Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-01-22
56th CONGRESS-.
House Will Dispose Of the
Roberts Case, This Week.
will He Be Excluded or Seated
and Afterward Expelled
Week Of Speechmaking on Variety Of Subjects
Is Senate Programme.

Washington, Jan. 21.-The feature Of
the proceedings in the House. this
week, VIII be the consideration of the
case of Brigham II. Roberts, the Nor
mon representative-elect from Utah.
The case has attracted intense interest
all over the country. Though both the
majority and minority of the commit
tee which investigated the case agree
that Mr.. Roberts should not sit as a
member of the House on account Of
alleged polySamouS practices, there
will be a royal struggle over the ques
ton Of procedure, upon which the com
mittee has split. The case will be call
ed up. Tuesday, and two, possibly
three days will be devoted TO 1t.
The majority of the committee hold
that Mr.. Roberts should be excluded
while the minority contend that he
should be seated and then expelled,
hasing their argument for this course
upon the ground that Mr.. Roberts pos
sesses all the constitutional qualifica-
lions for membership and that any at
tempt to exclude him upon the theory
that Congress has the power to add
to those qualifications would establish
a dangerous precedent that might re-
turn to plague Congress in the future.
Mr. Littlefleld of Maine, and Mr. De-
Almond of Missouri, who presented the
minority report, will make a strong
fight and say they believe they can
convince 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
confident that they will be backed by
majority of the House. Mr.. Roberts
is expected to make plea in his own
defence.
Should he be seated in accordance
with the contention of the minority,
resolution to expel him will be imme-
diately offered and this doubtless will
carry by an almost unanimous vote.
although the majority in their report
have insisted that once seated mem
Der cannot be expelled, for acts com
mitted before he was member of the
House. Tomorrow, will be devoted to
District of Columbia matters and. Fri
day, to eulogies upon the life and pub
lie services of the late Vice President
Hobart
The Senate again. this week. Will de
vote itself almost exclusively to
speechmaking. A variety of subjects
will be covered. The financial bill will
remain the unfinished business, but the
Senate will not be held strictly to its
consideration. Several set speeches
probably will be made upon it, among
those who are expected to speak being
Senators CoCkrcl. 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, il may
be expected that some of the friends
Of the bill will speak in its defence.
The first speech of the week will be
made Immediately after the close Of
the routine business. Monday morning.
by Senator Pritchard. on his resolution
declaring the proposed amendments u
the constitution of North Carolina To
be in contraNention Of the federal con
stitution. He Will he followed by Sen
ator Turner in a prepared speech on
the Philippine question. Mr.. Ross viii
address the Senate, Tuesday. on the
application Of the constitution Of tn"
United States to Puerto Rico and tn"
Philippine archipelago. He Will be fol-
lowed on the same date by Mr.. Nc
Emery with speech on the North
Carolina constitutional question.
The two reports on the Quay con
test will be presented, Monday or Tues
day, and as this contest is privileged
question il is not unlikely to receive
early attention. Senator PenrCse who
is in charge of Mr. Quay's case. says
he will ask that the contest be pressed
to an early decision in the Senate,
The Samoan treaty also will Ne taken
up again in executive session on the
motion of Senator Jones Of Arkansas
to reconsider the vote by which il wa
ratified The treaty has been already
returned to the Senate by the PreSl-
dent to await the disposition Of the
Arkansas senator's motion.