The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-18
REPORT AS TO ROBERTS
Majority viii Favor Exclusion Of the Nor
men Congressman.
STATEMENT OF FACTS As PRESENTED
Lits,eHcid nrd pcArmond Favor
seating Him ON the Prims Fncic
Right and Thcnto Eyrei HIM.

Washington. January 1.-THE speoisl
committee Of the house 10 Investigate the
case OF Brigham II Roberts OF Utah today
reached a final conclusion. On the polys-
amous status Of Mr Roberts the commit
tee was unanimous and agreed upon a for
NAL statement of facts. ON the question
Of procedure to be adopted the commit
tee was divided The majority, consisting
az all the members except LittleAeld tMel
and De Almond mol, favor exclusion al
the outset. Messrs Littleneld and De
Almond will make minority report 20
seat Roberts on bis prima faeie right and
then oxpel him. The statement OF facts
found by the committee Is as follows
We find that p. H. Roberts was
elected as representative TO the
/ Fifty-slxth congress from the State
OF Utah aud was at the date of his
election above the age OF 20 years and
| he had been for more than seven years
naturalized citizen OF the United
! States and was an inhabitant OF ths
State OF Utah
We further find that about 1878 he
married Louisa smith his FIRST and
| lawful wife. With whom he has ever
since lived as such and whom since
| their marriage has borne him SIX
| children
About 1855 he married his plural
Wife Celia Dibble, with whom ne has
| ever since lived as such aud who since
! such marriage has borne him six chill
| dren, Of which the last were twins,
| born August il. 1897.
That some years after his said mar
riagu 10 Celia Dibble he contracted
another plural MARI. age with Mar
garet c. Shipp, with whom he has ever
/ since lived In the habit and repute OF
marriage. Your committee is unable
TO Xix the exact date Of this mar
riage. II does not appear that he
held her out as his wife before Jauu-
| airy I, 1897. or that before that date
she held him out as her husband or
that before that date they were re-
| puted to be husband and Wife
That these facts arc generally known
In Utah publicly charged against him
during his campaign for election and
| were not denied by him.
That the testimony on these iacts
| was taken in the presence Of Mr. Rob-
! erts and that he fully cross examined
the witnesses but declined to place
himself on the witness stand.
The eliminating session OF the commit
| tee followed many prolonged executive
sessions. which LETT no doubt as to the att
titude OF the several members With the
exception of Mr.. Miers (tndD, who had
| been out Of the city. He returned today,
| and IL was determined to bring the mat
/ ter to direct issue. Accordingly when
the committee met Mr.. Mcpherson Uowa)
offered a resolution for the exclusion OF
Mr.. Roberts,
Mr.. De Almond Immediately proposed a
! substitute recognizing the constitutional
! rights Of Roberts to take his seat on HE
credentials and providing for his eHpul-
sion aAt
I There WIS no discussion beyond informal
( remarks aud the vote was hrsi taken on
/ Mr.. De Armond'B substitute Mr little
field Joining him in the affirmative and
other6 voting in opposition The vote was
then taken Oh MIR, McPherson's resolution
TO exclude, resulting as follows: Yeas
/ Taylor fOhio1, Groar, Norris and Mcpher-
son, republicans; Lanham md Mjors dem
ocrats Nocs--I.ittle6eld. republican; "a
/ Almond. democrat.
Chairman TAYLOR was authorized to pre-.
pare the majority report. II will be ready
in few DAYS and the prospects are that
the subject viii be brought before N,
house early next week Mr.. Do hrmont
will submit the views Of the minority u,
will include an exhaustive review OF tn,
law covering about seventy typewrltter
pages, prepared by Mr.. Littleneld TIL,
main point Of this Is thot the house car
not add 10 the requirements provided b,
Z the constitution for Admission to tn
house and the only constitutional remed,
Is to admit and then expol on the Gndint
of the facts.
! Chairman Taylor says the reports Of tht
I committee VIII be made SATURDAY, ans
that the subject viii be taken up In tn,
house next Tuesday.