Opinion ID: 1546019
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Materiality of the Subject of Inquiry.

Text: The second contention is that the matter relied upon to prove appellant's answers untruthful was beyond the lawful scope of the committee's power of inquiry, and, therefore, not a material matter within the meaning of the perjury statute (USCA title 18, § 231) which requires that the false statement must be concerning a material matter. The supporting argument is that the power of Congress or a committee thereof to investigate depends upon and flows from the power to legislate upon the subject investigated; that Congress has no constitutional power to legislate as to primary elections for nomination of United States Senators; and that the investigation here involved was solely concerning such a primary election. It is true that regulation of such primary elections has been declared beyond the national power under clause 1, § 4 of article 1 of the Constitution, which gives Congress control over the times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators    (Newberry v. United States, 256 U. S. 232, 41 S. Ct. 469, 65 L. Ed. 913), and it is true that the inquiry here was concerned wholly with a primary election; that is, it may be conceded that Congress had no power to legislate for the purpose of regulating primary elections, such as involved in this inquiry. This leaves for inquiry that part of this contention which declares that Congress or its committees cannot investigate except as to matters which may be the subject of legislation by it. If by legislation is meant enactment of statutes, the statement is unsound (Barry v. United States ex rel. Cunningham, 279 U. S. 597, 613, 49 S. Ct. 452, 73 L. Ed. 867). The actual limitation is that congressional investigation must be confined to matters subject to action by Congress or by the house conducting the investigation. Congress and the separate houses have powers outside the enactment of statutes. Clause 5 of section 2 of article 1 clothes the House of Representatives with the sole power of impeachment; clause 6 of section 3 of article 1 gives the Senate sole power to try all impeachments; clause 1 of section 5 of article 1 makes each house the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members, and gives power to compel attendance of members; clause 2 of the same section gives each house power to determine its rules of proceedings, to punish and to expel members; clause 1 of section 6 of article 1 protects freedom of attendance and of speech by members of either house; all of these powers may be and some of them must be exercised by a single house, which has no power alone to enact a statute. Where the exercise of any constitutional power of Congress or of either house is involved, investigation of matters germane to the proper and intelligent exercise thereof may be subjects of investigation by such house or committees thereof under its authority (Barry v. United States ex rel. Cunningham, 279 U. S. 597, 613, 616, 49 S. Ct. 452, 73 L. Ed. 867; Kilbourn v. Thompson, 103 U. S. 168, 190, 26 L. Ed. 377), and no concurrence nor aid is necessary from the other house or elsewhere (Reed v. County Commissioners, 277 U. S. 376, 388, 48 S. Ct. 531, 72 L. Ed. 924). The limitation of power of investigation is that it must be germane to some matter concerning which the house conducting the investigation has power to act (whether such action be enactment of statutes or something else), and not a mere inquisition into the private affairs of the citizen (Jurney v. MacCracken, 294 U. S. 125, 55 S. Ct. 375, 79 L. Ed. ___, decided Feb. 4, 1935; Sinclair v. United States, 279 U. S. 263, 291-294, 49 S. Ct. 268, 73 L. Ed. 692; McGrain v. Daugherty, 273 U. S. 135, 176-180, 47 S. Ct. 319, 71 L. Ed. 580, 50 A. L. R. 1; In re Chapman, 166 U. S. 661, 668-672, 17 S. Ct. 677, 41 L. Ed. 1154; Kilbourn v. Thompson, 103 U. S. 168, 194, 195, 26 L. Ed. 377). Applying the above rules to the present case, it is necessary to ascertain if the investigation of this primary election was germane to the exercise of any constitutional power possessed by the Senate. The resolution states its objects to be ascertainment of facts which would not only be of public interest but which would aid the Senate in enacting any remedial legislation or in deciding any contest which might be instituted involving the right to a seat in the United States Senate. Whatever lack of authority there may be to prosecute an investigation for the public interest or to aid the Senate in enacting any remedial legislation relating to primary elections, there can be no doubt of the power of the Senate to determine contests involving the right to seats in the Senate because it has an expressed constitutional authority to judge of the elections, returns, and qualifications of its own members. Article 1, § 5, cl. 1. The inquiry here concerning improper methods of securing nominations is certainly germane to the proper exercise of such power. That the Senate has and has exercised such power to deny seats to members who procured party nominations by what the Senate deemed improper means of expenditures is exemplified in the effective denial of seats to Senators Newberry of Michigan and Smith of Illinois. This is one effective method of preventing the purchase of seats in the Senate. Nor does the exercise of this power of investigation depend upon the existence of an actual contest or proceeding to deny a seat in the Senate. One of the broad purposes of the grant of the constitutional power was to protect the integrity of the membership of the Senate. This purpose is obviously served by investigations made closely connected in time and fact with the acts which might form a basis for senatorial action affecting the seating of a member. Appellant urges, also, that the subject-matter of the immediate inquiries upon which the indictment is based were not germane because they related to expenditures for a man who never became a candidate at the primary. The immediate inquiry had to do with expenditures by W. M. Stebbins to and for the benefit of George W. Norris of Broken Bow, Neb., in order to induce Norris to become a candidate in the Republican primary for United States Senator, wherein Stebbins and Senator George W. Norris of McCook, Neb., were candidates. The obvious purpose of Stebbins was not merely to have a third candidate in the race, but it was to have a third candidate who had precisely the same name as his real opponent, Senator George W. Norris of McCook, Neb. This confusion of names would naturally have the effect of injuring Senator Norris, who was well known in Nebraska, by drawing mistaken votes to George W. Norris, who was a grocer's clerk at Broken Bow. Whether a man who would resort to such political trickery should, if successful, be accorded a seat in the Senate would be a matter for the Senate to determine. The fact that three days before this hearing the Supreme Court of Nebraska had disqualified Norris of Broken Bow from contesting in the Republican primary (because his filing therefor was too late under the state statute) bears upon the success of the scheme but has no effect upon the character and methods of Stebbins who did all he could to promote it. The inquiry as to this transaction was germane to the investigation concerning expenditures in connection with that primary.