Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-06-12


except newspaper reports. He saw
by reading the letter that he heard
correctly.
Mr.. Cox said he had asked Mat
thews on the day of his explanation
in the Senate if he had received the
copy of testimony and on Matthews
saying no, had him furnished with a
copy of his (Cox) own clerk. Again,
his page had taken copy 10 Mat
thews.
Mr.. Butler said it was becoming an
important matter, affecting the privi-
lcges Of the House, to which he would
not submit. By the Constitution the
House of Representatives is charged
with the duty of preferring articles
of impeachment against any officer of
the Government who shall be deemed
in its Judgment to be guilty of high
crimes and misdemeanors. The
House is. made, as is sometimes said,
the grand inquest OF the nation to put
in motion the legitimate and necessary
steps to bring high criminals before
the highest court of legislation, the
Senate Of the United States, sitting as
a court OF impeachment. Properly
to do this duty requires the fullest
power of taking testimony before the
lowest court which has Jurisdiction
of the lowest class Of misdemeanors.
Every man, when called on in due
form, must appear and give evidence
under pain of contempt of Jurisdiction
of the court, and subject to be punish
ed for that contempt. Every man,
high or low, must be bound to appear
and testify when required, in such a
case. Whether our deliberations
shall result in impeachment of any
body or not depends upon the testi-
mony we can get. If we cannot get
Testimony we cannot do our duty as q
Committee of Investigation. 1t lie no
excuse for q man to say, 81 do not
know anything which can be of adj
vantage and therefore / will not CO."
I want to know all the facts. 1 have
no other object in view. Having
neither enemy to PUNISH nor
friend to reward in this investi-
CATION, neither guilty person to
shield, nor innocent person to
convict, l want to know all the facts !;
the country wants t. know all
the facts, and every man must come
here who is sent for. There are two
missing papers, and should like to
know how they are missing. / think
it due to persons accused here that
Matthews should come to testify,
therefore, the only two questions in
my judgment are: First, is the COM
rnittee convinced that Matthews is q
witness who may be possessed of facts
pertinent and competent in this in
quiry? Having determined that ques-
ton, the next question lie has the
House any way to get at that knowl-
edge which he has, or is supposed to
have? l therefore submit the follow
ing resolution:
RESOLVED, That Hon. Stanley Mat.
thews seeming to be AN important and
competent witness in the investiga-
ton with which the committee is
charged, subpoena be issued to sum-
mon said Stanley Matthews in due
form to testify before this committee.
| i present this resolution in open
session and l have made my remarks
about it because l am always ready
to say on the house top what mean
and what l deem to be right and
proper, and now move that the COM
mittec go into session for the purpose
of discussing the resolution.
Mr.. CoX-I hope the Committee
will not do SO. 1 hope that as the
discussion has been in public it may
be continued in public.
| Mr.. Butler-I am contented.
have no objection.
Mr.. Cox said he regretted this dis
cnssion, but it was simply question
whether the Committee has the right
to subpoena. He thought the Com
mittee might arrange it so that Mat
thews could attend without conflict
with his other duties. The subpoena
should provide for that.
After further discussion Butler said
he had framed his original resolution
summoning Matthews at his convent
encc. He understood the right of
the matter justa Cox had stated it.
He knew Of no privilege which Sen
ator had not to tell the truth in a
court of Justice. He had never felt
the necessity of such. privilege in
his own case and believed there was
none. He desired TO test this claim.
Mr. Cox admitted the necessity of
subpoena TO test such questions and
Reed agreed in his views.
The resolution was then adopted
and the committee adjourned till
Monday.
| THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla, June 8th.-The
committee on election frauds to-day
heard .. A. Buddington, formerly
clerk OF Clay county, who testified
one precinct was not included in the
regular return because it.was doubt
full whether some of the inspectors
were sworn; afterward learned they
were sworn and made affidavit to the
q rvernor of the fact.
| Y. A. Byron, clerk of Leon county,
and Y. II. Edwards, former clerk, tes-
tilted regarding the Jolly joker cleo
ton tickets; Bowes, an inspector.
had said he put in seventy-three or
seventy-four jolly jokers, aud when
demonstrated with said he didn't
care, he had given the state to Hayes
with these jokers. Bowes said the
poll list was made to correspond with
these votes. Witness, Edwards said,
had objected to the use of jokers.
Purman said he knew an election
that was carried by using them.
Samuel b. McLin was shown a num-
Der Of kilograms to Gov. Stearns,
mostly from w. E. Chandler, setting
forth the election and salvation OF
the country depended on Florida and
means and troops would be furnish
ed. Some gentleman came to repre-
sent Hayes, including Chandler and
Noyes; was told anything done
Noycs would be responsible for and
was told by General Wallace that the
members of the Returning Board
would be taken care of if the state
went for Hayes. Chandler promised
myself and Cowgirl would be taken
care of and would say so for General
Noyes and himself. Moves never
said so directly to witness, but Noyes
thanked him after the canvass and
congratulated him on the result said
witness acted nobly. He identified
the letter written by himselfto Noyes
Jan. y, 1877, latnenting the prospect
OF defeat of the Presidents inaugura-
tion, and intimating that he would
like to help in securing the place Of
the United States District Judge for
Florida, but setting forth that he
didn't ask this on account of the re-
cent canvass, because he only did his
duty conscientiously then. Witness
thought he wrote this; would not
swear positively. Witness and Stearns
agreed that the returns would elect
Hayes. There were three returns
from Baker county; one of these
elected Hayes by paltry majority,
but either of the others gave Tilden
IS majority in the state. He had,
when opportunity admitted, present.
ed suchI returns as were most favora-
BILE to Hayes, and generally the most
regular returns.
WASHINGTON, June lO.-The meet
ing Of the Potter committee was post
poned until after 3 O'Clock.
AT 4 o'clock the Potter committee
examined Timothy Griffin, in the Of
flee Of the Secretary of the Senate,
who said he found by searching the
files q paper authorizing Thomas G..