The Portland daily press., 1900-01-24

prsmacy as 10 him would have said Brig
hsm II. Roberts is eligible and must be
seated " elected.
II say that no sush provision could
have been adopted and IL IL could not,
cannot Ia implied.
. "Muth Is said about the moral side OF
tnis question. Doubtless II has suoh a
eide, ana II that wefs the only considera-
tion before us mis- oomniittee might take
the tame aotiun 10 will take. But 1 do
net here and now, In the face OF the great
fundamental fact Of diso 5edience 60 law
d 10 audscious Geflsnee OF it, care to as
sea { the moral ground,
'iIf we 90 not exclude this man, we
strike down oue Of the most vital and
necessary powers that belong to great
Legislative body
There was no demonstration through
out Mr.. Tayler's spesoh, but Mt the con-
clusicn he was vigorously apulauded.
MI. Li.llsIsld OF Maine then arose in
support OF the minority plan Of seating
and then expecting Ar. Robsrts.
MIR. Listlefeli, tail and stslwart, has
commanding presence and
MADE A DEEP IMPRESSION
upon the House In this, his maiden
speech. He conceded at tho out iet the
integrity, honesty and ability OF the ma
jority OF the COMMITTEES, but he could not
ooncede its Judgment. There was no dis
agreement. he said. as to the fact that
Mr.. Roberts was poiygsmiEt and should
not be- a N en- her OF the House. The only
issue between the majority and the mi
n rity was as to whether he should be
exclud o. EXPELLED. The constitution
alItications. nge and fnhabitanoy, MIR.
Littiefis argued, could not b6 added to.
II Trey could and tie House now ex-
-. ta. I,a1 ha ON %
OF 20 ygamous practices, next year IL
might exclude for adultery or because
member vas an attorney for u trust or
for any other reason.
The right OF member to his seat was
. constitutional right. He took issue
with the majority as to the power OF the
House to expel a member tor acts COM
united before his entrance Into the House
citing oAss after case in support OF his
contention. First he went back 20 the
cass OF John Wilkes, the famous English
champion Of frse speech VINO was three
siHes excluded and twice expelled from
the House of Commons, the second time
for an act for which he had been sent to
prison tive years before. He quoted from
the Junius letters the ienunciation OF the
''Damrsble doctrine that single housa
of parliament could alter, suspend or ab-
roGate the law OF the land"
The light for liberty Of press and spesch
was supported by this doctrine and he
den5d the majority 80 add to the constitu-
tionsl o. ali locations OF members In thu
light of history and th3Se instances. lie
went back I the constitutional debates to
prove that Congress could not add to the
Quali.c atoms OF members negatively
Stated in tbs constitution. After depict
ing the conditions that surrounded the
framing of this provision Of the oonstisu-
tiop and quoting the woris OF badi on,
He mil on and Jefferson, he asked trium =
pharsly ;Sto there was who should shat
tie. the
CRUCIRLE OF HISTORY
which surropaded 1t or the declaration OF
en- msa wto framed Ii. VITO would I'M
men vi o were present at the dawn of
our hisiosyf
Mr. Littieaeld said 1t had been the
puTJole o, the minority to present the
fats and auth critics o1 10Th sides of the
CONVENTION in o der that the House might
determiae whether the position OF the
mir GRITTY was we'll grounded.
Zone OF the presidents cited by MIR.
Taylsr were ridicuisu by Mr.. Littlefield.
He ali challenged Mr.. 1syler's auth orr
ties. MIR. Littlefisld hid that the MAORI
ty were driven back to support their con
teDton for additional qualifications uIon
the general WPlItrt CiAuEd vi tnr
ton. be won the first burst OF applause
while ridiouling the attempt OF the ma
jority 10 disIo.e of Ju,tice Story's opin-
ion by stating that he had Rot Gought TO
give his own ideas, but only the ideas of
Others. They woald, said MIR. Littlsiielt,
make him the "Eoiwell of the coAstitu-
ton" (GIeat laughtsr.)
MIR. Littleleld said the minority stood
with Burke. the statesman of the 18th
century, with Jefferson, Madison, TAMIL
ton, Gouverneur, Morris and the men
who framed the constitution with the
decisions of the court Of Maryland. Mon
taua and Virginia; with thu opinions OF
Story, Coolsy. Cushing. John Randolph
Tucker and Webster He then challenged
MIR. Teyler's statement that no precedent
existed against exclusion citing the casa
OF Benjamin Stark, in the Senate in 1862.
who was
CHARGED WITH DISLOYALTI,
yet who was seated by the Senate without
prsjudioe to subsequent action against
bin.
The msjority, he pointed out, had cited
tits case, Tut had not Informed the
Hcuss OF this fact. / believe, said MIR.
Litt1 field, concluding his comment on
this particular case that Mr.. Roberts has
a full constitutional right to scat in
this House.
The applause which swept over the floor
IA res onss t. uhis statement, extended TO
the galleries, many of tbs ladies there
present, parti cjpating.
The Whittemore case. which occurred
Immediately after the war, Mr.. Little
field said, was poor precedent. The
passions of the war haG net cooled and he
believed the action of the House in ex-
Guiding Wbittsmore ut that tipe on the
ground of selling csdetships was unwar-
raDted and ill-sdvised. 1t should not be
quoted here in cold blood in time OF
peace. Besides Mr.. Littlebeld urged.
there was no reason why presidents
should be slayishly followed he referred
to the manner in which sx-Speaker Reed
had overturned the prcedsnts Of GEN.
fury, paying tribute to him as "Ihe
man Of iron," who had converted the
House from an unorganizeG mob into an
instrument which registered the will of
the reople.
MIR. Littiefsld then turned TO the con-
sideration of the proposition that II the
House had q right to add 60 the Qualifica-