The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-02
Details of the Disturbance.
uaetarn Assocfated Preaa.

House was considering the river and harbor bill,
Mr.. Van Voorhis moved to strike out the item
for improvement or the Sacramento river. He
| claimed that if the cha irmau of the committee
| had not been from California no such item would
| have been put in it. 1t is so outrageous he con-
tinued, so damnable, that nobody but a gamb-
| Ter and cut-throau would think of tackling such
| a thing that to such bill as this
Mr.. Horr demanded that the words should be
taken down.
Mr. Page-"Oh hope not"
Mr.. McLane-"It s an insult to the House."
The words were read at the clerks desk and re-
| ported to the House.
| Mr.. McLane Immediately offered a resolution
| of expulsion.
Mr.. Hscock-"I know the gentleman will yield
| to me for moment. believe, as other members
do, that the words were spoken in heat, prov ok
ed as he thought he was, by something that had
transpired. believe he has been guilty of an
| infraction of the privileges of the House, and
yet L believe the measure presented is too
severe and trust he may be allowed to make
| an explanation.
Mr.. McCook-I am sure the gentleman from
| Maryland will not insist on this summary
method without my colleague being heard.
admit that the language OF my colleague cannot
be defended. l concede that unless he apollo
gzes In most full and complete manner, not
only to the House, but to the gentleman who re-
ported the bill, he ought to be expelled. But it
is only fair and just to hear him, and hear
whether he will apologize, before we put the
motion
Mr.. Robinson, OF Massachuserts-No one can
more heartily condemn such language than my
self. 1t is an infractiOn OF the rules of decOrum
and of the House; but what my friend Hiscock
says Is true, that in justice to his colleague we
| should pause. [ suggest that, In Justice to our
selves, we should pause. This Is the House of
Representatives, il is true and yet day after day
scenes transpiPe here that are not creditable
| in national House of Representatives. ZAP
| pausel That is no excuse for the gentlen an
from New York Wan Voorhis). It is time this
should he stopped. But say it is but just to
ourselves should pause before take the
| summary proceeding that is provided for IN the
constitution, and we should give the offending
apology to the House. If he declines, if he wa
vers, if he attempts to Justify himself, then
will go to the other extreme. Applause.l
Mr.. Horn said that he had asked that the
WORDS should be taken down, because that was
the only method in which the dignity and good
breeding of the members could be maintained
He had done 1T without any feeling toward the
| gentleman from New York, but he wanted to
say that the language was used without the
| the committee That gentleman had not
much as uttered syllable or word,
man from New York. 1t was an unprovoked at
tack which the House, out of respect of its digni
| W, ought not to submit TO. While he was willing
to give the gentle man an opportunity to apollo
gize, the House could not afford to allow its
| rules and the rules of common decency to be
violated Unless the man using such language
| retracted it he should meet most summary pun i
Mr.. McLane said it had never entered his
mind that the vote should be taken on his reso-
| luton before the gentleman from New York
should have had the amplest opportunity to
make explanation.
Mr.. Robinson said he should make more than
an explanation under these circumstances.
Mr.. McLane-But it never entered my mind
that anything he could say can excuse him be-
| fore the country and before the House. The
meanest and commonest criminal In the
land has the right to be heard; but when
| 1 come to ask the House to pass on this
| resolution, taking the responsibility of moving
| 1t, have a duty to perform, and recall to the
| House that the gentleman from New York, pre-
| yious to the words which were taken down, adj
dressed the gentleman from California as chair
| man of the commerce committee. He knew per-
fectly well to whom he addressed his language,
| and 1t Is fresh III the minds of every member of
| the House that last night we were discredited
| and disgraced by this same member from New
| York. He then addressed the chairman of the
commerce committee in language that though it
| could give no disgrace to the gentleman from
| California gave infinite disgrace to this House
| and to the gentleman from New York. who ut
| tered the language. Last night he made the
same reference to the gentleman's early life, and
spoke of him as asmule-driver and tage-driver
1t would have been quite in the line of current
retort if the gentleman from California had said
to the gentleman that if he had been born a
mule-driver or stage-driver he would have re-
NAMED such, probably, to the present hour.
| Laughter and applause
"a call the gent eman himself to ORDER" inter-
rupted Mr.. HlscOck
| Mr.. McLane-I am quite in order.
| The Speaker-The chair must caution the gen.
| tleman that it is not in order to make personal
remarks
| "Take his words down." suggested some of the
members, while Messrs. Mills and Atherton. in
an excited manner, held an indignant colloquy
with Mr.. McLane, who, folding his arms, def
antly said: 81 know what l have said;
take my words down." But the
demand was withdrawn, and Mr.. MeLane,
continuing, said he only referred to the lang
by Mr. Van Voorhis last night in order 10 show
the animus which had impelled him this even
ing. He (Mr. McLanel was satisfied that the
| House had only reached u point where ex-
ample was necessary, but, he regretted to say it,
| it had found the individual who ought to be
made that example. (Applause.]
Mr.. Mills vehemently protested against a man
| being tried without a hearing, and some appar-
entity sharp words passed between him and Mr.
| McLane, which could not be heard on account of
the great confusion in the hall.
| Finally Van Voorhis was accorded tie floor,
and standing In the center aisle, said he had
/ been very earnestly opposed to the river and
harbor bill. In opposing it, he had found it very
difficult to be heard, in consequence of confu sion
In the House, so that, in addressing the chair. he
| had always found IL necessary to speak with
| great deal of difficulty. In othor WORDS he had
| been compelled to raise his voice to its extreme
| strength. He was not an orator. as his friend
| from Maryland (Mr. McLane) was; his vocabu-
| larry was much more meager than the gentle
mans, aud sometimes he might express his
| opinion in words other than the gentleman
would use. What he Intended in the instance
before the House, was simply to characterize the
| measure under consideration. He had not
| the slightest intention to be personal to any
body, nor had he supposed he was using
had used with perfect immunity so far az ths
chairman of the committee on commerce was
| concerned he had not the slightest feeling to-
ward him unfriendly or malicious. He wished
| TO withdraw the words to which exception was
| taken, stating that when he used them he did
not intend to apply them to the chairman of the
| committee OF commerce, or make any personal
| application. He wanted to express his disap
proval OF the measure, and he had no nSention
| to make any personal ailuson to any body. He
| very much regretted that any exception should
| be taken, or that he was under the necessity of
withdrawing those words daughter. He de-
sired to make the fullest apology to the House
| for having used those words.
Mr.. McLane then withdrew his resolution, but
| Mr.. Herbert, of Alabama offered another resolu-
tion ri Mr. IN md odrao tad
| its adoption, claiming that retirement did not
| wipe cut the offense, and the gentleman should
not say on this floor what they would not say
| outside, and convert the House of Represe nta-
| tives into mad house.
Mr. Page asked that the resolution he with
| drawn in the interest OF business, but Mr.. Her
har Aaoli