Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-23
HOUSE AND SENATE.
Thorp- EpeS Case Taken Up and
Debated.
GEOGRAPHICALLY TOBE UNSEATED
M. MiefS, Of Indiana, Protests Against
Outrage Thus to Be PerpetFated.
THE NATIONAL QUARANTINE BILL.
Extended Speech by Mr.. CaGery I'm
support of It-Dr. GnlIinger to
Speak To-day on the Conditions in
CuItn-
Cuba.

WASHINGTON, March 22.-The naval
appropriation bill was reported TO the
House to-day, but as It had not been
printed, the contested election case of
Thorp vs. Bpes. from the Fourth Vir-
ginia District, was taken up and debated
until o'clock, when the House, owing
to the illness of Mr.. Rhea, of Kentucky.
who was to speak this afternoon. adj
journed until tomorrow The case will
be disposed Of tomorrow.
The prevailing impression is that Mr.
Epes. the sitting member, will be un-
seated as upon the decision in this case
will largely depend the decision in the
two other Virginia cases, wherein practi-
cally the same questions are involved.
Mr.. Epes had 2,621 plurality on the face
of the returns. Extensive frauds were
charged, and the majority of the COM
mittee found that Mr.. Thorp SHOULD have
received 3O7 plurality, and upon their
finding recommended that he be seated.
Mr.. Walker (Republican), of Virginia,
opened the debate, explaining that the
Fourth Virginia District was a familiar
one to old members of the House. Four
times in ten years there had been contests
from that district. The fraudulent me
thods apparent I'm the record in this case
were to be found in the record I'm the
case before the last Congress. Until
fraudulent practices of election officers
were introduced, the Republican majority
I'm the district was from 5000 TO 5000.
Mr.. Miers DemocraD. OF Indiana, in
reply TO Mr. Walker, declared that the
unseating of Epes would be a gross out
rage. The majority OF the committee,
he said, disregarded the plainest prin-
ciples of law, misstated and garbled the
evidence, and disfranchised the entire
city of Petersburg and the county Of
Lunenburg. and eleven other precincts
in the district. From an examination of
the record in the case, Mr.. Mers said
that the minority Of the committee were
unable to deduct from the plurality re-
turned for Mr.. Epes any of the precincts
mentioned by the majority report ex-
cept forty votes at Poarch and Ross
precincts, in Brunswick county.
Mr. Walker, ne declared, had dealt in
his argument not with the record. but in
abuse of the neighbors and friends with
whom he was formerly associated.
Mr. Cochran CRepublican), of New York,
followed Mr.. Miers in support Of the
claims of the contestant.
At Ais p NJ, the House adjourned.
NATIONAL QUARANTINE.
A feature of the Senate proceedings to-
day was an extended speech by Mr. CAT
fery of Louisiana, in support of the pend
ing national quarantine bill. In the
course of his argument Mr. Caffery said
that he wanted the whole quarantine
power in the hands of the United States
Government, the only authority which
could make a quarantine effective. and
he added that he was as staunch a States
rights advocate as any man.
eve want" said he. "a central quar-
antine authority, upon which response
biIity may rest We want uniformity
of action in this matter of quarantine
regulations, backed by such financial
and legal power as will enable the au-
thorities TO cope with the dread diseases
whicn are likely to ravage the country"
Mr. Bacon, of Georgia, interrupted Mr..
Caffery to inquire whether he would OBJ
ject to allowing an amendment 10 the
pending bill, as follows Nothing In
this act should be construed to inter-
fere with the rights Of any State or NUM-
cipality to protect its citizens from in
fectious, contagious or epidemic dis
eases, by such rules and regulations as
the authorities of said State or NUM-
cipality may deem necessary" This
will be proposed by Mr.. Ba-
con.
In reply TO Mr.. Bacon's inquiry, Mr.
Caffery said he saw no objection to the
terms of the amendment, as he under
stood It. II the State or municipal
power were sufficient, he said, he would
hot b,
should be paramount, but IL was evident
that the State or municipal authorities
were unable to properly cope with epl-
denies.
In conclusion, after speaking for nearly
three hours, Mr.. Caffery said that State
were utterly inefficient, utter
w powerless, against an epidemic Of yell
low fever Under this inefficient State
system he had known the
most brutal and savage acts TO be per-
formed He had himself, he said, been
accosted by petty quarantine officers with
shotguns. For the exercise of that kind
OF State police power he had no use and
no regard. He desired that the whole
question should be handled scientifically, |
so that a power and an authority should
be provided that would be adequate to
cope with yelow-fever, cholera, and
other like diseases.
Mr.. Carter Of Montana, began n speech |
in support of the bill to provide a civil |
for the District of Alaska. |
but had not concluded when the morning |
hour expired.
GALLINGER ON CUBA.
Mr.. Gallinger, Of New Hampshire, who |
recently returned from a trip to Cuba, an |
nounced that, yielding to the kind solicit |
tations of many senators, he would, to- |
morrow Immediately after the morning |
business had been transacted. briefly ad- |
dress the Senate upon his observations |
In Cuba, unless, mean time, something |
should occur to prevent It.
Mr.. Foraker, Of Ohio, presented the Gre |
lentials OF his colleague, Mr.. Hanna, for |
the term as United states Senator, cover |
Ing six years from March 4, 1899 The cre-
lentials were read and ordered filed.
At 4:40 p. NJ. on motion of Mr. Chan /,
iler, of New Hampshire. the Senate went
nto executive session, and afterward ad-
iourned.