Mr. DAVIS. I will answer my friend. For the very reason that the parties are public officers, that they are charged with the duties of official administration, that they are servants of the Government, and that Congress has not only the right, but is bound to examine into their action, I aver that a member may right fully criticise it. I say it involves no breach of privilege, and no disconrtesy, for any member of this House to speak in regard to the conduct of a public officer of this government legitimately before it for consideration in such terms as he may think proper. If charges were made by my collea e against the administration of GenlFry ogllhe affairs of the Provost Marshafs Bureau, he as an officer of the Army, charged with malfeasance in a military duty, had a right to demand from the War Dept a court of inquiry to investigatchis conduct. He had here a perfect redress; or he might have appealed to this House, demanding that a committee be charged with the examination of the alleged malfeasance, and that the author of the charges be required to substantiate them or retract them. Sir, the very necessities of the public service require that the Representatives of the people she lbe untrammeled upon this floor in their criticisms upon the action of the public servants; and if the Ii 5 of members are to be sealed in respect to o cial administration, I know not in what way the public are to be informed on subjects of the deepest general interest, in connection with which individual agents and officers may merit either censure or praise. But, sir, my object is not to enter into detail upon the facts of this case so abundantly reported, but rather to ascertain by some appropriate mode of inquiry what are the rights and whntare the restrictions which should beallowed or imposed upon this practice of resenting letters containing libelous matter to e read as part of debate in this House. Therefore, at a proper time, now or hereafter, I will olfer a res olution simply asking an investigation by the same committee as to the fact whether any breach of privilege has been committed by any act of this kind in the introduction of any such letter byany person. And I am induced to do thatmore from the consideration that I believe we must put our foot upon this practice or we must be involved in these interminable difficulties and personal explanations. I wish to say that I do this without any sort of disrespect to any member upon this floor, without any personal feeling whatever, but from a sole desire to preserve that order and decorum in this House which should belong to its deliberations.