The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-13
PRIVILEGES or THE HOUSE.
Representative J. D. Taylor, of Ohio, Accused
of Violating the Rules.

passed reclting, that the eXigencies OF the pubic
service prevent the attendance of Congress at
the opening of the Worlds Industrial and Cotton
Exposition at New Orleans; that the President
has decided to open the exposition by telegraph
and start the machinery thereof by electricity
from the executive mansion, in the presence of
his Cabinet and foreign representatives,
and requesting the presence of the Pres
ident of the Sentae, together with a
committee of thirteen senators and the
speaker of the House, with one representative or
delegate from each State or Territory, to attend
at the executive mansion on Tuesday, Dec. 16,
at 1890, to witness, on behalf of the Congress of
the United States the opening of the exposition
by the President, and to adopt and forward
therefrom such addresses of congratulation as
may seem appropriate to the occasion.
Mr.. Warner, of Ohio, rising to question of
privilege, offered preamble and resolution re
citing that j. D. Taylor, of Ohio, on the 9TH Of
July, 1884, the House having under considera
ton the Mexican pension bill, having obtained
the floor, occupied the time of the House six
minutes; that subsequently he obtained leave to
extend his remarks in the Record; that instead of
extending his remarks he had printed in the
Record, after the adjournment of Congress, a
written speech or paper containing sentiments
and paragraphs rejecting on members of the
House, a committee of the House, and the House
itself, and reporting, or purporting to report the
action of one of the committees Of the Senate
all III violation of his leave to extend his remarks
in the Record and of the rules of the House, and
declaring that the parts OF the speech rejecting
on members of the House. on the committee of
the House, and on the House, and referring TO
what took place in the Senate committee, are not
3 proceedings
House.
Mr. Warner stated that he was directed by
the committee on pensions, bounty and back
pay to bring the matter before the House He
sent to the Clerks desk, and had read, the por
tions of Mr.. Taylors speech to which objection
is taken. They reflect upon Mr.. Warner. as
chairman of the committee pensions, bounty
and back pay, on the committee itself and de-
nounces the action of the House upon the Mex-
pension bill. They also make alluson to
the action of the Senate committee on pensions.
Mr. Browne, of Indiana, made the point that
the speech of Mr.. Taylor did not violate the
privileges of the House.
The Speaker thought it not his duty to decide
that question. If a member and alleged
that certain thing had been done in violation
of the rules it was the duty of the Speaker to
submit the question to the House.
Mr.. Warner proceeded to argue that the facts
as alleged in Mr. Taylor's speech were not true
and controverted the statement that the com
mittee on pensions bounty and back paw at the
of soldiers, and that an Objectionable one
and he quoted from the records of
that committee to show that large
number of bills had been reported to the House.
The question 10 be decided was, whether the
House would allow to remain as part of it's
record what was never spoken in debate. The
paragraph to which he objected most strenuous
ly was the one charging the committee with
stealth and cowardce. Did the gentlemen claim
that that was parliamentary language? His
committee not willing that it should go I'm
challenged to be quoted against the committee
in the future by gentlemen who did not know
as well as the members of the present House
did the gentleman who was the author of it.
Mr.. j. d. Taylor, of Ohio, attributed the mo-
tive which influenced the Offering of the resolu,
ton to the fact that Mr. Warner and himself
had been rival congressional candidates at the
recent election. and that Mr.. Warner claimed to
be elected by Il majority of 217. He (Mr. Tay-
lorl had carried every county except Monroe.
GOOD for Monroew exclaimed Mr. Davidson
of Florida amid laughter and applause on the
Democrat side.
Mr., Taylor declared Mr. Warner would not
have carried Monroe except on the hypothethis
that he had voted for Mr. Randall for Speaker
He raised laugh at the expense of Speaker Car
Isle by reading from Democrat paper published
in Ohio, in which that gentleman is referred to
as having been a free trader throughout the
speakershp contest .N
Mr.. Taylor then submitted an argument to
substantiate the statements made by him in the
speech TO which exception taken, and the
discussion drifted into consideration Of the Mex.
lean pension bill. Coming down more directly
to the subject in CONTROVERSY, he read from ta+
bles prepared by the Public Printer showing that
Mr. Warner had himself on several occasions.
taken advantage of the privilege given to print
in order to show that it was habit of members
to avail themselves OF this sermission.
One of these tables discloses the interesting
fact that during the Forty fifth, Forty sixth
Forty-seventh, and the first session of the Forty
eighth Congresses $50 speeches were printed
bio1x IL
1,1SS speeches delivered were withheld for re
vision and substantially altered.
He also read letter calling attention to the
fact that the Salt in Politics speech Of Mr.
Cox, of New York was not delivered in the
House, but a reprint of 4th of July address
to Tammany Hall. Laughter
Mr. Rogers, of Arkansas said the remarkable
spectacle was presented of a committee of the
House, consisting of Democrats and Repub-
licans, unanimously requesting their chairman
TO present certain charges against the gentleman
from Ohio (Air Taylor, and asking that the OBJ
Jectionable features in speech of that
gentleman be expunged from the Record
The gentleman seemed totally insensible
of the attitude in which he was placed
and instead of undertaking to establish the fa
sity of the charges or apologizing to the House
In an honorable and manly way he went into a
discussion of Ohio politics and brought in Ger
tain records of the Public Printer. who might
well devote his time TO the public service instead
of answering inquiries OF partisan character
Mr.. Rogers then went on TO defend the commit
tee on pensions, bounty and back pay from the
charge Of neglecting the interests of the soldiers
Mr. Hammond said it was perfectly imma
teriai how the election in Ohio had been con
Quoted, or how it ended. The sole question was.
whether by the paragraphs complained of, the
gentleman from Ohio had committed breach
Of the rules of the House. He Mr.. Hammond)
thought the genteman's remarks to day We're
virtual admission of this and he would vote to
oxpange from the Record the Objectionable ar
ticle.
Mr. Warner, in rising to close the debate.
said the action of Mr.. Taylor in printing such a
speech was unprecedented. He did not wish to
20 into discussion of the Ohio election. but
would say that never had campaign been car
ried on anywhere where methods so strictly for
hidden and abhorrent were resorted to, as were
resorted TO by his colleague and his confeder