Mr. DODGE, (the contestant.) That pack age arrived here on the morning of the 20th of January. When the honorable gentleman received it I cannot say, but I know it was deliv ered on the 20th. 1he Clerk of the House, on the 24th, received the package from the honor able gentleman, with a reuest that he would take care of it until calls for. Not knowing how valuable it might be, or what it might contain, he took good care of it, and I be icve he now has ita package, not addressed to him as Clerk of the House, but addressed to Hon. James Buoons. It was not enough that the gentleman should have had for 8 months the testimony in his sole possession, but he must hold on to it even after it goes to Washington. He said nothing about its having to go to the committee. He did not go to the chairman and say, “I have been disappointed, and was not able to get this evidence before; but at last I have got it, and here it is.” Not at all. What keeps it? Why, he never expected at all to have it printed or presented to the committee. He expected to senme home, because he would require from me the strictest performance of the requirements of the statute. He th0uglit he had got me, but. he found himself mistaken and now he comes before this House, after having kept me here 2 months, and asks that his package shall be sent to the committee, with a request that the contents shall be printed, taking at least 4 or 6 weeks to print them, and sending me directly home in the midst of the argument, or requiring me to go through with mine and then taking his up when his testimony comes in. I feel that it would be a very strange precedent for this House to set, and Icannot see how the ComElections could ever get on in future, if a statute so plain. so specific. requiring that the evidence 5 ould be kept in the hands of the judge that takes it and by him held fast, scaled up, and sent to the Clerk of the House, is disregarded. I cannot see how this House can consent to such a precedent as to allow a member for 8 long months to keep it in his own possession, then have it transmitted to him in Washington, then hold it there himself, and wait as long as possible to see whether his points are going to be held, and if they are not, then go before the House after all this detention and ask them to allow him to have his papers printed. Sir, I was going to say I object, but I have no right to object, because I do not belong here. I was only going to sugrest that I think I have a right to complain. or that I would retort upon the gentleman: I have no such wish. Not that I am afraid of his testimony; I only wish it had been here in time to be printed. But I do not want, if I am entitled to a place on this floor, to sit here silently and have all these great financial and other important measures passed, having no voice in thematter. Nor doI want to be kept from my business for 2 or 3 months longer, if I am notentitled to a seat here. I complain that the gentleman has met me in committee with a strict and determined adherence to everything within the statute, and then comes into this House, without having con. formed to a single one of them, and as s that I may be longer detained, and that the House may o behind the statute and sets precedent here that may be injurious for alltime to come, by saying thata member may keep his testimony, carry it with him in the country, take it to the oil regions, send it wherever he pleases, and then come in and ask thatit may be printed and now, Mr. Speaker, having detained the House longer than I expected, I will say in an swer to the gentlemans remarks, that they have nothing to do with this question of printing. He has talked about money, he has talked about party, he has talked about his being a candidate, not of the Democratic or Republican party, lmt of the people. Mr. Barr was the regular nominee of Tammany Hall; but Mr. Barr was known to be aloyal Democrat, what we in NewYork call a noble “war Democrat, ” who broke away from his associates and determined to stand by and sustain the country. Mr. Bnooirss friends, not satisfied with that nomi nation, had him nominated at Mozart Hall by the Fernando Wood win of the Democracy. There were a few, some 4 or 5,000, good war Democrats in the district who were willing to break away and support Mr. Barr, but the great mass of “the unterrified Democ racy” of the district voted for Mr. BROOKS. That is well known. They voted for him enmasse and why? Because they were mostly men who had skulked away and refused to come up and enlist; who had hid themselves away and refused to enlist until the bounties were raised so high that the iicu idity overrode their political references; undt on they came in. It was unerstood that Mr. BROOKS was the representative of the party who had opposed the war, and that class of the Democracy went for Mr. BROOKS. The gentleman haareferred to the cost of the election and the expenditure of money. He has spoken of $10,000 having been expended by myself. Has he read the crossexamination of my counsel? The question was asked by his counsel, ” What did it cost Mr. Dodge to carry on the election? Did it “ cost him $15,000?" No, I do not think it cost anything like that.” “Did it cost him $12,000?” “No, I do not think it did.” “Did it cost him $10,000?” “No, I do not thinkitdid.” The sitting member says the eltction did not cost him $300. It did not cost me $10,000, nor $7,000, nor $6,000. But I do not know that that has anything to do with the question whether these papers are to be printe or not. he gentleman has spoken of the evidence here as being czparlc, and says that he would have to go before the committee upon exparte testimony. Now, if gentlemen will look over the printed testimony on my behalf, they will find that where my counsel would ask a witness fouror 5 direct questions, the crossexamination by Mr. Bnooxss counsel occupies 3, 4,and 5 pages, thus occupying nearly all ofiny time; still, I was able to ct in enough to show before the ComElections, as I doubt not, the fact that I am entitled to aseat upon this floor.