New-York tribune., 1900-01-24

adultery, or because member was an attorney for
a trust or an octopus, for any other reason.
The right of member to his seat was constitu-
tional right
He took issue with the majority 10 the power
of the House expel member for acts committed
before his entrance into the House. citing case
after case in support OF his contention First, he
went back to the case Of John Wilkes the famous
English champion OF free speech. who was three
times excluded and twice expelled from the House
OF Commons, the second time for act for which
he had been sent prison hve years before He
quoted from the letters OF Junlus the denunclatio
OF the "damnabIe doctrine that a single House OF
parliament could alter. suspend or abrogate the
law Of the land" The fight for liberty OF press
ana speech was supported by this doctrine, and he
defed the majority to add the constitutional
qualifications Of members IN the light OF these
historic instances. He went back TO the constitu-
uonal debates to prove that Congress could not
add TO the qualifications Of members negatively
stated in the Constitution After depicting con-
ditons that surrounded the framing Of this pro-
vision Of the Constitution and quoting the words of
Madison Hamilton and jefferson. he asked tr-
umphanty who there who should shatter the
crucibe Of history which surrounded it, the
declaration of the men who framed it? Who would
undertake TO mpeach the integrity of the who
were present at the dawn of our history?
MIR. TAYLERs PRECEDENTs AssAILED
Mr.. Littlefed sad It had been the purpose Of the
minority to present the facts and authorities on
both sides OF the contention. In order that the
House could integently determine whether the
position OF the minority well founded Some of
the precedents cited by Mr.. Tayler were rdicued
by Mr. Littlefed. He also challenged Mr. Taylers
authorities. Mr.. Littlefed said that the ma Jority
were driven back TO support their contention fo-
additional qualifications upon the general welfare
clause of the Constitution. He won the first burst
1r oPRia4se while FmdiGnng RIO the attempt Of the
stating that he had not sought give his own
said Mr.. Llttleneld. make him the Boswell of the
Constitution" Great laughterD
Win the mads69 of The ceng
Morris and the men who framed the Constitution:
with the decisions of the courts of Maryland. Men
Cooley. Gushing. John Randolph Tucker and Web,
that no precedent existed against exclusion citing
the case of BENJAMIN Stark in the Senate in 1867
seated by the Senate without prejudice to subse-
quent action against him. The majority he pointed
House Of this fact Il believe said Mr. IttieheId
that MI Roberts has full constituonai right to-
seat in this House.
sponse to this statement extended to the galleries
Ths Whteors chse wheb occurred nea
ately after the war Mr.. Lttleheld said was n
Cooled and he believed the action 10 'f of a House E9 IN
;n nin was 'aS e on the ground OF sell
should not be quoted here In cold blood and in time
no reason why precedents should be sIavshly fol-
lowed. He referred to the manner In which ex-
Speaker Reed had overturned the precedents of a
century, paying a tribute him as "the man OF
iron. who had converted the House from an un-
organized mob into an instrument which registered
the will of the people.
SAYS COMPACT HAS NOT BEEN BROKEN
Mr.. Lttleheld then turned 10 the consideration
or the proposition that if the House had a right to
aad TO the qualifications of a member. the disquali-
heat1ons imposed by The Edmuuds act did ap-
ply to Mr.. Roberts. because member of Congress
was not an officer under the United States within
the meaning of the statute He then attacked the
proposition of the majority that Mr. Roberts had
Ylotated the compact between Utah and the United
States. He asked where the authority for the
s suaaeIheht that there an understanding be-
tMeSh d state and the United States came from
ueciared that the idea of compact between the
nad been the father OF secession botted OUT
py the iives of half million
80 tetieneics defence of the proposition of the