Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-03-02
SPEAKER HENDERSON
Assailed For Suppressing a Speech
by Congressman Lentz.
TIE HOUSE VIOLENTLY EXCITED.

Mr. Richardson, the Democratic
Leader, offered . Resolution Con-
demninE the Speaker, hut IL was
Defeated by . strict Party Vote.
Washington, Feb. 27.-The house was
the scene of a sensational incident late
yesterday afternoon, which threw that
body into a violent state of excitement.
For an hour the storm ragged, ending
abruptly when an adjournment was
taken, on motion OF Mr.. Payne, the
floor leader Of the majority. Mr.. Lentz,
an Ohio Democrat, who has created
many sensations during his service in
the house. stirred the Democrats to L
fever pitch by rising to a question Of
privilege and alleging that a speech he
had turned over to the public printer.
under general leave to print, had been
withheld from The Record and had
been turned over to Gen. Grosvenor, OF
Ohio, by the speaker. The nature of
the speech was not developed during
the events that followed, but it was
learned that 1t was an attack upon Sen
ator Hanna and the methods by which
he was elected to the senate.
The speaker explained that 1t had
been represented to him that the
speech violated the privileges Of the
house, and he had directed that II be
withheld until he could look over It.
Pressure of business had prevented him
from doing so, however. and only &c
minutes before. he said, he had direct.
ed that the speech go into The Record
believing that IL 1t contained anything
the house later.
Intense excitement followed. Sew.
eral points OF order were made by Re.
publicans, but the speaker declined e
sidetrack the matter in that way, hold
ing, however, that to proceed a prop
osition of some kind must be befort
the house. Thereupon Mr.. Richard
son, the Democratic leader, offered {
resolution declaring that the speaker
had no right to withhold speeches
Against this the question OF considera
ton was raised by Mr.. Lacey, and by {
| strict party vote the house decided no
| to &C nsider 1t. Amid still greater ex
citement and confusion Mr.. Richard
son offered another resolution con
demning the speakers action in terms
and directing that the speech be "de
| livered forthwith" to the public printer
Again Mr. Lacey raised the question o
consideration, and again, by q scgic
| party vote, the house refused to con
slider Il. At this point further proceed
ings were cut on by adjournment
taken on motion Of Mr.. Payne, tn,
| moor leader OF the majority, and again
! sustained by a strict party vote.
Earlier tp the day q partial confer
\ ence report on the Indian appropria
| ton bill was agreed to and the bill
was sent back to cQnfsrepce, The west
ern members made an Intellectual ef
/ fort to accept the senate amendmen
appropriating 800, 900 for irrigation
experiments on the 8iia river, In Ari
Iona, but they were defeated, So to 81
The conference report on the navs
bill was beaten on account OF the tier
creating assistant chiefs OF bureaus
the navy department, and q motion
accept the senate amendment authori,
ing the construction OF three addition
al submarine boats was pending whe
the row above mentioned was precip
tated.
An important amendment 70 I'll
Philippine amendment to the army al
preparation bill was agreed to In th
senate yesterday. 1t was an ampIiic,
tion of the amendment previously o
ferred by Mr.. Hoar (Mass.), laying T,
strictions on the sale OF public lan(
and the granting OF franchises and col
cessions in the Philippines. 1t was a
cepted by the committee in charge
, the measure and is now part of Il
committee amendment. Mr.. Norge
(Ala.) concluded his address after ha
ing discussed comprehensively bot
: the Philippine and Cuban amendment
He appealed to the committee to wit
draw both propositions, maintainiI
that congress was treading upon da,
gerous grounds and trifling with edg
: tools in acting upon them without aI
} | pie information.