNITY OF THE HOUSE.
Butler-This becomes very serious and i'm
portant matter, affecting the privileges of the
} House of Representatives.. and while have the
honor of seat in that body, do not propose
tamely to submit to any invasion of it's rights
privileges or duties. BY the constitution the
House of Representatives is charged with thu
duty Of preferring articles of Impeachment
against any officer Of the government who shall
be deemed in its judgment to be guilty Of higt
crimes or misdemeanors. The House is made
as it if sometimes said, the grand inquest O.
the nation to put in motion the legitimate anc
necessary steps to bring high criminals before
the highest court Of the nation. The Senate Of
the United States sitting as court of impeach
ment, properly to do these duties, requires thu
fullest power of taking testimony before the
lower court, which has the Jurisdiction of the
lower class of misdemeanors. Every man whe1
called on in due form
MUST APPEAR AND GIVE EVIDENCE
under pain of contempt Of the jurisdiction
of the court and is subject to punishment for
that contempt. How much more then, a body
legislative in form, but judicial in action, act
ing under the powers conferred for that< pur-
pose by the constitution, must every man, high
or low. be bound to appear and testify when
required in such case? Whether our deiber
ations shall result in the impeachment of any:
body or not depends upon the testimony which
we can elicit. If we cannot get testimony We
cannot do our duty committee Of investi
cation. If any one man can stay away from
the committee on any plea, then any other mar
| can stay away, and great injustice bt