Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-27
4 H|GHHAND[D OUTRAGE
BY SPEAKER HENDERSON.
HE PROMISES TO DICTATE WHAT
SHALL DE INSERTED IN THE
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD.
SPEECH OF MR.. LENTz HELD UP
BECAUSE THE OHIO CONGRESSMAN
CRITICIZED SENATOR HANNA
AND HIS METHODS.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-Tne House
was the seen of a sensational incident
late this afternoon, which threw that
body into a violent state of excite
ment, and for an hour the storm ragged,
ending abruptly when an adjournment
was taken upon motion of Mr.. Payne,
the floor leader OF the majority. Mr..
Lentz, an Ohio Democrat, who has
created many sensations during his
services in the House, stirred the Dem
ocrats to a 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 Rec
ord 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 fol-
lowed, but il was learned that it was
an attack 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
fIOliISu UuS pllfiItSCo VI bAO i1OuoC
and he had directed hat it be withheld
until ne could look over it. Pressure of
business had prevented him from do
ing so, however, and only twenty min
utes before, he said, he had directed
that the speech go into the Record, be-
lieving that if it contained anything
offensive it could be stricken out Of
the Record by the House later.
Intense excitement followed. Sew
eral points Of order were made by Re
publicans, but the Speaker declined
to side-track the matter in that way,
holding, however, that to proceed a
proposition Of some kind must be be-
fore the House. Thereupon Mr.. Rich
ardson, the Democratic leader, offered
a resolution declaring that the
Speaker had no right to withhold
speeches. Against this the question
of consideration was raised by Mr..
Lacey and by a strict party vote the
House decided not to consider it.
Amid still greater excitement and
confusion, MIR. Richardson offered an
other resolution condemning the
Speakers action in terms and direct
ing that the speech be delivered
forthwith to the public printer"
Again Mr.. Lacey raised the question
of consideration and again by a strict
party vote the House refused to con-
slider it.
At this point further proceedings
were taken by an adjournment on mo-
ton of Mr.. Payne, the floor leader Of
the majority, and again sustained by a
strict party vote. The controversy
probably will be resumed tomorrow.
Earlier in the day q partial confer
ence report on the Indian appropria-
ton bill was agreed to and the bill
was sent back to conference. The west
ern members made an Intellectual eff
fort to accept the Senate amendment
appropriating 500, 900 for irrigation
experiments on the ella river in Ari-
IONA, but they were defeated, 90 to 81.
The conference report OF the naval bill
was beaten on account Of the item ere
ating assistant chiefs Of bureaus in
the navy department and a motion to
accept the Senate amendment authoriz-
ing the construction of three additional
submarine boats was pending when the
row above mentioned was p~reeipitated
by Mr.. Lent.