The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-14
UNRULY SENATORS.
Excitement Created by Their I'M
seernly Behavior.
Senator ingalls, Order for tho Removal of
Senator Riddleberger-A Southern
Senator's Arsuncnt-ramar'a
Attack on Conkling.
Especial wash!nG,on Correspondence,l

loPccfSi w aSuiHBtOn correspondence
"Thc most exciting and critical mo-
ment in my life was near midnight,
March 3, 1882, when arrested Senator
Riddlcbergcr, of Virginia" said ex-
Sergeant-at-Arns of the Senate Hon.
w. p. Canaday.
1.-THE person of n Senator is sacred in
the eyes of the law and the constitu-
tion," he continued, land no rule or
regulation of the Senate authorizes the
arrest of one of it's members When
the House of Representatives is without
n quorum the scrgeant-at-arms may go
after the Representatives and compel
them to come into the hall in order that
business may proceed. But, in similar
circumstances at the other end of the
Capitol, the scrgeant-at-arms is ordered
4to request the attendance of the alb
sentecs Usually they come when in
vitcd, but occasionally they refuse, and
that ends the matter SO far as the power
of the Senate is concerned. 1t is not
generally known, but it is fact that
there is no power now existent to com
pei Il quorum of Senators to be present
and do business. 1t is true that the
constitution provides that a minority of
each house may adjourn from day to
day, and compel the attendance of alb
sent members, but the Senate has never
made provision for carrying out that
constitutional prcrogative."
''But, tell me about the arrest of SEN
ator Riddlcbergcr," intcriccted.
"Wcll, as you are aware, the junior
Senator from Virginia has for a year or
more been very persistent in his efforts
to call up for consideration, in open ses-
sion, the Irish extraction treaty; and
he had kept the Senate in Il turmoil by
making demands at unreasonable and
inopportunc momc uts, ncccssitating
roll calls, executive, sessions and the
general delay of business. Very often,
when Senator Rid Ilebcrgcr was sf-
fcring from mental alterations, on nc
count of unfortunate. circumstances. he
caused the dignity Oh the Senate to suf-
fer severe shocks; and on the night in
question he was not entirely responsible
for his actions. The Senate, as usual.
remained in session all night for, on
the morrow President was to be in
nuguratcd.' Senator Ingalls, was in the
chair as vice-president pro tcmpora,
and every one knows that as Il pre-
siding officer the Kansas Senator is
dignity and equity incarnatc Senator
Rlddlebcrgcr was unusually persistent,
lntcrrupting proceedings every few
minutes and causing mcrrimcnt and
ripplcs OF laughter in the galleries. Ills
voice was husky his uttcrunccs thick
and almost unintclligiblc The prcsid-
ing officer sent for n.c and in formed me
that should have to remove the SEN
ator from the chamber if he persisted
in his conduct. / reminded Senator In
gals that no power was vested in me
to arrest a Senator, but he replied:
"You are authorized to preserve order,
and to obey the presiding officer of the
Senate. When you arc called upon,
you will do your duty"
''Hc closed his thin lips with deter
mined air. and I assured him that his
orders would be obcycd little after
midnight after the presiding officer had
for several hours patiently endured the
interruptions Of Senator Riddle berger,
he sent & page to warn me to be ready
to perform my duty. | then ordered.
Captain May vino is stationed in the
Senate lobby, to cntcr the chamber and
take Il seat back of the boisterous Vir-
gilman. Scarcely had Captain May
taken his position, when the grim, dis
tinct, determined order came from the
chair:
"'Thc serg sant-at-arms will preserve
order lie will remove the Senator
from Virginia from the chamber.
81 walked around the back row of
seats toward Senator Riddlebcrgcr, but,
just as approached him, he sank into
his seat quietly and ceased talking.
walked past him, went over to Senator
Chandler and asked him whether 1
ought to Immediately obey the order.
he said that, if Senator Riddlebcrgcr
remained quiet, it would be better not
to arrest him. But, scarcely had Sen
ator Chandler uttered that pacific adj
vice, when Senator Riddlcbcrger arose
again and addressed the chair in a SINH
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