Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-02
ROBERTS IS BARRED.
He VIII Not Be Admitted % the
House Without Trial.
| REPUBLICANS 50 DECIDE
Oath Will Not Be Administered Pend-
Ing Investigation.
PLAN OF PROCEDURE AGREED ON
objection VIII lie Made to the More
mons Admission, the Charges Wf1u
BE stated. and Committee Will
he Appointed 20 Look Into sfatfer.
PLAN OF PROCEDURE AGREED oNs

WASHINGTON, December lat
conference OF about twenty-five proni-
nent House Republicans. held at the
Capitol tonight 1t was decided that the
eligibility OF Representative-elsct No
berts of Utah. TO occupy a seat m thc
House Of Representatives, should DO Inc
vestigated and determined, and tnas
pending the decision he should not be
permitted 10 take the oath of office
This decision was arrived at by those
present. without "A dissenting voice Rep
resentative Taylor. of Ohio. who viii
have charge of the matter in the House,
explained after the conference had adj
iourned, that this proceeding does NOS
involve a pre-judgment Of the case. butt
irrespective OF party. win afford the meme
bers an opportunity to vote after .
thorough investigation ana complete pre-"
sentation OF the case for their conside-
ration.
Mr. Taylor had made study OF tho
case and presidents. and presented them
at length to his colleagues He offered
plan Of procedure which was agreed
to, after general exchange of views.
The procedure Is to be as follows:
PLAN OF PROCEDURE.
When Mr.. Roberts appears at the bar
OF the House 10 take the oath, objection
is To be made upon the ground that he
is ineligible. Then he will step aside
and after the other members are sworn,
the member making the protest, whos
| probably. will be Mr. Taylor. VIII rectta
the allegations, and offer u resolution fop
| their investigation by a special commits
| tee. This Will give the House an OPP
| portunity TO vote in the first instance
upon the question OF postponing the ad-
ministration OF the oath Until after thu
| allegations have been investigated.
The resolutions have not been formu-
lated yet. but they will include an In
vestigatlon OF the charge that Mr.. Ro-
! berts's alleged conviction of violation OF
| the Edmunds act in 1850 renders him
| ineligible. by the terms OF that act
whether the fact that he Is an avowed
polygamist renders him ineligible. and
whether the State Of Utah, in electins
him, has not violated the compact BY
which she obtained statehood.
PRECEDENTS.
| Mr. Taylor says the precedents for OBJ
jecting to the swearing in OF q member
duly elected and bearing proper creden-
tials are numerous and in point. Among
| others are the well-known cases OF Proc
| tor Knott, Boyd Winchester, and John
| Nj. Rice. Of Kentucky, who were elected
| 10 Congress shortly after the war. and
| who were charged with ineligtbiltty on
the ground Of disloyalty. All OF these
precedents were cited at the conferences
| tonight They led to the conclusion that
objection can be properly made to tho
| swearing In Of a member whore there are
| apparently well-grounded reasons for be-
ieving him TO be ineligible.
The resolutions will provide for the
| appointment OF a special committee oe
either seven or nine, to be named by the
| Speaker.
Representative Powers, Of Vermont
| presided at the conference to-uighe
| Those present were Mesers. Henderson.
| OF Iowa; GrOsYenor, Shattuck, Southland.
| Kern, and Taylor, Of Ohio; Powers OF
| Vermont. Mcpherson. OF Iowa. Dalzell.
| Of Pennsylvania, Payne and Sherman,
| Of New York: Hill, OF Connections;
| Thomas, 81 Iowa; Alexander and Ray, OF
New York; Curtis OF Kansas; Warner, Of
| Illinois; Lands, OF Indiana, Cannon, OF
Illinois; Morris, OF Minnesota; Steele Of
| Indiana; Long. of Kansas.
NOT A PARTY ISSUE.
Tho Roberts case Is not 20 come up for
| consideration at the Republican caucus
tomorrow night. The Republican leaders
do not desire 10 make the question In
any sense party issue