The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-02
HE WILL NOT BE SWORN IN.
ROBERTS MUST FIRST UNDERGO AN
INVESTIG ALTON.

House Republicans Have Agreed Up
ON Mode of PrOcedure-objcction
VIII he Made as soon as He Pre-
sents Himself at the Bar of the
House-He Must Theft stand Aside
UntfI His Case Has Been Investi-
gated.
Washington. Dec. l.-At a conference Of
about twenty-five prominent House Re
publicans held at the capitol tonight, Il
was decided that the eligibility OF Repre-
sentative-elect Roberts of Utah to occupy
seat in the House Of Representatives
should be investigated and determined,
and that pending the decision he should
not be permitted to take the oath of Of
Ace.
This decision was arrived at by those
present without dissenting voice Repre-
sentative Taylor of Ohio, who viii nave
planned. after the conference had adjourn
ed, that this proceeding does not involve
a prejudgment of the case. but, lrrespec-
tive of party, will afford the members an.
opportunity TO vote after a thorough in
vestigation and complete presentation of
the case for their consideration.
Mode of Procedure.
Mr.. Taylor had made study of the al
legations and precedents and presented
them at length to his col eagues He Of
fered plan of pf ocedure which was agreed
TO, after general exchange of views The
procedure is to be as follows:
When Mr.. Roberts appears at the bar
of the House to take the oath, objection
viii be made upon the ground that he is
Ter the other members are sworn in, the
member making the objeetion-who prob
ably viii be Mr.. Tayfor-will recits the
allegations and offer q resolution for ther
investigation by a special committee. This
will give the House an opportunity to vote
In the first instance en- the question Of
pos poning the administration of the oath
until after the allegations have been in
vestigated.
The resolutions have not been formulat-
ed yet, bur they win include the investisa-
tion of he charge that Mr. Roberts al eyed
conviction OF violation of the Edmunds act
In 1889, renders him melig be by thc terms
avowed polygamiet renders him Ineligible.
and whether the state of Utah in e'eeting
him, has not violated the compact by
which she obtained statehood.
~ PrecedeDts for Objections.
Mr.. Taylor says the precedents for OBJ
jecung to the swearing In of a member
duly elected and bearing proper creden-
tials are numerous and in point Among
Others are the we'll known cases of Proc
tor Knott, Boyd Winchester and John NJ
Rice of Kentucky who were elected TO
Congress shortly after the war, and who
were charged with ineligibillty on the
ground of disoyalty. All these prece-
dents We're cited at the conference to-
night. Those precedents lead to the con-
clusion that objection can be properly
made to the swearing in of member
where there are apparently well grounded
reasons for believing him TO be ineligible.
The resolutions viii provide for the ap-
pontment of a special committee of either
seven or nine, to be named by the Speaker
Representative Powers OF Vermont pre-
sided at the conference tonight. Those
present were Messrs. Henderson, Iowa /;
Grosvenor, Shattuc, Southard, Kern and
Taylor of Ohio Powers, Vermont; Nc
Pherson, Iowa; Dalzell of Pennsylvania
Payne and Sherman, New York; Hill,
Connecticut; Thomas Iowa Alexander
| and RAY, New York; Curtis, Kansas, WAR
ner, Illinois; Lands, Indiana; Cannon, I'LL
nois; Morris, Minnesota; Steele, Indiana
Long, Kansas.
The Roberts case Is not to come up for
consideration at the Republican caucus
tomorrow night The Republican lead
ers do not desire 10 make the question in
any sense a party issue.