The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-22
The MAJORITY
AND MINORITY
REPORTS
Of the Roberts Committee VIII Be
tue Event in the
House.
ORATORY THE CHIEF FEATURE
In the Senate on Finance Bill, Philip
pines, North Carolina Amend
msnts and Quay Case.

meuts and Quay Case.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2l-The feature
of the proceedings in the house this
week win be the consideration Of the
case Of Brigham H. Roberts, the repre-
seutatiye-elect from Utah, The case
attracted intense interest all over the
country. Though both the majority
and minority Of the committee which
investigated the case agree that Mr..
Roberts should not sit as member of
the house on account Of alleged poly
gamous practices, there win be royal
struggle over the question of procedure
upon which the committee has split.
The case MIL be called upon Tuesday,
and two. possibly three, days will be
devoted to 1t. The majority of the COM
mlttee hold that Mr.. Roberts ahould
be excluded, while the minority contend
that he should be seated and then ex7
PEELED, bastng their argument for this
course upon the ground that Mr.. Rob-
erts possessed all the constitutional
qualifications for membership, and that
any attempt to exclude him upon the
theory that Congress has the power to
add to those qualifications would estab-
llsh dangerous precedent that might
return to plague Congress in the fu-
ture. Llttleheld, Of Maine. and Mr.. De
Almond, Of Missouri, who presented the
minority report win make strong
fight and say they believe they can con-
vince a majority Of the house that the
course they advocate is the only proper
one to pursue. The majority of the
committee, on the other hand, are con-
fident that they will be backed by a
majority OF the house. Mr. Roberts Is
expected to make plea In his own de-
Tense. Should he be seated in accord
ance with the contention OF the minor
ity resolution to expel will be imme-
dlately offered, and this doubtless will
carry by an almost unanimous vote, al
though the majority in their report
have insisted that, once seated, mem
Der cannot be expelled for acts COM
mltted before he was member of the
house.
Tomorrow will be devoted to District
Of Columbia matters and Friday to
eulogies upon the life and public SER
vices of the late VIce-President Hobart.
The senate this week again Will de-
vote Itself almost exclusively to speech
making. A variety of subjects will be
considered. The financial bill will re-
main the unfinished business. but the
senate will not be held strictly to It's
consideration. Several set speeches
probably will be made upon 1t, among
those who are expected to speak being
Senator's Cockrell. Daniel and Allen.
No announcement has yet been made OF
speeches on the affirmative side OF the
measure, but now that day has been
agreed upon for a vote, 1t may be ex-
pected that some of the friends Of the
bill will speak in its defense.
The first speech OF the week will be
made Immediately after the close OF the
routine business Monday morning by
Senator Prltchard on his resolution de-
claring the proposed amendments to the
constitution OF North Carolina to be In
contravention OF the federal constitu-
ton. He will be followed by Senator
Turner in prepared speech on the
Philippine question. Tuesday Mr.. Ross
will address the senate on the appllca-
ton OF the constitution of the United
States 80 Porto Rico and the Philip
pine archipelago. He will be followed
on the same date by Mr.. McEnery with
speech on the North Carolina constI-
tutional question.
The two reports on the Quay contest
will be presented Monday or Tuesday,
and as this contest is privileged uues-
ton It Is not unlikely to receive early
attention. Senator Penrose. who is in
charge of Mr.. ouay's case, says he will
ask that the contest be pressed to an
early decIslon in the senate. The sa-
moan treaty will be taken up again in
executive session on the motion OF SEN
ator Jones, of Arkansas, to reconsider
the vote by which It was ratified. The
treaty has been already returned to
the senate by the President to await the
disposition OF the Arkansas senator's
motion.