The Anaconda standard., 1899-12-06

| Washington, Dec. 5.-After an inter-
esting debate of three hours the house
| to-day by a vote of 302 to 80 adopted
the resolution offered by Mr.. Taylor
of Ohio yesterday for the appointment
| of a special committee to investigate
the charges against Brigham H. Rob-
erts, the Mormon representative elect
from Utah. Previously the house had
| rejected substitute resolution offered
| by Mr.. Richardson, the leader of the
minority, to allow Mr.. Roberts to be
sworn IN and to send the whole case
to the judiciary committee. This sub
stltute, however. by no means COM
manded the full democratic strength.
Only 81 members voted for it. OF the
| 30 who then voted against the Taylor
| resolution, all were democrats except
l two, Mr. Loud, a California republ-
| can, and Mr.. Newlands, a silverite
| from Nevada.
| By the terms of the resolution Mr..
| Roberts is not only excluded from all
! participation in the house until the
committee reports and the house passes
upon his case, but he is denied seat
| in the hall. Whether this will be in
| terpreted to deny him admission with
! IN the chamber, pending the DISPOSE
| t1on of his case, is yet to be decided.
The reading of the presidents mes
sage was completely overshadowed by
the dramatic proceedings which re-
suited in the action Of the house to-
DAY. The galleries were thronged with
spectators, mostly women who sat pa
tiently through the three weary hours
that preceded the debate, and then
waited three hours more until it was
concluded q "a fs
ture of the debate was the fact that Mr..
Roberts presentation of his own Side
Of the case, which lasted almost an
hour, became so absorbing that he
won the sympathy of many of those
in the galleries and was several times
showered with applause. 1t was evil
dent that he realized that the house
was Overwhelmingly against him, and
a times he spoke fiercely and def
antly.
Mr.. Tayor conducted the case upon
his side. Mr.. Richardson championed
Roberts.
~During the debate Mr.. Grosvenor,
rep. Ohio, rose to Indignantly repel
irsinua tions of MIR. Roberts that the
president had knowingly appointed
men guilty of polygamy to federal Of
fees in Utah.
No arrangements as to the time to be
made available for debate upon the
resolution had been reached before the
house assembled
At - O'Clock Speaker Henderson
called the members to order. All arose
in their places, Mr.. Roberts included,
and stood with bowed heads while the
chaplain delivered his invocation After
the reading of the journal had been
concluded Mr.. Cannon, from the com
mittee appointed yesterday to wait up
on the president, reported the president
would communicate in writing. In
mediately thereafter Major Pruden, the
presidents executive clerk, announced
the message and it was at once laid
before the house. The members listen
ed attentively to the reading.
The reading of the message consumed
two and one-half hours and at the con-
clusion the republicans gave it hearty
round of applause. Mr.. Payne, rep,
New York, the floor leader of the ma
jority, Immediately moved that the
message be referred to the committee
of the whole and that it be ordered :
printed. Mr.. Grow, rep. Pennsylvania, |
expressed desire to debate the mes |
sage, but this was declared out of or
der.
The speaker then laid before the house |
MI Iaylors s resolution to refer the Rob I
erts case in accordance with the agree |
ment of yesterday
Mr.. Taylor Immediately took the floor. !
1t was arranged that there should be /
three hours debate-one hour on each !
side-one-half to be allowed to Mr. Rob /,
erts and to come out of the time of the
minority. This arrangement having i
been made Mr. Richardson, the demo- |
cratic leader gave notice of a substi- |
tute he would offer as follows
The Richardson Resolution.
Whereas. Brigham H. Roberts, |
from the state of Utah, has presented |
a certificate of election in due and .
proper form as a representative from
said state, therefore be it
Resolved, That without expressing
any opinion as to the right or propriety
of his retaining his seat in advance of /
any proper investigation thereof, the
said Brigham II. Roberts is entitled to
be sworn in as a member Of this house
upon his prinla facie case.
Resolved further, That when sworn
in his credentials and all the papers in
relation to his right to retain his seat
be referred to the committee on the
Judiciary. with instructions to report
thereon at the earliest practicable mo-
ment"
Mr.. Taylor's speech.
Mr.. Taylor then opened his speech in
favor of the adoption of his Tesolu-
ton. He would not urge its adoption,
he said, We're he not prompted by q
high sense of duty. The constitution
contended that the limitation it i'm
posed We're not to be added to- The
power of congress to halt the claimant
at the door, he insisted, was clear.
The inelisibility created by conviction
for crime was a power inherent in gov
ernment. irrespective of the constitu-
tlon. He cited several cases to snuW
that, S a punishment for crime. tn"
legislature had ample authority TO dis
qualify man from holding Office.