Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-15

It II Still Further Debated In the senats
Today.


would move to take up the resolution
foa the appointment Of . committee to wait
upon the President snd inquire whether he had
any further communication to make to the
Senate.
Mr.. Plat stated the facts in Mr.. Roach's
YESTERDAY By Messrs George tGi...) }.
and voorhees, Gnd.). He con-
ceived thst the duty OF the Senate
was plain. Could il be. he asked.
that if convicted criminal Just discharged
from penitentiary were elected Senator BY a
state the Senate had not the power to reject or
expel him?
Mr.. Harris (Tenn.) inquired Of Mr.. Hosr
whether he would now Withdraw his motion to
reconsider the vote by which some days ago
resolution wse agreed to for the appointment Of
a committee to wait upon the President and in
quire whether he has any further commurica-
ton to make to the Senate.
Mr.. Hoar Mass. said that he had no objec-
ton to have the matter dealt with ut the dis
erection Of the other side OF the chamber. Mr..
Harris proposed to have the matter dis-
posed of now. but Mr.. Call (Fla.) sug-
gested that his state was much inter-
ested in the resolution TO increase the member
ship OF certain committees. Notice then
given by Mr.. Harris that he would call up the
resolution referred to by him as Mr..
Platt who bad the foor on the Roach quost tom
should have finished his remarks. Mr. Plstt
addressed the Senate
Mr.. VOORHEES, EXTRAORDINARY POSITION.
He desired to reply, he said, to the extra
ordinary position taken by the Senator from
Indiana (Mr. Voorhees,, who assumed to speak
yesterday for the democratic members Of the
Serase. and by the Senator from Mississippi
(Mr. George, who assumed to speak for no
one but himself. 1t was not pleasant. under
any circ unlstances, to speak on Il proposition
involving the honor, standing and honesty o. a
member of the body. And yet, when the prop
osition was before the Senate n Senator should
not from any motives of dclicacy. shrink from
the proper discussion Of it. Unpleasant, as II
was. he desired to call the attention OF the SEN
ate to the precise case before il.
The Senator from North Dakota had pre-
sented himself on the 4th OF March, at the
opening OF the session, without apv previous
suggestion being made anywhere that there
Was anything whatever in his past life
or conduct that initiated against his being
sworn in. or against lis being proper MEM
Der Of that body. His credentials being in
proper form. he had been admitted. had tsxep
the oath and had become a sitting Senator from
! the state Of North Dakota. On the 18th Of
March publication had appeared in the news
papers charging In specific terms tina. In the
year 1879 Mr.. Roach had been bark officer
in bank of the District OF Columbia and had
embezzled 1000 and had fed the city; that
s25, 900 of that sum had been paid to the bank
lied from some property which had belonged
to him and that the balance had never been
made up to the bank
These were charges, and he (Mr. Platt) SUBJ
mitted Tin reply to q suggestion OF Mr.. voor-
hees) that 1t was not question Of morals. but
that 1t was a question OF crimin8lity. Those
charges having been made boldly and specific
ally and not having been denied had not the
Senate DUTY to perform? The resolution for
an investigation, which had been offered by
Mr. Hoar. had been steadfastly resisted on the
other eide of the chamber until yesterday, when
the Senator from North Dakota himself asked
that the matter should be investigated
But that request had been Immediately fol-
lowed by denial on the part Of the Senator
from Mississippi, Mr.. George. for himself, Of
the right or power Of the Senate to make any
inquiry or investigation relating to the
matter; and a little later by speech
from the Senator from, Indiana {Mr. Voorhees,,
speaking for the democratic side Of the chamber,
utterly denying the right Of the Senate to in
vestigate under any circumstances.
PRETTY IMPORTANT QUESTION.
"Now, Mr.. President" Mr.. Plat continued,
"this is pretty important question. It is the
question whether the Senate has the right,
under any circumstances whatever, to inquire
into the character or Conduct of a sitting mem
Der as relating to acts committed prior to
his election to the Senate. II the Senate has the
for Senator either side Of the chamber to
say that it ought not to be exercised in this
case
'And if the Senate has not the right or
power then all the talk to which We have lis
tened-to the effect that the alleged offense was
committed long ago; that the person alleged to
have committed it did not fly to Canada; had
been under the American flag, and, therefore,
that his conduct ought not to be inquired into
is not to the point at all
THE question is whether the Senate has the
right and power to do it, II it has l conceive
who has just finished his time in
penitentary should be sent here by Q state
will 1t be said that we are powerless to
reject him or to expei him2 / think
that no precedent can be found in the United
States or England, or any other civilized eoun-
try, where the doctrine has been up
held that the Senate or the House is held down
Gin judging Of the qualifications of its MEM
bers) to the rigid constitutional requisites for
election as Senator or member. On the con-
trary, although the precedents are in the nature
OF the case few. it has been always held that
jurisdiction is given to inquire and investigate
under such circumstances. Will it be contended
that we should be obliged to admit q physical
leper il a state should elect him to the Senate?
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.
Mr.. Gray (Del What would we do about 1t?
Mr.. Platt-I would e1psl him. would ro-
fuse to receive him in the first case, and II re-
ceived without knowledge OF his disease
would expel him. Could Aaron Burr have
come here and said, II am thirty
years Of age. 1 have been . citizen Of
the state Of New York for nine years.
and would the Senate have been powerless to
have made any other inquiry into his QuAlifca-
tons? Would not the great, notorious fact
(even though he had escaped the clutches OF
the law that he had been engaged in a treason
able conspiracy against the United States have
been fact which the Senate could have con-
sidered? .
III Aaron Burr had presented himself here
with the credentials Of sovereign state
think that the Senate would have discovered
! that it had power to inquire into some other
than the constitutional qualifications of . man
seeking seat III this Body. do not know that,
in the case of the Senator from North Dakota,
the inquiry would result in expulsion.
THE HONOLULU FLAG INCIDENT.
After speeches in the Roach matter by Mr.
Mills (Tex.) and Mr.. Hawiey Comm Mr..
Lodge (Msss) offered q resolution directing
| the Secretary Of State to inform the Seuate by
whose authority the American nag was hauled
down from the government building at Hon
olulu on April /.
Let that resolution lie over till tomorrow
| under the rule, said Mr.. German (Md. }, and 1t
laid over
An amendment to Mr.. Lodges resolution
was offered by Mr.. Butler (S.C.) adding to it