Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-27

70 space and unrestricted In point OF
time. One who has been q member OF
si wse sl iGassc so mu
arrfpunity against any attack which may
besmade upon him at Any time BY reason
ocany speech or debate which took place
during, his service. The shiefo OF tne
constitution, once EXTENDED, protects MN
so long as he may live
.AThe House. on the other hand, being
simply the aggregate OF ITS member
ship. is itself concerned with those
thfi,gs which affect the freedom ana
ef}eiency of its constituent members
~ member of the Sixty-second CON
grees. for instance. who enters tne
Sixfy-thtrd Congress brings with MN
his constitutional immunity against
question for his action in the former
body and in order that he may De Iree
to perform. without fear or hindrahce,
his duties in the latter, 1T is both It's
right and duty 10 resent as an attack
upon itself any violation of his con-
stitutional privilege. Its attentloh
should properly be directed not 10 the
time when this privilege accrued. Dut
tothe time when it was violated
Power of the House.
'eThe House of Representatives mas
power under the authority Of the Con-
stftution TO punish as contempt
against il such a breach Of it's privi-
Representative Sims by c. c. Glover
.sBoth parliamentary precedent and
high authority support this power. In
addition to those precedents we have
previously mentioned there. are the
proceedings had by this House. In l19e,
gress against Robert Randall and
Charles Whitney for attempted bribery;
in the same Congress against James
Gum for challenging member to
o. y,hra = And
the hrst session of the Fifteenth Con
eFess. for attempted bribery; in 1867.
ir-the first session of the, Thirty
fourth Congress. against James " .
in E1S74. in the second session of the
Forty-third Congress, against Rchard
r. Irwin for a similar. onense. and on
the part of the Senate of the United
Congress. against William Duane for
a libel on the Senate. in 1S4S. in the
first session of the 7Thirtieth Congress.
against John Nugent for the publica-
tion of q secret treaty.
I'm tile second session or the Forty-nrst
Congress 1S10l. one Patrick Wood so
assaulted Charles II. Porter. a member
of the House from the state of Virginia,
in the city OF Richmond. that the latter
was DELAYED in returning to the House.
although 1T did not appear that the act
was done BY reason of any words spoken
hys- Porter In debate. but nevertheless II
impeded the RETURN of the member to- his
place in the House. and was held. to be
a breach of it's privileges and contempt,
The offender was accosdingly arrested
and subjected by warrantsof the House
IA three months imprisonment in the
Jail OF the District of Columbia.
Member Rescued From Sheriff.
LAS further illustrating not only the
right hut the power of the House 10 pro-
teet the constitutional privileges of its
members. the case 'of Charles V Culver.
a Representatives in. the Thirty-ninth Con-
gress. should nof.-iss- overlooked The
House having basn advised of his; arrest
ann detention under civil process in the
hands of the sheriff of Eenango county,
Pa, issued a--warrant TO its sergeant-at
arms directing him TO, take Mr.. Culver
from the custody of the sheriff which
was accordingls done. .e
I'm the letter of c. c.. Glover TO this
committee. in which he admits the as
sault upon Representative Thetus w.
sims. but challenges the power and au-
thority of the House to take notice of his
act or punish him for it, he relies upon
the case of kilbourn vs. Thompson, al
ready referred to in this report. as war
rNsit for a denial of the power of the
House TO deal with contemptsI of its priv
iEges. Ii IS therefore impeStant to make
cases in the courts affecting the ,ques-
ton =
The critical examination resulted in the
production of several pages of fine print
In the report and concludes with the
brief statement:
.tsThis decision clearly and unQuivocally
austainS the doctrine that the House has
the implied right to punish for contempt,
whether committed in it's presence or
elsewhere"