The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-02
Objection to be Made to His Taking
the Oath at Bar of House.
PRECEDENTS ARE NUMEROUS.
The Case will Not Come Before tho Re.
nubiican Caucus, rs the Leaders
Do Not Wish to Make the Qucs-
tiun in Any Way Party Is
stc-Thcic Were Twenty
Five at Conference.

WAsHIN iTON. Dec AT conference
OF about twenty-five prominent House
Republicans he'd at the Capitol tonight.
it was decided that the eligibility x Rep
resentative-E Elect Roberts. OF Utah, 10 oc-
cupy seat In the House % Rcpresenta-
tives should De investigated and determin-
ed and that pending the decision he
should not be permitted to take the oath
OF office
This decision was arrived az by those
prcseat without dissenting voice. Rep
rcsentitiye Taylor of OHIO. who VIII have
charge OF the matter I'm the House eN-
planned. after the conference had adjourn
ed, that this proceeding does not involve
"A preiudgment of tire case, but irrcspec-
tive a. farty. will afford the mcnhcrs an
opportunity o. ,O.e after a thorough in
Vcstigaton and complete presentation o.
the case for their consideration.
Mr. Taylor had made ID study Of the case
and preccdents and presented thom az
length 90 his colleagues. He offered
plan OF procedure. which was agreed 10
after a general exchange of views. The
procedure Is 20 be as follows;
THE PROCEDURE
When Mr. Roberts appears at the bar
of the House 10 take the oath objection
is to ba made upon the ground that h. y
Ineligible Then he VIII step aside. ano
after the other members are sworn. On
member making the protest who proba-
1ly VIII be Mr. Taylor Will rec.te the al.
legations and offer "a resolution for their
gnvestigation by a special committee.
This Will give the House an opportunlty
TO vote In the frs, instance upon the
question OF postponng The administrator
OF the oath until after the allegations
had been investigated. The resolutions
have not been formulated yet. but they
viii include the investigation Of the charge
that Mr. Roberts alleged conviction 81
violation OF IN Edmunds act In l'o rem
dors him inoliblc by the terms Of that
nct whether the fact that he is an avow-
cd polyeamist renders him ineligible and
whether the State of Utah I'm oiccting him
has not violated the compact by when
She obtained Statehood
MANY PRECEDENTs
Mr TAYLOR says the prccedents FOR OBJ
iccIng to the swearing in OF a member
duly elected and bearing proper trcden-
tials are numerous and I'm point Among
others are the woIl-known eases ~ Proc
tor Knott Boyd Winchester and John VI.
Rice. OF Kentucky who were elected to
Congress shortly after the war and who
were charged with inclig.hnty ON the
ground Of dsioyalty AT those precedents
were cited at the conference tonight
These procodfnts lead 90 the conclusion
that objection can be- properly made to
the swearing In OF "a member whore ther
are apparently well grounded reasons Tor
believing him 10 be Ineligible.
The resolutions will provide Tor The ape
pointment OF special committee a..
either seven or nine 10 be named by the
Speaker
Renrcserative Powers, Of Nermoh'
presided M the conference Tonight ifoi-
present were Messrs Henderson. lows
Crcsve1or. Shattuck s0uthard. Kern and
TAYLOR Ohio. Powers. Vermont. McPber'
son. Iowa Dalzel OF PennsvlN' .'i.
PAYNE and sherman. New York; llll, CON
ncctlcut. Thomas Iowa. Alexander ana
Ray. New York: curtis. Kansas: W1rnef'
Illinois: Lands. Indiana; Cannon. ilin'is'
Morris. Minnesota: steele. Indiana; Lnrs'
Kansas
Tn. Roberts case is not 20 come un i'r
consideration at the Republican caucus
tomorrow night. The Republican leaders
DO not desire 10 make the question In any
sense a party issue.