The record-union., 1897-03-10

L
Boyce said he had had some expert
ence before courts, and protested
against proceeding further until Law
renee had been dealt with for having
refused to answer the question pro-
pounded by the President. IT, he said
the Senate had any authority, it could
exercise it then as well as later on
1t was of the utmost Importance to
know whether or not the Senate had
the dignity to maintain and the cour-
age to proclaim its rights. If it was
true that the body had no right to ask
questlons-even such as had been
sneered at and named impudent, the
sooner it was determined, the better
II, on the other hand, it had right to
PROFOUND questions and to demand an
swers, the dignity of the body ought tC
be maintained at once. If such act
ion were not taken, Lawrence, the
Manager of fake" journal, might &c
forth, and stand higher in his profess
ion by the action, and put the whole
diate action.
Wilmington raised the point, which
was sustained by the President, that
there was nothing permitting of de-
bate, before the Senate.
PROCEEDINGS EXPLAINED.
The Lieutenant-G Governor explained
| that the resolution under which the
proceedings We're held, provided thai
The entire list of questions propoundeC
to each of the three witnesses wher
before the committee, should be again
asked them, and that after that pro
ceeding, the attorney for the witnesses
would be allowed thirty minutes il
which to make defense.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Then the questions and answers went
on as follows:
Question-Did you have any writ
ing concerning this article other thar
telegraphic dispatches?
Answer had other information.
Question-Other information in writ
irg?
Answer-I decline to tell you.
Question: insist upon an answer.
| AnSwer-Yes.
Question-From whom?
Answer-I decline to answer for the
reasons offered by my attorney.
Several other similar questions and
| answers We're gone through with, and
Lawrence was excused and followed by
Al Murphy and l.. l.. Levings, 'Exami-
ner" correspondents, who also refused
to answer for the reasons advanced by
attorney McEnerney.
GEORGE A. KNIGHT.
Then one of the attorneys for the
witnesses. George A. Knight, walked
up to the Secretary's desk and began
his argument. He said he was afraid
of one thing, and of one thing only
and that was that the Senate and the
witnesses before the bar would not un-
derstand each other. If such an under
standing were had he felt sure the ac-
ton of the Senate would be along the
lines of justice which might occur tC
them as individuals as we'll as of Sen
ators.
The attorney submitted that the Sen
ate had no right to make an inVeStiga-
ton along the lines mapped out The
right OF the Senate to conduct an inves-
tigatfon was to purge it's own body
and that alone, and even then no mem
Der could be excluded from the Senate
by evidence not permissible in courts
of law. The Senate could take no ac-
ton against public slander. 1t had the
right to purify it's own body, but none
other. The body had no right to go out
of it's own realm.
The speaker contended that the SEN
ate mad no jurisdiction in regard to
| matters they could not legislate upon.
Courts were open for charges Of libel,
but the Senate was no such court.
What could the Senate do even if the
persons before the bar admitted that
the article was malicious and untrue
Could it throw them into Jail on hear
say evidence? What right had it to do
so?
He submitted that the Senate care
fully apply the rules of evidence. He
| asked that the witnesses be allowed to
go without day. The investigation had
not shown that by it's revelations any
member of the body was to be ex-
cluded
Throughout his plea attorney Knight
contended that anything published in
the Examiner" had been hearsay, and
as such not permissible as evidence.
Mr.. Knight spoke during the half
hour allowed him under the resolution.
and at its expiration the time was ex-
tended until he should have finished
This he did at ! o'clock, and when he
stepped down Morehouse sent three
resolutions to the desk, but Seaweu
raised the point which was sustained
by the President, that the Senate was
at recess.
The resolutions provided for the COM
mltment to the County Jail of A. M
Lawrence, managing editor, and AL
Murphy and L. l.. Levings, correspond
entS of the San Francisco Examiner. "
Afternoon Session.
Immediately upon reassembling
Warehouses; resolution referring toAA.
NJ Lawrence was taken UP and read.
as follows:
THE RESOLUTION
Whereas, Heretofore this Senate by
resolution duly passed, appointed SEN
ators John H. Dickinson, Eugene Aram
and j. H. Seawell an Investigating
Committee to investigate the charges
of bribery preferred by the San Fran
cisco Examiner against this Senate.
and
Whereas, Said committee had A. M.
Lawrence, managing editor of the San
Francisco Examiner before said
committee; and
Whereas, Upon the said A. NJ. Law
renee being duly sworn to answer uues-
tions before said committee and ad-
hitting that he was the correspondent:
and
Whereas, Upon said examination the
said A NJ Lawrence as q witness Voc
allowed counsel at his request, and
upon being asked certain questions, as
will be seen by the report of said com