The record-union., 1891-01-24

tive pole located in the gentleman from
Sacramento, to my left, and the negative
pole located to my right. But being right
in the line / am chuck full of electricity,
and sometimes get under its influence to
that extent that have to make a speech.
am on the Committee on Elections.
The first meeting / had with the commit
tee was on Tuesday last. The contestant
in this case of Campbell VS.. Eakle was
then ready for trial. but the respondent
was not because of his misunderstanding
he had had with the Chairman which had
led him to believe that the matter would
not come up for hearing until Thursday
evening. So the matter was postponed
until last night, when we sat listening to
the testimony until nearly midnight 1t
was suggested that we sit all night, but I
was in favor of an adjournment, because
| knew many on the committee were
young men who had wives and families,
and if they kept late hours their conduct
might be matter OF investigation and
suspicion. So I wanted to have them go
home. And by arrangement, agreed to
by both parties, the further hearing of the
case was adjourned until next Tuesday
evening. Now II the gentleman from
Sacramento desires q consideration of the
matter before committee of the whole
House, and to devote a week to examin-
ing the testimony I think he must be
overcharged with electricity.
NIL. Is OnG IDaU
should be considered not only with cour-
tesy and justice to the committee but from
an economical standpoint. presume no
member desires to arbitrarily decide this
matter without giving each party vitality
interested an opportunity to produce all
the evidence he sees fit, applicable to the
case. If, to consider it, the House should
resolve itselfinto Committee ofthe Whole,
1t would occupy week which ought to
be devoted to work in the interest of the
people. l am satisfied the gentleman
from Sacramento would not for an instant
entertain the thought OF casting his vote
upon the question of this contest without
a full, fair and free investigation. As far
as the Committee on Elections are con-
cerned, having matter before them my
self, have attended two or three meet
ings. and I.know, from what | saw and
heard there, that no cenSure ought to be
cast upon them. l believe the Committee
to be composed of fair-minded and con-
Sc1enuouS men, who Will ma ke an honest
Investigation; and when they report l
shall be willing, laying politics aside /
feel sure, to agree with the decision they
arrive at.
Mr.. Bledsoe moved to amend the reso-
luton by inserting MONDAY, February
3D. in place OF Monday, January 26th.p
Mr.. Matlock-it does seem to ne that
the committee ought to have ample OPP
portunity to consider this case, which is
an important one. The committee have
to exercise in reality judicial functions;
to hear the testimony, consider it, and
arrive ut a decision. / think the COM
mittee ought to have the additional time
asked TO make their report. that it may be
such one that we can speedily act upon
it when it comes before us.
Mr.. Galbraith-I think if we should
resolve ourselves into Committee of the
Whole and hear the case we could dispose
of it before members will get through
talking on this resolution. We have
heard the same speech repeated about
dozen times, and for one I am tired of it.
Applause.
Mr.. Barnett Of San Francisco-Besid
being Chairman of the Elections Com
mittee, ana on the Judiciary Committee,
which meets several times week, and on
the Committee on County Boundaries,
which meets mornings. The Elections
Committee has before it the contested
case OF Brown VS.. Daily, as well as the
case OF Campbell VS.. Eaille, and 1 cannot
understand why no appeal for haste has
been made III the former case as well as
the latter, except it be the politics of the
party sought to be unseated. Now ] de-
sire to be just and equitable. / care not
what the gentleman from Sacramento or
the House may say, l intend to be Just
and honest in my action though the whole
world cry against me and my committee.
[Applause.l
Mir. Doty-I think the most proper
course would be to let the committee have
all the time 1t wants to investigate the
case. In 1888, when the Republicans had
but twenty members on this floor, Dozier
q Democrat, sought to unseat Barnes, q
Republican, and it was not until near the
end of the setsion that the committee
made its report. There is nc. necessity
for any hurry. Better let the Democracy
have chance to keep their member here
/ like to sit by him; don't want Re-
publican by my side.
Mr.. Bruner-There is no one on this
floor who will exceed me in fairness. in
politics or anything else. In presenting
the resolution 1 am only fair to myself
and the House. l do it in the interest of
justice and right; because it is charged
that the gentleman now occupying seat
from Colusa reached it by fraud. I want
the committee to determine as soon as it
can and ought the question whether or
not we have fraudulent member We
have some rights of our own to protect
There is no higher privilege than that
given us of being the exclusive judges of
the qualifications of our own members.
l say the committee has been dilatory:
that it has not done its whole duty, for
some reason or other / do not attribute
it to any corrupt cause, but 1 say that the
respondent has, as lawyers do in court
sought poStponement on all sorts of eX-
cuses, and that the committee has been
too lenient with him. Last Tuesday night
a meeting of the committee was called,
and Mr.. Eakle stated that he had not en-
ployed an attorney and did not know his
case would come up then, when, on the
first day OF the session, the Speaker an
nounced that the papers were before the
House, and when a week ago last Mon
day those papers were transmitted to
the Chairman of the committee.
hnc l.
really done either in this case or that of
Brown VS.. Daily until last evening. Now,
when the respondent told the committee
last Tuesday evening that he had no at
torney and had taken no steps to employ
one, though he knew the papers had been
before the House for sixteen days. the
committee ought to have said to him that
they could not postpone the matter on
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