The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-27
0 CENSORSHIP NEEDED
Richardson's Resolution Did Not Re-
ceiye Consideration.
TIE WIDEST CONFUSION FOLLOWS
The Speaker States That He Did Not Intend to
Keep the Speech Out Of The Record But
He Had Been Informed il Violated
Rule Of the House.
(By the Associated Press.)


Washington Feb. 26-The House was
the scene of a sensational incident late
this afternoon which threw the body in
to violent state of excitement. For
an hour the storm ragged, ending abrupt
ly when an adjournment was taken
upon the 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
fever pitch by rising to q question of
privileges and alleging that g speech
he had turned over to the public prin-
ter under general leave to print had
beeen withheld from the Record and had
been turned over to General Grosvenor.
of Ohio, by the Speaker. 1t was an at
tack upon Senator Hanna and the
methods by which he was elected to the
Senate. The speaker explained that it
had been represented to him that the
speech violated the privileges of the
House and he had directed that it be
withheld until he could look over it.
Pressure of business had prevented him
from doing so however, and only twen-
~ minutes before he said he had di-
reoted that the speech go into the Re
cord. believing that if it contained any
thing offensive il could be stricken out
by the House later. Intense excitement
followed. Several points of order were
made by Republicans but the Speaker
declined to sidetrack the matter in that
way holding, however. that to proceed
a proposition of some kind must be
before the House. ThCreupcn Mr.. Rich
ardson. the Democratic leader, offered a
resolution declaring that the Speaker
had no right to withhold speeches
Against this the question of considera-
tion was raised by Mr., Lacey and by p
strict party vote the House decided not
to consider it. Amid still greater ex-
citement and confusion Mr.. Richardson
offered another resolution, condemning
the speakers action in terms and di-
rccting that the speech be delivered
forthwith to the public printer. Again
Mr. Lacey raised the question of con-
sideration and again by strict party
oyte the House refused to consider it.
1T this point further proceedings were
cut off by an adjournment taken upon
a motion of Mr.. Payne, the floor leader
of the majority and again sustained by
n strict party vote The controversy
W.
Earlier in the day a partial conference
report on the Indian Appropriation Bill
was agreed to and the bill was sent back
to conference. The western members
made an Intellectual effort to accept
the Senate amendment appropriating
100000 for irrigation experiments on
the ella iRver in Arizona. but they were
defeated 5S to 81. The conference report
t1A
of the item creating Assistant Chiefs
of Bureaus in the Navy Department
and a motion to accept the Senate
amendment authorizing the construction
of three additional submarine boats was
pending when the row above mention
ed was precipitated by Mr.. Lentz.
The Sulzer resolution calling upon the
Secretary of the Treasury for informa-
ton regarding the imposition of coun-
tervaiIing duties on Russian sugar was
laid ON the table by vote of 93 to 63
In the debate on the bill Mr.. Berry
GKy.l. referred to the long standing con-
troversy between Admirals Sampson and
Schley and said it was still the evident
purpose of the Navy Department to con-
fer the highest honor upon the man who
was "farthest away" at the battle of
sons alleged recent letter to Secretary
Long as to the inadvisabilty of giving
warrant officers in the Navy commissions
or account of their lack of social refine
ment. Mr.. Berry said that Admiral
Sampson. was of extremely humble origin
himself aud whatever refinement he had
obtained had been due to his service ia
the American navy BY contrast he re-
called Admiral Sehley's action during the
stress OF battle in sending word to those
below that 'all went WE'LL" and when
tho battle was over in saying that the
victory belonged to the "men behind the
guns.
Nr. Lentz here arose to his question
Of personal privilege He said he wanted
TO know whether Congress is to have
censorship such as exists in the Phil
ippines. The Speaker explained the Gov
ernment printing office representatives
had called his attention to the fact that
tho written speech of Mr. Lentz was in
violation Of the House rules Mr.. Rich
ar1son (Tenn.). the minority leader. sub
rnitted the following resolution
Resolved. that the Speaker of the
House has no right to withhold from the
record he speech of any member made
under general leave to print"
Mr.. Cannon made the point of order.
that the resolution. dealing with gen.
eral subject, did not bear directly UPON