Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-20
TnE REGULAR MATINEE.
Hewitt and RObeSOn Disgrace
Themselves and the House by
INDUCING in the Worst Row OF
the Season.
sppcIal to ths oonrior..InnrnnI.

WASHINGTON, July 1.-THE House
had its scene to-day, or, as Brown, of
Indiana, said, Its regular morning
matinee" Mr.. Hewitt, Of New York,
waited patiently until Mr.. Robson
took his seat, and then proceeded to
show up his sly trick in putting into a
speech several days ago (when the
Navy Bill was up) some very mean
remarks about Hewitt. 1t amounted
to saying that MIR. Hewitt made false
and malevolent statements, both Of
these words being used, and Mr..
Hewitt had taken the precaution to
examine the stenographer's notes to
md that the words printed were not
made on the floor. Robson, or being
so completely shown up, proceeded to
read one of Mr.. Hewitt's speeches,
made on the same occasion, in which
much that was printed had not been
made on the floor; but the point was
lost by his admission that Hewitt had
asked leave to print. on account of
lack Of time to finish on the floor.
Then Hewitt came on again and
accused Robson of evading the point
and substituting the word '~'fallacious''
for false, w%hereupoa Robson inter-
posed: II take that back and stand by
the words as printed in the Record"
Then Hewitt said nothing but CON-
tempt could be felt for a man who
would take no action in the matter
after being branded as a liar, tLief
and p%eriurer. At this stage of the
game the silent crowd of members
edged up closer and it was the quiet
est quarrel that ever took place on the
floor. Hewitt was angry, and he
MADE his blows tell, finishing with the
remark that he left the gentleman to
get out of his disagreeable scrape as
best he could. Old ROBBIE then had
no recourse in the way of defense,
so he turned loose a lot of abuse
upon Hewitt, saying that he owed all
he had yer been, is, or ever will be,
to an old man who had taken him up
and made him, and that he had, on the
floor, made sighting remarks about
that old man by expressing the hope
that the time would come when
Peter Cooper would be known as his
iather-iD-law and be would no longer
be referred to as Peter Cooper )
son in law. Robson, also, on being
prompted by the craaky Miller, OF
Pennsylvania, proceeded to taunt
Hewitt with having Endorsed the
Morey letter in a dispatch to Califor-
mia, to which heI signed the Demo
cratic Chairnan's name. Hewitt
promptly denied this, and finally the
affair was brought to a close by the
great American c~onservator of Con.
greSsional peace, Brown, of Indiana
1t has been the worst of sessions Of
Congress for personal attacks, and
this of to-day was the worst of all
Robson dropped all pretense Of
relevancy, and not only went through
the father-in-law business, but re
minded the House that Hewitt had.
as a young man, been called a hare
name. This charge was so terrible
that some of the members asked Robe
son what it was, and it was revealed
to be Lying Abe" Thus did tn,
ex-Secretary Of the Navy try to diver
attention from the charge, for tn,
second time hurled at him on tn,
floor, of being a liar, thief and per.
jurer"-he stands up and accuses
Hewitt Of being Peter Cooper'S son
in law.