The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-05-14

sociates made this neutrality-suspicious.
: whose wish he did not feel at liberty tc
! refuse. The resolution contemplates
. nothing but an inquiry into the facts Of
the electoral votes OF Florida and Loui.
, siana, and as TO the participation of the
: officers Of the Government in connection
with the frauds there, that can be done
} after the inquiry is completed. What
, ought to be done should be determined
J only after the inquiry has been had. Mr..
Potter then moved the previous question
saying the House could determine by Q
, vote on that motion II the matter should
. be further debated.
J Mr.. Hale said be had an amendment to
offer which was clearly germaine 70 the
resolution, and he submitted that in all
! fairness he should be permitted to offer
ii. BE hoped the gentleman (Potter)
would not seek here and now TO stiAe
! further debate, or TO prevent the Repub-
lican side from offering amendments that
would make the investigation exhaustive
: and searching. He therefore asked the
, gentleman to yield TO him to offer an
amendment.
| Mr.. Potter-I will yield to the gentle
man to state the nature Of the amend
. ment. Il may be that in the form Of an
amendment he merely wants to get In q
speech.
Mr.. Hale-The better way is 10 allow
the amendment to be read.
!, Mr.. Potter-The gentleman from
Maine Ia exceedingly familiar with par
liamenlary law, and is able 10 state the
nature Of his amendment, and when he
states il, then l will allow II TO be offered.
Mr.. Hale-Then will read the amend.
meut.
Mr.. Potter.-I did not ask the gentleman
to do sc; I asked him TO state what the
the nature OF the amendment was.
Mr.. Hale-I think ! may be allowed
TO say that this matter has not come up
suddenly; il was considered long time by
the gentleman and his associates, but
il was never known when il would be
sprung on the House. Feeling that II
was becoming Of course party matter, !
consulted with the Speaker and received
OF him the assurance am glad TO say
that in these matters the Speaker is al-
WAYS ready to give the minority chance
to be heard) that this side OF the House
should be represented in this matter and
should have an opportunity Of presenting
is propositions. All that will come
from the gentleman's yielding TO
my corteous request is that my
amendment may come in here is an op-
portuni,y TO vote on it. He and his as
sociates may vote 1t down If they will
and we will then vote on the resolution.
he will see, however, that my amendment
Is germane to the resolution, is in the
direction OF Investigation, and that so far
from narrowing the Investigation or
stihing 1t 10 the least degree, 1t sends to
this select committee for purpose the
subject matter only connected with the
sub bect matter Of the original resolution,
and that it departs not one iota from the
great subject matter Of investigation Of
the alleged frauds attendant on the Pres.
idential election. ask him now, as he
seeks full investigation, that he does not
here by the power which he has Of man
aging this resolution throttle the right
OF this side Of the House TO offer an
amendment.
The Speaker-The Chair desires 10 say
10 corroboration Of the gentleman from
Maine that the chair did state this, that
II the gentleman from Maine desired to
submit au amendment he would be recog-
nized by the Chair for that purpose, pro.
yided The gentleman who was in charge
OF the proposed resolution gave him an
opportunity to offer it. Then the gentle.
man from Maine asked whether an
amendment, being germaue TO the sub
iect matter, was mol as much question
OF privilege az the original resolution,
and the Chair told him tlatif the amend.
ment was competent as n question OF
privilege tue Chair would give him the
privilege Of offering the proposition in
his own right.
Mr.. Hale-I admit clearly that the re-
sponsibility is not with the Chair, but
with the gentleman Potter representing
the majority on the other side. My
amendment Is here holding II up in his
hand), and desire TO offer 1t.
Mr. Potter-I Sccept all the responsi- |
bility that belongs to me as to the ques.
ton OF determining II the amendment
shall come in. l do not yield to allow |
the amendment to be offered. The 6nal
responsibility, however. does not rest on
me but upon the House oil Represents
tiyes, which may refuse to second the
previous question, but the gentleman has
made noanswer to my request 10 state what
bis amendment relates 10 any more than
he says II relates to general subject ot
the alleged presidential frauds.
Mr.. Hale-Will the gentleman let the
amendment be read and he will under.
stand what it Is. / will send it to the
clerks desk. Shouts Of no, no, from
the. Democratic side.
Mr.. Potter-The gentleman can an.
swer II he chooses, and II he refuses 10
answer and insists on giving me au an
swer to inquire Of foolscap, then, say, 1t
Ii not such an appeal TO my courtesy as
ought to yield to, for ought know 1t
may refer 10 other states than the states
OF Florida and Louisiana.
Mr.. Hale-Then the gentleman seems
TO limit his investigation to selected
States and will not allow 1t To go outside.
Ia that the reason why he will not admit
nv amendment l tell the gentleman
plainly that my amendment Is not con.
lined 10 Florida and Louisiana.
Mr.. Potter-Now have got at last an
answer 10 my inquiry, and | decline TO
yielei the amendment. lffrauds were
attempted in Florida and Louisiana they
were carried out successfully and became
operative. II the object ot the amend.