Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-24
RULED OUT BY REED.
Congressman Cooper Gently Request
ed to Resume His Seat.
ATTACKING THE PENSION BUREAU.
The Hoosier Statesman Still on the Trail
of General Raum.
A DEFENSE OF TIE COMMISSIONER

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23-In the House
to-day Mr. Cooper, of Indiana, rising to
question of privilege. sent to the Clerks
desk and had read resolution Offered. by
him on September last, making certain
charges against the Commissioner of Pen
sions, and asking for broadening of the in
vestigation of that official. This resolution
had been referred to the select committee
examining previous charges, and on the llth
of September the chairman of that commit.
tee, Mr.. Morrill,, OF Kansas, had been di-
rected to report the resolution, but he had
never reformed that duty.
He (Mr. "copper" therefore offered reso-
luton directing the investigating commit
tee to report the resolution.
Mr.. Mckinley raised the point of order
that the question presented was not a priv
ileged one.
Cooper Ordered to Sit Down.
Mr.. Cooper went on to address himself to
the point of order, in,erspersing his remarks
with certain reflections bearing on the merits
of the resolution. Several times he was in-
terrupted by Republicans, on the ground
that he was not addressing himself to the
point OF order. The Speaker called Mr..
Cooper to order on q few occasions, and
finally directed the gentleman to resume his
seat.
Mr.. Cooper-I have not transgressed the
rules of the House.
The Chair called the gentleman to order and
asked him to resume his seat, under therules
of the House.
Mr.. Cooper, courteously, though with
some hesitation, complied with this request;
and the Speaker recognized Mr.. Morrill,, OF
Kansas. But Mr.. Bland, of Missouri, was
on his feet, demanding the reading OF the
rule under which the gentleman from
Indiana was required TO resume his seat.
The rule having been read, Mr.. Bland (act-
Ing under one of the paragraphs of the rule)
moved that the gentleman from Indiana be
permitted to proceed.
Breckinridge Defends Reeds Course.
Mr.. Breckenridge, of fKentucky, suggested
that the Speaker had the right to stop de-
bate upon any point of order when he so de-
sired.
The Speaker said that he had endeavored
in every way to induce the gentleman from
Indiana to address the Chair on the point of
order. The Chair had not exercised the
power OF saying that he would hear no
Iurther discussion on that point, because the
Chair was ready to hear anything said in
order. But the gentleman from Indiana
had proceeded out of order.
Mr.. Bland's motion was lost. Yeas, III;
nays, 143.
The Speaker tren ruled that the resolu-
tion offered by Mr.. Cooper was privileged
one. and overruled the point OF order against
it. Mr.. Cooper then proceeded to advocate
his resolution and to attack the administra-
tion Of the Pension Bureau; and he also
criticised the action OF Green B. Ra um, Jr.,
son OF the commissioner.
Fate of the Resolution.
Mr.. Morrill,, OF Kansas, said that he de-
sired only to reply to the gentleman's le-
Election upon him as Chairman of the In
vestigating Committee. The committee had
unanimously decided that the resolution
had been improperly referred TO it. and
within one hour he had returned the resolu-
tion to the Speakers desk by n page. Six
weeks ago the gentleman from Indiana had
asked him what had been done with the
resolution. He had informed the gentle
man, and had not given the subject
thought since.
Mr.. Cooper disclaimed any intention of
rejecting upon the gentleman from Kansas,
but the resolution had never been put upon
the record.
Mr.. Grosvenor, of Ohio, in defense of the
had not been the smell of corruption on the
skirts of Green B. Raum. Before the gen.
tleman from Indiana had been old enough
to know the difference between the Amer
lean flag and the Confederate symbol, Green
B. Raum has shed his blood in defense of
his country. [Derisive laughter on the
Democratic side.
The Matter Amicably Settled.
Gentlemen might laugh. The time
seemed to have come when 1t was not safe
for man, if he wished to be treated respect
fully, to refer to the American flag.
Mr.. Henderson. MIR. Smith and Mr.. Can
non, of Illinois, briefly defended the Com
missioner of Pensions.
Mr.. Cooper said that he had never learned
that the American flag was a symbol to be
used for the shielding of anybody from in
vestigation.
The matter,wa settled amicably by Mr..
Morrill, obtaining the original resolution
from the files OF the House, reporting it from
his committee and having it referred to the
Committee on Rules. The House then went
into committee of the whole (Mr. Burrows,
of Michigan, in the chair) on the naval ap-
preparation bill. Without making any
progress with the bill, the committee rose
and the House adjourned.