The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-02
ACTION IN ROBERTS CASE
IN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE OF
REP UBLICAN REPR ESENTATI
Decision Reached That Eligibility of
Utah COngressman-E Elect Should be
Investigated and Determined-AIsO
That Pending Decision Mr. Roberts
be Not Allowed to Take Oath of Office.

Washington, Dec. 1.-At conference
republicans held at the capitol tonight
it was decided that the eligibility of
Representatives Roberts of Utah
to occupy seat in the house of repre-
sentatives should be investigated and
determined and that pending the deci-
sion he should not be permitted to take
the oath of office. This decision was
arrived at by those present without a
dissenting vote. Representative Tay-
lor of Ohio who will have charge of
the matter in the house, explained, af-
ter the conference had adjourned, that
this proceeding does not involve a pre-
judgment Of the case, but irrespective
Of party will afford the members an op-
portunity to vote after a thorough in
vestigation and complete presentation
of the case for their consideration.
Mr.. Taylor has made a study of the
allegations and precedents and present
ed them at length to his colleagues. He
offered a plan of procedure which was
agreed to after general exchange of
lows:
When Mr.. Roberts appears at the bar
to take the oath objection is to be
made on the ground that he is ineligi-
BILE. He will then step aside, and after
the other members are sworn in the
member making the objection, who
probably will be Mr.. Taylor-will re-
cite the allegations and offer a resolu-
tion for their investigation by spe-
cial committee. This will give the
house an opportunity to vote in the first
instance upon the question of postpon-
ing the administration of the oath un-
til after the allegations have been in
vestigated The resolutions have not
been formulated yet, but they will in
clude the investigation of whether Mr..
Roberts alleged conviction of violation
of the Edmunds act in 1889 renders him
Ineligible by the terms of the act;
whether the fact that he is an avowed
polygamist renders him ineligible and
whether the state of Utah in eecting
him has not violated the compact by
which she obtained statehood
Mr.. Taylor says the precedent for OBJ
jecting to the swearing in of member
duly elected and bearing proper credent |
fals are numerous and in point Among
others are the well-known case of Proc |
tor Knott, Boyd Winchester and John
w. Rice of Kentucky, who were elected |
to Congress shortly after the war and |
also were charged with ineligibility on
the ground of disloyalty. All these
precedents were cited at the conference
tonight. These precedents lead to the |
conclusion that OBJECTION can be proper |
ly made to the swearing in of a member |
where there are apparently well ground
ed reasons for believing him ineligible. |
The resolutions will provide for the
appointement of special committee of
either 7 to to be appointed by the
speaker.
Representative Powers of Vermont
presided at the conference tonight.
Those present were Messrs Henderson
of Iowa. Grosvenor, Shattuck, South
ard, Kerr, Taylor, of Ohio, Powers of
Vermont; Mcpherson, Iowa; Dalzell of
Penn, Payne and Sherman of New
York; Hill of Connecticut, Thomas of
Iowa; Alexander and Ray of N. Y,
Curtis of Kansas; Warner Of Illinois;
Lands of Indiana; Cannon of Illinois;
Morris Of Minnesota; Steele Of Indiana;
Long of Kansas.
The Roberts case is not to come up
for consideration at the Republican
tomorrow night. The Republl1
can leaders do not desire to make the
question in any sense party issue.