Daily Kennebec journal., 1893-12-20
B0UTELLE SPEAKS.
His Question of Privilege Is of
Highest importance.
COaeerned Dignity and Rights Of the
House and Mas Not Personal.
Denoers.s Gssak faiis Ia Making Public
RAYS ard Means aspsrt.

Nsys ard Means Report.
| wAsHsSsros, Dec. - la the House
10 iAy, BonteIls conlea3ed for the priFi-
/ legged nature OF his rssoletiea v hich be Of
/ frrea As an amendmeut 70 the ene presented
/ by c0ckrAn. He said the usage AMI rules
/ OF the House provide for the immediate
confederation Of such privileged questiens.
| The resolution introduced bs him Involves
question of the very highest pEivib ge that
could be submitted 10 the House. II Was
rot i question OF p=r.ansi privilege; j, was
qHS sti0n of the privileges Of the House OF
/ kepres nszfIyes "a = coordinate branch Of
tie government Of Tire Gsits4 States
Il: set forth the fact, or fhe alleg atioa,
said Bog.rlle, Tthst the pFerogatiyes of the
House To- tcCu iGva4sd by the executive
branch Gi Ihis government, and | bold that
excertiag clone = resolution for impeacA-
ment OF the President, no question can
come before this HCEte Of higher privilege
than the resolution which have presented.
The doeauS nts read at tlts Gesk yester-
day on their face, aud ei;heat rssortiag 10
any strained construction. show thst there
his baen prseipitated with friendly power
"a .iiua;ioa which today under the insiruc-
ton. now in the possession Of the minister
of the United States in that country we
NAV become complicated, or may have al
ready become complicated.
That mini.ter may already have taken
such action as 70 make war with that coun-
try. From all We know armed forces OF
the United States may be today arrsyea
ag.inst friendly country with which the
people Of this country rshslmiugly sym.
pathize.
While that mans public instructions
were to present 10 the President Of the pro-
visi0nal government the assurance of the
good will and sympathy of the people and
government Of the United States, we fnd
that he has secret instructions 10 report to
whom. To the Queen. The President Of
the nited States insists on recognizing the
deposed Qneen.
Goodnight Dem of Kentucky made the
point OF orfsr that tie gentleman was not
conli ing hi.a-elf 10 The prlviis ged question.
The Speaker sustained the point, and Mr..
Bouttllc pfuu sci to keep y ilmn the limits
Of the rule Of the House
Mr.. Boutelle then continued Lis remarks
and sail il was the duty Of the United
States, at the earlit It possible moment 10
disayos the situation in which it was placed
and which was calculated to bring it into
disrepute and contemp. with other coun-
tries, and for the House to fail to exercise
is pferogative. TO fail to iasis, upon its
rights and dgnities as a snbJrlinats branch
OF the g0vernman: you'll brirg upon the
legislative department Of the United States
the coptempt OF our people.
Il care not said Boufelle, from whom
this ursurpation emsnates care not
whether It was Organized ny renegade
Republican or Democratic usurper.
(Appiause on the Republican side
The Speaker again called the attention OF
Mr. Boutelle to the necessity Of keeping
within the bounds or a privileged question.
Boutelie ig un promised he would endeayor
to be circumspect He then asked the
Speaker # resolution Of impeachment
would be privileged question
The Speaker said it wonld, and then con
timed The Chair rot entirely clear on
the subiccf but will hold y iGh iha 4 nileman
from Maine as to the privilege Of his reso-
luti N ard as surqested by he gentleman
from Kentucky Goo5uightl viii refer it 70
the committee On foreign affairs
Boutc le replied IN tona Of disappoint-
ment II rose to question OF the highest
priv ileFe. and the qaestiou is referred TO
committee. In the h story Of this House
there are reported instances where resolu-
tons Of this kint have been presented AMI
have teen immediately acted upon by the
House. frs reference 10 the committee On
for,isn aiTpirs viii result il rs being
smnthsrei.'
Speaker ugh a question may b
privileged, yet If there "a an express rule Of
the House which declares 1t must be re
ferred to one of the committees, the Char
IA of the opinion that IT must 60 to that
committee B0utelle continued to contend
for the immediate consideration of his reso-
luton. He objected to its commit'sl on the
plea that 'its reference viii destroy the
very object of the resolution.
The Speaker was obdurate, however, and
said: "Ths resolution Of the gentleman
from Maine refers to our foreign relations,
and there il rule that all matters relsting
TO our foreign affairs must be referred to
the committee on foreign affairs
Mr. Bout lie quoted as precedent for
his resolution. 4 resolution offered In the
House in 1869, asking the President for IN
formation concerning the battle OF Balls
Bluff.
The Speaker ID ciled this case was not
precedent, and amidst cries of Regular
order. Boutelle appealed from the decision
of the Chair.
McCreary CDam..l of Kentucky, moved
to lay that motion on the table and on thus
motion the spublicans fought for every
inch of the ground. bat by a vote of $50 to
50, the appeal of Bouteile from the deei-
son Of the Chair was laid on the table.
The House went into committee of the
vhgle for the consideration of the urgent
deficiency bill The clause under consi iera-
ton was that makiag an appropriation for
srecial examiners in the pension office.
The amendment was adopted, making
pension a vested right which cannot be su.-
PENDED * i aou, proper notice. The follow
ing amendment was offered BY Hayes
Dem. Iowa.
For mileage of members for the first
session Of the 53d Congress, Sl3Q e1O' for
mileage of members for the second session
of the 53i Congress, siJ Coo The
amendment was discussed 81 some length
and the committee rose informally, and
Wilson Dem. of West Virginia reported
the tariff bill and moved that it be printed
ard referred to the committee OF the weoie.
II shsll ask the House. ssh Wilson TO
proceed to the consideration Of this bill st
the earliest practicable moment.
He insisted that the minority report
should be fled within iro days. There
were shouts of NO. no," and Reed pro-
tested that the minority did Rot want 10 be
/ limited to tFo days. Finally the speaker
/ stated that the minority you'd fils its views
As soon ss possible and in the meantime
/ the bill would be referred TO the committee
/ of the Whale
! Discussion Of Hayes amendment as to
I mileage, etc, vas then renewed ard finally
l the amendment pas agreed TO, lt8 20 -.
The committee then rose and reported the
bill 10 the House. The various amend
merits were agreed to ans the bill vas
passed. The House then adjourned.
pExocgAIs VIOLATED FAITH.