The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-25

Without comment. every senator Ian
oring yet under the emotion which NIL
endeavored to conceal. the motion was
agreed to and at 2:52 O'Clock the doors
were closed.
The Senator's Declared I'm Contempt.
The proceedings after the doors were
closed covered almost two hours OF
time and resulted in the adoption Of
resolution in the form OF an order. as
follows:
Ordered that the two senators from
the state Of South Caroi.na be declared
In contempt OF the senate on account
OF the alteration and personal encoun-
ter between them this Gay III open stAs-
sion and that the matter be referred tn
the committee on privileges and cleo
tions with instruction to report what
action shall be taken by the senate in
regard thereto"
The discussion which occurred In the
secret session was Ia.ed larpeiv uDnn
the above resolution, the first sugges
ton of which was MADE uy Senator
Foraker. In presentiiiE the resolution
Immediately after the doors of the
chamber were closed, Senator Foraker
took occasion to remark that the oc-
currence had been an outage upon
the dignity of the senate OF which the
senate should take cogmZancp.
Senator Hoar endorsed the resolution
of Senator Foraker. OFT said that he
thought the action Of the senate should
be more explicit than contemplated by
the resolution. He, therefore, moved tn
amend it by ordering tnat the two sen.
ators from South Carolina be declared
in contempt by the senate for disorder
ly conduct and speech IN its presenr"
and that both should De taken into Gus
tody. In support of this amendment
he said that any court or any Other
parliamentary body would commit mer
for so grave an offence against s dig
nifty, to await it's Judgment. The refer
ence of the matter 70 committee
would be- he said, On a line with a
courts reference to an auditor or ref
cree, and the offenders should be re.
strained during the 1nvesugauor
Senator Blackburn and other senators
then stated that the Two South Caroline
senators were willing IL apologize and
thus purge themselves Of the contempt
and in view of this statement Senator
Hoar Withdrew the r0rtiou of hi"
amendment providing for their com
mi ment.
Senator Foraker tn.n accepted tho
amendment of Senator Hoar and il
was embodied in the resolution. Be
fore the vote was taken number OF
senators spoke. and, while there We're
many kind utteranceS regarding bo ID
senators there was no execution in the
opinion expressed as 20 the gravity and
seriousness of the offance. Among th'
senators who thus delivered themselves
were Messrs. Teller. Fairbanks. Hann4
Blackburn and SpoorCr. Senator Han
ma suggested that. serious as had beer
the encounter in the senate, 1t was not
so grave as the charge of mIscondut
made against Senator McLaurin and he
thought that any in, Cstlgation under.
taken should extend TO that matter.
Senator Teller. whit unltIng with
other sena' ors in dcprccating the oc
currence. said that 1t was not unprece
dented, that there has been other sim.
liar affairs on the titf.r OF he senat.
and instanced among others the en-
counter between Senators Benton and
Foote He also suggested tnat Sena.
tor Spooner was not ;ntIre!y blameless
for todays occurrence because by his
interrogatories he mad provoked Sena.
tor Tillman to MAXI explicitly the
charges which had reen but vaguely
made before his intelte1 e1Ice IN the de
bate.
Replying to this statement. Senator
SIiooner said that ne nad bLcn of II
opinion that Senator rillman should
either not make his charges or move
for an inquiry by the .enate IL he be-
lieved them to be we'll founded.
There was much discussion as tt
whether the vote OIL the Foraker
| amendment should be taken in open OF
in secret session. A motion was mado
by Senate Teller looKing to the open
ing of the doors. This was voted
down-1S to AZ.
The republican senators generally ex-
pressed themselves Wiling to hea'
the apologies promised, but generally
insisted that there should first be action
upon the resolution.
On the suggestion OF Senator Bacon
there was division Of the two
branches of the 1ues ion. The first vote
was taken or the declaration that the
two senators were I'm contempt and IL
prevailed by a unanimous vote Of ~
to on a roll call. The remainder of
the resolution, referring the matter t.
the committee on privileges and elec-
tions was adopted without roll call,
Both the South Carolina senators r.;
manned in their seats during the en- ire
secret session. They conferred occ:l
made any attempt to address the
senate.
Question Of Their Right to Address
the Senate.
After the secret session the senate al
BIS o'clock resumed business in open
session. Evidence was abundant tina,
the secret session had been more or less
exciting. Nearly every senator in he
chamber was on his feet. Groups OF
senators were gathered here and there
about the chamber, al discussing tn.
portentous event which had thrown the
dIgnifed body into 4 ferment.
AS soon order could be res ored
Senator Blackburn said that as the
| seal of secrecy had been removed from
the secret session just held ne was al
liberty to say that during that session
he had made a statement to the SEN
ate of what the senator from South
Carolina (Tillman) was prepared and
pleased to say in the senate. He ex-
planned that both sena-o -ors from South
Carolina had been declared by the sen
ate to be in contemrt. What he de-
sired now to know and he wanted thi
chair to rule upon the point. was
whether any statement could be made
to the senate in oren session by either
Of the sena tors while they were in con-
temp OF the senate.
Senator Foraker interrupted to sug-
gest that unanimous consent be given
to the senator's to make their state
ments.
Senator Blackburn declir.ed to hear
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