The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-05-16

4
any attempt 10 exercise such power owe
the presidential election was usurpariol
! The only power which this House had owe
the President was the power to impeac
him for some crime and misdemeanor whic
he himself had committed, but not f.
frauds which Others had committed i
) bringing HIM to the presidency Ii thi
House had the power to investigate III
question as to how Mr.. HAYES obtained III
presidency, it also had the right to invest
gate the means by which James Il. Poll
obtained the presidency in his time, and
might 60 back to the days Of George Wash
ing;on and bring the facts of his election
before the people.
Mr.. COX read an extract from the decis
ion Of the Electoral Commission in tn.
case and charged Mr.. Garfield with havin:
either convenient conscience or conven
lent logic. 1t seemed to him that whateve
steps might be taken to reach that grea
transaction, the gentleman from Obi,
held that they were outside the records
So far as question of privilege was con
cerned, this was question Of high privi
lege.
Mr.. POTTER held that the privilegs
| asked for was only the privilege Of having
now considered the resolution presented
| The privilege to which The resolution was
entitled arose from the fact that it had been
set in motion, first by the public casual &C
| ton of a sovereign State. and second from
| the nature of the subject matter TO which il
referred. The gentlemen on the other side
had been auick TO declare that ii he pot
teri would saw that the purpose of the reso-
luton was TO impeach and unseat the Pres
| ident of the United States. thew would sd-
init it was in order. That he declined to
declare. If that construction given to the
rule by the gentleman from Maine (Mr.
HALL was right, that the limitation of the
privilege in reference to the election of
President Is an iuauiry in
reference to his election before
he is seated as with view to unseatine
him, that was q construction which would
forever prohibit the House from ipariripo
into the frauds that had been successfully
committed and which had come to knowi-
edge after their successful accomplishments.
II there was anything in the nature Of the
fraud that made it desirable TO be inquired
into, it was whenshe fraud had been success
full, and II the House refused to inquire be-
s.,Ise the frauds had succeeded, the commits
sioh Va suSh hauos Souiua NC SheOuA o6tu
and the failure to investigate would jepoar-
die the peace and security OF the country.
The SPEAKER-The Issue involved Is n
new one m the history OF this country, and
an examination Of the basis in which the
preamble and resolution are introduced, is
proper. The legislature of Maryland pass
ed a joint resolution touching the subject
treated of In the preamble and resolution
Al
Of Marylsnd has been remitted to this
House and has been referred to a commit
tee, and is within the knowledge OF the
members of the House. Here is an appeal
of State OF this Uniou to the Federal leg
islative power tor the correction of a high
grievance said to have been committed in
the States Of Florida and Louisians,
against the rights of the State of Maryland,
in having, by fraud in said States of Flori-
da and Louisiana, produced different re-
suit IN the election Of President and Vice
President from that actually decreesl by
the people themselves at the polls. Whether
these allegations can be sustained by proof, it
is not for the Chair to consider IL is enough
for the Chair to know they come from 4
power which, within its limits, is recog-
nized as a sovereign by the Consultation,
and that the issue involved runs to the
welfare of the people OF the States-nor is
it within the reach Of propriety for the |
Chair to express an opinion as to how far |
such an investigation should 90 in order to |
reach the facts. nor what limit should be |
set upon it. A higher privilege than the |
one here involved and broadly and directly |
presented as to the rightful occupancy OF |
the chief executive Chair of the Govern
meyIt and az to the connection of high
Government officials with the frauds al
legged, the Chair is unable to conceive. The
Chair finds enumerated among the aues-s
lions of privilege set down in the manual,
the following: Election OF President.
The Chair. therefore. rules that
he preamble and resolutions embrace
,uestions of privilege of the highest char
,cter. and the Chair recognizes the right of
he gentleman from New York 10 answer
he same. (Applause on the Democratic
,ide of the chamber The other po;nts are
If course held in reserve.
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A,,sr dshats The SPrSK ;IS "anw"rrr,od
Ill these points. Il