Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-03
F0LLETT'S FIREBRAND.
THE HOUSE ALREADY WADINC
IN GORE.

L
to-day, after the reading of the journal,
| w. F. Sheffield, the new Senator from
Rhode Island, was sworn in.
The Chair laid before the Senate the reports
OF the secretary of the Treasury. the Comp
troller Of the Currency, and the report OF the
Clerk Of the Court Of Claims containing a
statement of all judgments rendered by that
court during the past year.
Mr.. Vest offered a resolution directing an
investigation by the Committee on Indian
Affairs of all leases of land in Indian Terri
tory for grazing or other purposes by Indian
tribes. the number of acres embraced III said
leases, their terms, and the persons or cor
pOrations becoming the lessees; also directing
the committee to investigate all the circum-
stances under which the leases were made.
the means used in obtaining the leases re-
ferred to, and whether such leases were
authorized by law. The resolution went over
until tomorrow.
The Senate then entered on consideration
OF bills upon Its calendar. but without esult
and at l :45 O'Clock adjourned till to-mo.rr0v
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House to-day, Mr.. Wilson. of Eowa.
presented the credentials of II. G. Smith as
member elect from the seventh Iowa district.
10 I'LL the vacancy occasiOned by the res igna-
tiOn of John \. kasson. Mr. Smith ann Jared
at the bar Of the House and took the oath of
office.
Mr.. FOllett. of Ohio, as question of
privilege, presented the following preamble
and resolution: II do impeach Lot Wright.
United States Marshal OF the Southern Dis
trict of Ohio, of high crimes and misde-
meanOTs. l charge him with usurpatiOn of
power and violation of the law, in that h e ap-
pointed a large number of general and special
Deputy Marshals, to serve at the several
voting precincts in the city of Cincinnati,
IN the State of Ohio, at the election
for members of Congress held in SAID city on
Oct. Il. 1884, and arming said Deputy Mar
shals with pistols and other deadly weapons
said 10 have been furnished by the War De-
partment of the United States government;
IN that a large number of Deputy Marsh ais so
appointed and armed were notorious crimI-
mails and men of known vicious and brutal
habits and reputation. and many of them
non residents of said city of Cincinnati
and Of said state of Ohio, and in
that said Deputy Marshals, acting under
his orders and directions, aided, abetted and
encouraged fraudulent voting, intimidation
Of voters and gross Outrages upon the elective
franchise and rights of the honest voters of
said city in the furtherance of the interests of
political party and its candidates; there
fore,
.'Resolced, That the Committee on EXpend-
ltures IN the Department Of Justice be re-
qulred and directed, as soon as the same can
be reasonably done, to investigate such
charges and report to this House as follows:
First. How many Deputy Marshas, general
and special, were appointed and authorized by
s&.d United states Marshal for the Southern
District Of Ohio to serve at the several voting
precincts of said city at said election, with
the name and residence OF each, and the
voting precinct to which each was assigned.
''SecOnd. What citizens, if any, of SAID sew
eral precincts asked for the appointment of
such Deputy Marshas, with the names of
such citizens and the reasons, if any, which
were assigned for such request.
Third. whether any, and if so how many
such Deputy Marshals have, prior to such ap-
pOintment, been accused convicted of
crime, tr were men Of known vicious and
brutal habits and regulations.
Fourth. Whether said Deputy Marshals
were under direction and control of partisans
and used the powers vested in them in
The interest OF any political party and
lent and lllegltlmate voting in the interest of
such political party and its candidates.
"FiTth. What number and kind of pistols or
other deadly weapons were put into the hands
Of SAID Deputy Marshals, who furnished such
weapons, whence they were received. why
furnished, and how many such weapons have
been returned, together with the names of such
| Deputy Marshals as have failed to return the
weapons furnished them.
''SiEtb. What amount of money has been
paid to such Deputy Marshals, and by whose
orders was the same paid, and at what rate
per day.
''Serenth. Any other matter or thing con-
nected with or germaine to the general sub
ject of such investigation.
'ResOIUed, That in making such investiga-
JiOn the said committee be empowered to ap-
point subcommittee consisting Of the
Charm IN of said committee, and such other
two members thereof as he may select. which
sub committee shall have fun power to meet
and hold its session at such times and places
as may seem proper, to SEMI for persons and
papers, to compel the attendance of witnesses
to testify, to employ steEOgrapher and to
incur any and all such necessary and reason
able expenses as may be deemed requisite for
the purposes of such investigation, such eX-
penditures to be paid out OF the contingent
fUnd of the House."
MIR. KEIFER OBJECTS.
Mr. Keifer, of Ohio, made a point of order
| resolution, he said, was proposition to in
vestlgate charges against an officer Of the
United States. 1t was not a question of I'M
| peachment which was presented, and it would
not make the resolution in order to say that 1t
| looked toward impeachment.
Mr.. FOllett SAID that in the preparation of
| this resolution he had adopted the form fur
nished by the Thirty ninth Congress when
| charges were preferred against President An
| drew johnson. The House certainly had a
right to inquire into the conduct of an officer
| with a view of impeaching an officer whom it
| had a right to impeach.
The Speaker thought that under all pre-
viOus rulings the resolution presented matter
| of privilege, and the House could determine
\ for itself how far the investigation should be
| proceeded with and what committee should
have charge of 1t. He thereupon overruled
the point of order.
A long debate ensued. several Republican
members endeavoring to have the inquiry eX-
tended.
Mr.. FolIett said that the simple question
| presented to the committee for investigation
performed one of the highest possible duties of
an officer of the gOvernment-the protection
of the ballot in pursuance of the law. or IN
/ known violation of 1t. That and that only did
he desire that the House should be informed
| upon.
KEIFER LEAPS INTO THE BREACH.
Mr. Keifer thought that before the House
should prepare to impeach the United States
| Marshal in Cincinnati, it was important that
/ it should know the whole situation sur
/ rounding that officer when he undertook to
| provide that there should be a peaceable cleo
| ton. where all persons, of all races, might 90
and cast their ballots. At the very time when
| these Deputy Marsha were appointed in Gin
/ cinnati there were going about the streets of
| that city officers, or men pretending to be Of
| hceTs of that municipal corporation. seiZing
/ men simply because they were cOlOred men,
| locking them up by hundreds, and keeping
| them there until the polls closed on Oct. a. He
| might not be entirely correct, but the neWspa-
| pers stated that in one station house in Gin
| cinnati 800 cOlored, men against whom nothing
| was alleged, were held through election day
/ in order that they could not go to the polls
| and vote. 1t ought to be known what cOndi-
| ton Of things surrounded this United States
| Marshall and he would like to amend the res
| olution so as to widen the scope of the investi
| cation. This broadening of the scope of the
| Investigation would help the House
| to learn whether the Marshal had acted
/ wisely and prudently.
RALLY AROUND THE LEADERS.
| J. d. Taylor, of Ohio favored the broaden
| ing of the investigation, and made allusiOn to
/ the terrifying OF COlOftu Uleu On cltCbiOn udN.
Mr.. Miller, of Pennsylvania, regretted that
| the investigation stopped at the Ohio river.
| If it passed beyond the confines of that stream
| and went down the Mississippi, spending
| few hours in South Carolina, Alabama, Mis-
| sissippi and in other Southern states, where
| no regard was paid to how ballot was cast
or counted. he would be delighted.
| J. ID. Wise. of Virginia, said that he had
| resolution prepared looking to an investga-
| ton of the election a Southern State.
| Mr.. Miller said that while he believed that
| in the Southern States they had tried to kill
| and destroy, the shotgun had been laid aside
| temporarily, but they kept up the practice of
| counting their men in without regard to the
| ballot cast.
| Mr. Keifer asked leave to offer an amend
| ment directing the Committee on EXpend--
! lures in the Department OF Justice TO lnyes-
| tigate all the circumstances attending the re-
| cent election of members of the House of
| Representatives from the First and Second
| districts of Ohio, but Mr.. FOll9tt refused to
| yield.
| MR.. FOLLETT IMMOVABLE.
| Mr.. Follett also declined to yield to MIR.
| HiscOck, Of New Y Ork, who desired to offer an
/ amendment enabling the Marshal to bring
/ forward facts justifying or explaining his
| Mr.. Barksdale, of Mississippi, in reply to
| Mr. Miller, expressed his Willingness to pro-
mote the investigation of the election in any
| Southern state.
| Mr.. Hiscock made another vain attempt to
have his amendment considered. He said
| that as the resolution was drawn the Marshal
. ~zas excluded from any opportunity to give
a., ax-ause for his action. The resolution dld
1T involve a Question of intent on the
| nort Of the Marshal. and he thought that it