The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-01-23

nALu 10 call TIE prtNIOuS QuestUu.
Mr. Herbert made no such statement.
Mr.. Boute:le-He was not so instructed.
Mr.. HERBERT made no such statement
The Republicans opposed the motion for call
of the House. but it was ordered by vote OF
yeas 153 nays 123 The call disclosed the pres
ence of 298 members, there being but twenty
nine absentees and, on motion of Mr. Herbert,
resolution was adopted directing the Sergeant
alarms to arrest and to bring to the bar or the
House such members as were absent without
leave.
Immediately Mr. Reed moved that all further
proceedings under the call be dispensed with.
He called attention to the fact that there was An
unusually full attendance OF members. Ihe
sole question which now existed was question
OF the liberty of debate No unreasonable time
was asked for by the minority. Ii could not be
that gentlemen of the other side, with majority
of forty, were DESTROYS OF suppresslng debate
from fear Of any consequences. NO harm ever
came in free country, from Tree discussion
Of legitimate proposition.
Mr. Herbert stated that the rules Of the House
prescribed reasonable time for debate on res
olution of this character. Thirty minutes were
allowed, fifteen for each side, after the previous
question was ordered. 1t was simply resolu-
tion of inquiry. and there was nothing to debate
until the inquiry had been answered
Mr. Reed suggested that the committee on
naval affairs had added an amendment to the
resolution which debate would show to be a
mistake and entirely futile.
Mr. Herbert replied that his side of the House
was entirely willing to accept the consequences
of any mistake which might have been made by
amending the resolution. Ii the additional in
quiry was made futile. the answer of the Secre
tary of the Navy would show it
Mr. Reed insisted that the House had the
right to debate any question coming before it,
and it was not for any man, or any set of men,
TO decide whether question proper one
to be answered.
Mr. Hewitt, of New York, agreed with Mr.
Reed regarding the freedom of debate. 1t did
not lie in the mouth of the gentleman of the
other side to charge Democrats with any at
tempt to limit debate. To undertake to come
in now with partisan statements was waste OF
public time and an abuse of the confidence OF
the House
Mr. Reeds motion was voted down, and after
a short wait, the Sergeant-at arms brought to
the bar of the House Messrs. Sowden, Riggs
and Bingham. After being considerably euyed
by their associates, the excuses presented by
these gentlemen were deemed satisfactory, and
they were released from custody.
At 2:30 Mr. Herbert thought he had secured a
quorum of Democrats. and, accordingly, further
proceedings under the call were dispensed with.
The previous question was then ordered on
the resolution-yea 159. nays 81. Then COM
mencea political debate, which was opened by
Mr. Boutelle, who promised his direct speech
upon the resolution with a remark calling arten
ton to the fact that the first legislative act OF
the House had been the passage. by unanimous
consent, of bill removing the political dsabill-
tics of an ex-confederate who had waited for
more than twenty years before discovering de-
sire to be placed in the line OF eligibility to an
appointment under the executive department. of
the United States. In contrast with this, he
mr.. Boutelle] had been tauntngly informed
that fifteen minutes of time was an ample allow
ance in which to present the case of outrageous
dismissal of disabled soldiers of the Union army
from the employ Of the government. and the OBJ
liberation and removal of inscriptions commemo-
rative of the success of the Union army
Norfolk paper had stated that Command
ant Truxton, in place of censure, was entitled
TO praise. The paper said that when he had
taken charge of the Norfolk navy-yard he had
found inscriptions intending to keep alive the
bitter memories OF civil strife, and had patriotic
ally ordered them to be removed. Mr.. Boutelle
then referred to the removal of the superintend-
emit of machinery st the navy-yard because of his
demurring to the DETACHMENT OF the dry-dock.
and the appointment of man whose title to the
position rested on service in the confederate
army.
eff" said Mr.. Boutelle ''the time had come.
or should come, to obliterate the memories OF
the Rebellion the monuments of the Rebellion
itself should be first torn down. Let not the
work be begun by taking down inscriptions COM
memorative of the victories of the armies OF the
United States" He had a list OF great marble
memorials growing up all over this land to per-
petuate the cause Of treason and rebellion. The
people of the country ought to say, rs old Gen
eral Dix did in regard to the American flag. "If
any man attempts to pull down a memorial of
country, shoot him on the spot" prolonged ap-
plause on the Republican side|. whether his po-
sition were that OF a member OF Congress or
citizen in private life. He entered his protest
against this morbid sentimentality, against this
false idea of magnanimity, which would for one
moment tolerate the laying Of the hands OF des
ecration on the memorials or the triumphs oil the
Union army. In the case of the Norfold navy
yard gallant, efficient, faithful public servants,
who had followed the flag of their country across
ahundred battle-felds, had been turned out that
their places might be given to men who had
fought to destroy the government
Mr.. Wise. of Virginia, said that the Secretary
OF the Navy was called upon to report if any
tablet had been destroyed at the Norfolk navy
yard which commemorated that the dry dock at
Portsmouth had been destroyed. He was glad
of the opportunity to inform the gentleman from
Maine that the dry-dock at Portsmouth had
never been destroyed Applause on the Demo
cratic side. A gentleman asked the Secretary
of the Navy If inscriptions had been removed
from cannon captured from the confederate
army. He would inform the gentleman from
Maine that no cannon with such inscriptions had
ever been in the Portsmouth navy-yard. Ap-
plause on the Democratic side The gentleman
from Maine wanted to know if Union soldier
had been discharged and a confederate given his
place. He would inform him that the man who
was discharged had never been in the Union
army, had never been within thousand miles of
a line of battle. had never heard the music of a
minnie ball. Applause and laughter on the
Democratic side.
Mr.. Boutelle-Did he not render great service
to his country9
mo. sir" replied Mr.. Wise; ''he. sir was In
receipt of large salary in bonb-proof posi-
ton, while brave men fought the battles of the
country"
Mr.. Brady. Of Virginia, asked permission to
PROFOUND question.
mo, sir; no. sr,n exclaimed Mr. Wise; IT will
give my attention to you in one minute. The
confederate, or the one whom you Mr.. Boutellel
Allege was appointed account of his service in
the confederate army, was appointed on compet-
tive examination. and the man to whom you re-
fer was removed for beastly intoxcation. Zap
plause on the Democratic side. One other fact
/ commend to your consideration. During the
Arthur administration the postmaster of Ports
mouth, who Union soldier. twice wounded
and twice promoted for gallantry. was removed
at the dictation of William Malone [Applause
on the Democratic side.l All, Mr.. Speaker. it