Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-01-28

Washing ton, Jan. .-.--Pe"nr1.ncnding
| that the speech delivered in me House
| last week by Representative N1llstt,
NeN 20: *. liz which the President was
severed, criticised. by eApunSed from
| the Congressional Record. tire select
committee appointed to consider the
speech submitted its report to the
| House today. y letter written to the
committee ~ Representative Willets,
| urging that his speech should remain
on record accompanied tie report.
| Representative Mann OF Illinois,
Chairman of the special committee, pre-
| scnted the report. which, he said, rep
| re scented the unanimous opinion Of that
committees After the report had been
read MI Mann offered to yield time to
| any member wishing to discuss the
report but as none evidenced dcsil
| 20 d, so. the resolution striking out
| the speech was passed with hardly a
dissenting voice.
| Declaring that "tha consideration OF
the speech in question inv oitcs Il con
sideration of W hat is and what is not
orderly debate IN the House." the com
mittee's report defines the privileges
of members of the House and the iini-
1 y ..
IIensth the relationship of the two
| Houses of Congress and the relations
which must be maintained by the
| House Of Representatives and IN"
| President in accordance with the Con
Stitution.
| The report declares that it would
seem that the peculiar Constitutional
duties Of the House in relation to the
|rowcr of impcaching the President q"
mot preclude a clear line of distinction
between that criticism of acts and con-
duct necessary for performance OF the
| constitutional duties OF the House ana
a criticism merely personal and lrri-
ltatne' 1t also claims That IL -
| cspccially the duty of the touS" ISL.
Ito protect the President from that
| personal abuse. innurndo or ridlclli"
TENDING to excite disorder in the tiolS
Itself ana tn create personal an
ltaganonsm on the part of the Presi-
dent toward the House. and which i
| not related to the power of the House
| under the Constitution To examine mt"
thc acts and conduct of the President.
| Your committee has carefully con
| sid,,rel the remarks OF the gentleman
from New York" continues the report
and find that his remarks concerning
| the President are no; justified Dy any
| CONSIDERATIONS of the CONSTITUTIONS
| Gutes or powers of the House; tha'
they transcend proper limits OF cru
| cis,n in debate; that they arc &c
| .tr,t2tiNr of that courtesy. respect ano
dignity which ought to be preserved
and that they ought not to remain II
the permanent official record OF the
procee dings in the House.
| The committee claimed that it wa
impossole to separate the objection
able remarks from the remainder OF th'
speech and that the only way TO eilini'
| pa1e the remarks considered out OF or
| der would be to strike out the entir'
speech.
! II cited as precedent for such actor
nv the House the speech of Robert 4
| Kennedy of Ohio attacking the Senate
made in the House September 3, 1s9o
which was excluded from the perma
| rent record.
In his letter to the committee Mr.
wil,ett claims that he did not transcent
the rules of the House. put ti'al ~
was entirely within his rights to max
the speech, under the order OF gehe'a
| debate
Freedom Of speech has always bee
held SO sacred he declares, that IN
utmost latitude has been allowed i
debate. and l respectfully submit tina
to strike my speech from the recor
in This instance will establish prece
dent extremely dangerous"
The resolution recommended by tn
snecia1 committee for adoption by t.
House reads:
..,easo,ved. that the speech of Nj
Willett, printed in the daiiy ton
gressional Record of January H. i"'
; contains language improper ana IN Vi'
,ation OF the privileges or debate, an