| Show TILLMAN AND DO I 1 NOT ATTEMPT TO APOLOGIZE washington feb proceedings in tho senate after the doors were closed saturday covered two hours of time and resulted in the adoption of a resolution in tho form of an order a follows ordered that the two senators from the state of carolina bo declared iii contempt of the senate on account of tho altercation and personal encounter between them this day in open session and that the matter bo referred to the committee on brivil ages and elections with instructions to report what action shall bo taken by the senate in regard thereto tho discussion occurred in the secret session was based largely upon the foregoing resolution the first suggestion of which was made by mr foraker in presenting the resolution immediately after the doors of the chamber were closed sir foraker took occasion ta remark that the occurrence had been an outrage upon the dignity of tho senate of which iho senate should taka cognizance sir hoar endorsed indorsed indor sed tire resolution of mr foraker but said ho thought tho action of the senate should bo more explicit than contemplated by tho resolution lie therefore moved to amend it oy ordering that the two senators from south carolina bo declared in contempt by the senate for disorderly conduct and speech in us presence and that both should be taken into custody in support of this amendment ho said that any court or any other parliamentary body would commit men for so grave an against its dignity to await its judgment mr blackburn and other members then stated that the two south carolina senators were willing to apologize and thus purge themselves of contempt and in view of this statement mr hoar the portion of his amendment providing for their commitment mr foraker then accepted the amendment of mr hoar and it was embodied in the resolution before the vote was taken a number of senators spoke and while there were many kind utterances te rances regarding both senators there was no exception in the opinions expressed as to alie gravity and seriousness of the offense among the senators who thus declared themselves were teller fairbanks hanna blackburn and spooner mr bianna suggested that serious as had been the encounter in the senate it was not so grave as the charge of misconduct made against sir me laurin and he thought that any investigation ti undertaken should extend to that matter mr teller uniting with other senators in deprecating the occurrence said that it was not unprecedented that there had been other similar affairs on alio floor of the senate and instanced among others tho encounter between senators benton and foote lie also suggested that sir spooner was not entirely blameless for occurrence because his interrogatories had provoked mr tillman to make explicit the charge which had been but vaguely made before his interference in tho debate A motion was made by mr teller looking to alie opening of alio doors this was voted down 18 to 42 the senators generally expressing themselves as willing to hear the apologies promised but generally insisting that there should first be action on the resolution on the suggestion of mr bacon them iwas a division of the two branches of the question the first vote was taken on the question whether alie two senators were in contempt and it prevailed by a unanimous vote the remainder of the resolution referring the matter to the committee on privileges and elections was adopted without a roll call both the south carolina senators remained in their scabs scats during the entire session after the secret session the senate at resumed business in open session mr blackburn made a statement of what had been made in executive session and asked any statement could be mado to the senate in open session by either of the senators whilo they were in contempt of the senate there was a lengthy discussion of tho question and finally president pro tem tryo ruled while these two senators arc declared to bo in contempt the chair could not recognize cither if he should rise and address the chair but on motion made by any senator that they be heard the chair would recognize tho senator making the motion and would hold that the motion was in order in the ordinary transgression of the rules or violation of order the senator violating it must take his clifair and lie cannot be recognized by tho presiding officer again until the senate has relieved him of that by motion of course tho senators from south carolina can bo relieved of the condition in which they are so they can be recognized so far as the chair is concerned oy a motion and by a majority vote of tho senate what will happen after the two senators have purged themselves so far as it is possible of the contempt the chair will be prepared to rule whenever that question is raised L J t |
