The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-21

purpose OF fixing the responsibility for the bill
mot getting before the senate today Mer TT, the
ter. as he did not see that there was any par.
Henlar responsibility to attach to any one under
Representative Hammond asked permission
to make special report Of the COMMITTEES to n,
vesti0ate the affairs Of the State Printer. Inc
ceived. The committee reported that II. ".
Green, one OF the wi nesses before the commit,
tee was In CONTEMPT inasmush as ne f sad sv
the commjttpe The committee asked that
Green be brought before the House and made
Representative Murrell moved that the wit,
ness be brought before the bar Of the House anu
apswer the question. me reso REV, hlt VIZ NM,
bar of the House by the Sergeant ut Arms. -,
The question was asked by the speaker: IA
your examination before the Third District
Court did you not say that some one had In
etieated you TO make charges against the state
Ra to hs aDa
himself you would not give his nameT
Sneaker Me- RSM oneureMwin you give his name
The prisoner-r will not.
Representative Detiege desired that the
Speaker ask II II would be detrimental to the
Btate government or any member thereof II the
question was answered.
To this question the witness made the follow
Ing written reply.
NEW ORLEANS. January 20. 1872
resentatiyes:
have been brought before the bar of the
House to answer why should not be punished
for contempt of it's authority for refusing to
answer the following questions:
What il the name OF the party who instigated
you to prefer charges against the state Printer
By the committee under the following Joint res
.Resoised. That special Joint cGmmlttee Of
che House and Senate be appointed by the pre-
gliding officer OF each body. to be composed OF
Ave members Of the House and three members
OF the Senate, whose duties II shall be to inves-
tisate the accounts of the State Printer for the
year 1878 and ascertain what each exact amount
In due said State Printer. said Joint comm ttee
pera, and to that end they are hereby vested
with the power Of compulsory process.
In answer sas%t that es
honorable body, decline to answer the ques-
ton, because
1. The question Ia mot In any way calculated
20 assist your honorable body Ia the inveatiga-
ton connected with which II Ia asked but 10
calculated solely 20 involve this respondent Ia
4. While no one instiEate d me to commence
proceedings against the 1T ate Printer ne an Off
person or persons from whom / received the
Information on which acted. Just "a i would
decline to give inform alton connected with any
other affair OF a private or domestic nature.
concerning which your honorable body neither
had nor could have, any authority to inquire.
Respectfully submitted and signed ~ me, rrN
Representative Murrell moved that the pri-
soner be committed to prison on bread and
water for tw, days. and then again be brought
Representative warmoth thought that the
chairman OF the committee should have the
privilege Of controlling this matter upon the
vieee which he thought the chairman should
have. He would ask the chairman why he de-
sired the pris oner TO- answer the question.
the committee to get at al the facts and L could
not probe them to the bottom unless the wit
gave the 9 hs The
for the benefit Of the stat. II was important
that the question should be answered. other
wise the committee might not get at all the
Speaker Moncure said the answer Of the wit
ness Was not sufficient. II did not answer the
question must be answered. 1t was again put
by the Speaker: who insttgated you to make
hs ns the
clared that he was before the House for Its
action.
A demand was made for the reading of the
resolution creating the committee. The resolu-
Represen alive warmoth said he was In favor
OF making contumacious witnesses answer. but
he thought the question asked was not proper
one and the witness was right to refuse II ap.
peared to him that the Witness Green. and not
the State Printer was being invest gated by the
COmmfttea what we want are tHb IHcIt, anu
not information of 9 personal nature. He
did not think the question q proper one. The
committee had as much risht to ask witness the
REPRESENTATIVES, Mdrrell was not here to cham
pion the cause OF the State Printer. or any other
Democrat, He was here rs Republican, aud
he desired to see justice done. He believed that
there was something rotten In Denmark and 1t
should be brought out For this reason he be-
lieved that the witness should be made to an
4 message from the Senate was announced
Informing the House of the passage of certain
Representative Potts hored the matter of Mr..
Green and the State Printer would be speedily
brought to an end, that the business OF the
House could be proceeded with.
Representative Hammond said the COMMITTEES
was DESTROYS Of getting at the bottom facts OF
justice to the State. and 1t was for the purpose
OF doing this that he wanted the question an.
bS sana S
Green before the committee. Otherwise the In
vestigator would not be ms full as was desired.
and facts In behalf of the State would probably
Representative Jefrries thought the question
before the House was simply legal one. and
would like 70 have the opinion OF the chairman
OF the Judiciary Committee upon the subject.
position he thought it was fair TO ask The
prisoner the question rs to his co cconspirator
or eo-eonspirators. He thought tho witness
was properly before, the House and should be
made to answer. The answer might let In new
light upon the subject. and 1t was entirely COM
potent for the committee to press the question
Representative Demas moved. as substitute
for the resolution. that the answer OF the wit
ness. be received and that he be released from
custody
Representatives Warmoth differed with his
friend from East Fellciana upon the legal ques-
ton involved In this matter. he did not think
that the question was a competent one under
the resolution calling the committee into being.
That committee was empowered to investfKa Q
the accounts Of the State Printer. and nothing
else.
Representative Lyons was surprised to hear
the Igentleman from Plaauemines take such
nosition The com mittee was proceeding prop
erly under the resolution. and was investf-
gazing certain charges OF fraud when this dues-
Von arose The witness was testifying to the
fraud The committee desired TO know where
he got his Information. aud the motive Tor his
action in the matter. His answer would go
probably to imp peach his credlbility. The COM
mittee had right to the Information which he
withheld. -,
Representative warmoth-If you were inves-
tigating the affairs of the Auditor or State
Treasurer would you go behind the books and
1S ~ fh.,Sa .NfHs