The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-15
THE CASE OF ROACH.
Chandler and Hoar Ask for In
vestigation Of Charges.
VOORHEES, TO THE RESCUE.


WAsHI1oToN CITy, April 1.-THE sub.
jet Of the proposed investigation Of SEN
ator Roach, Of North Dakota, was pre-.
cipitated in the senate this morning BY
Roach himself He said he vas perfectly
willing that IN investigation should pro-
coed. He lad desired an investigation,
but had yielded to the advice Of older
senators. Hoar asked for unanimous con.
sent for The passage Of his resolution.
George objected on the ground that the
senate had no power TO make IN investiga-
ton, - the matter involved acts prior TO
and unconnected with Roach's election.
German moved the appointment Of . COM
mittes to inquire into the power of the
senate to make an Investigation under the
circumstances.
Chandler spoke in favor Of the Hoar
resolution, but yielded the floor. and an
effort was made by Hoar to have . time
fixed at the present session for taking .
vote ON the admission Of the three sen.
ators appointed by the governors of Mon.
tana. Washingtono and Wyoming, but OBJ
jections came from Democratic senators.
who said, however, that they would confer
upon it.
The resolutions heretofore offered for
the Investigation Of the claim of Ady to
seat in the senate for the state of Kansas,
and for inquiry into the condition of the
territories of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah
and Oklahoma as to their fitness for adj
mission a. states, were taken up and
agreed to.
Chandler then proceeded with his argu-
ment in favor Of Hoar's resolution, a.
follows:
He made numerous and voluminous citations
from English and American history bearing on
the question a. to whether expulsion from .
parliamentary body can be based upon acts
committed before the accused person became a
member. He claimed that precedent estab-
lished that right
Voorhees,, replying to Chandler, said:
The presumptlons were that the Republicans
OF other states would DO better employed in
mfnding their own business than crticising the
actions of state In choosing Its senators The
proposed investigation was simply an inquisi-
torial process outside Of all constitutional limit
He desired the country to know that on his
side Of the chamber they would investigate
within the limits OF the constitution and not
beyond them. He had heard alleged OF SEN
ator from New Hampshire some grave and ugly
thinga He had heard men say that while he
was secretary of the navy he built three or four
ships which made but one trip, and that to the
bottom Of the sea He had heard IL alleged that
the contractors retired from their work rich,
contented and Infamous all at the same time
He had heard these things said. Does the SEN
ator from New Hampshire believe these matters
should b taken out of newspapers, and that
. senator should, without . word of testi-
mony, arise here and arraign him? The senator
from New Hampshire would turn this body into
the most miserable and contemplate conclave
an inQuisitorial process would ever have had
any knowledge OF. He would want to leave the
senate with loathing and disgust rather than
serve In body which claimed the right to SUI
pervise the morals of senators from other states
and enter into judgment upon them. It might
be that the senator from North Dakota suffered
from misfortune he had never sought.
Hansbrough testified to the good quSli-
ties and the high reputation he had
maintained for the ten or twelve
years he resided in Dakota. He
then branched off into q complaint of the
interviews and statements published in
the st. Paul Globe and Minneapolis TSib-
une on the authority of one Lamoure, Of
Pembina, disparaging to himself. and he
asked German whether he had in his DOS
session any documents. affidavits or pa
pers bearing upon his (Hansbrough'sl cleo
ton to the senate.
German pointed to Hansbrough's state
ment as an illustration of the folly of lis
tening to the tattling Of v:pers and miser-
able slanderers. and disavowed all knowl-
edge of the charges against Hansbrough.
Final adjournment after the executive
session may take place tomorrow.