Year: 1876

out the land, and would close all avenues
of testimony to the House and its com.
mittees.


Mr. Robbins, another of the commit
tee, made like statement in reference
TO ms being subp@naed, ETC., and de-
cIared 1t as his belief that the effect, if
not the design, was to intimidate the
witnesses and throttle the Investigation.


Mr. Danford, another member of the
committee, said he had no subpnna TO
20 before the court, but he would like to
know from the chairman whether anv
additional testimony had been taken be-
fJre the committee.


II Mr.. CIymer said that there had been no
additional testimony taken before the
committee, but he reported that an at
tempt to drag forth what occurred in the
committee could result in nothing else
but detrlment to the public veal.


Mr.. Blalne-There snould be no divis-
ion. or seeming division, between the
two sides Of the House in regard to the
vigorous prosecu ion of public criminals
what was the object of this investigation
except to bring offenders to criminal ius-
tlce? Committees could not punish any
body Everybody knew this was bru-
tum fuLmen.


Mr. Clymer-I have stated the facts of
the case to the House, and if the neces.
sary imputatlon arises that some one in
tins District wishes to close the avenues
OF evidence al over the country, it is not
who makes the charge, but the facts of
the case.


Mr., Blaine-The gentlemen closes the
avenue himself.


Mr. Clymer-I will not permit the
gentleman from Maine to impute to me
motives which do not understand, or to
put insinuations in my mouth which
have not uttered. ~
81 Mr.. Blackburn, another member of the
committee, said he was not surprised at
the uneasiness and nervousness mani
tested by the gentleman from Maine. He
[ lBlackburn] did not intend to charge
that it was the purpose of the Executive
to lntimldate witnesses, to throttle inves-
legations, and to afford immunity to
criminals, but he did say that unless this
gag process was stopped the country
would believe that that was the purpose,
and he would believe it, too. Applause
on the Democratic side and question by
MIR. Blaine What gag process n Ithad
gone forth to the country that the COM
mlttee had connived at the absCondng
of an important witness against the pro-
test of the Republican members of the
House, but 1t was needless for him to
say that that charge was totally false, and
he only wondered that those Republican
members had allowed it to 90 out on
their authority without contradiction.
He went on to argue that it would be
utterly impossible even to convict the
late Secretary of War or any other Cabi-
net officer except by the testimony of ac-
completes, and yet the House was now 10
be told that an accomplice should not
testify before committee except at its
own peril. 1t was against that that he
protested. He intimated that the phrase
" let no guilty man escape" would be
construed by the country to mean "let
no man escape who dare to tell on those
who are in authority" He warned the
hAOuoO tiil1 N6SllgdllODS
that are now progressing would be
that it would he utterly impos-
sib!e to carry them further successfully
unless there was declaration that the
testimony of witnesses should not be
used against them. ..aaI


Mr.. Lamar said that there should not
be any exhibition of party feeling or ex-
element in the presence of such solemn
events as were throwing their shadows
over the House. 1t seemed to him that
The voice Of faction should at least be
hushed. He regarded this mandate, or
or subpoena issued to members
ofthe committee by the Supreme Court
Of the District of Columbia, as an outrage
IN the privileges of this House. He did
not say that the object of the court was
% hush or suppress investigation the
question was one purely of parliamentary
privilege. He regarded it as violation |
If the privileges of the House for the |