l
«
l
-- the interference of the House they will report ger
I
\\ then was an accused person to do ? He must
\ throw himself on the judgment of his peers.
"will be a farce and a mockery.
,/ I MR. cLAv’s_ APPEAL; ‘ .
,,/5‘§g£cli of the debate which wok place in the
House of Rcpresehialiccs of the. a idles
on Friday, 4th inst. on Ifl€,77l0IlOl1.0‘/‘..f”I.‘.
;lv"oi-sgtli to r‘qfer~tIic ‘appeal ofM7‘- Cf“? 1” '1
select cznnmittce. '
M.-, ARCHER, ofVa. said no one could be
-more willing thaiihegwas totalie 3")’ me“5l"°
to v‘itidic_ate the dignity of this House, Olrlé
respond to thejust claim of any membet 0'
“the viiitlicatiou of his ofticial character. But,
‘he said, he did not copsider that the Honora-
ble Speaker was put in this predicament-'-
‘ "What were the circu‘mstances in which inqui-
ries oftliis kind may’, with propriety. be f‘"““'
tained by this House? Ought W6 (Sam he)
to lend theugrave sanction of our names-—
ought we to operate, in a formal niaiiner, by
committees of inquiry, when nothing IS pre-
sented to us to act upon but mere vagu_8 gen-
eral newspaper invective? What, 5"‘: file
circumstances under which we should be .l'~‘5'
iified in raising. '-sme in sucli_a case as
this ? The act * our attentiori is di-
rected, ought f Cll21l'ElCif3l'lSilt5S :-—
It ought to be ..: -.elatio'n totlie mem-
ber whoscgc ~ .=—. peaclied _: it ought,
also, to be so - icli can be proved it
true, or (lisp ;,,-‘. I true. Mr. A. asked
of gentlemr .~ - the paperwhicli was
the fonndat ;.-; application, and say
' ' -. ~‘ either of these classes.
. titer of it speaks of ru-
Doeshe charge upon the
iialfaisance in rela_tion to
V - J; he speaks ofthe course‘
expéctd to- en by a large number 0!
members-—ofan imputation on tiie whole del-
egation froui a particular part ofthe country :
and, when he speaks of the Speaker: ‘fllat
‘.
for inq‘iiii'y, it was on the ground that no spli-
cilic cliarges had been made against the pre-
siding ofliceroftlie House; but that the whole
of the offensive matter consisted of vague ru-
iuors._ He thought that, if gentleiiicn would
examine the paper,they would find that there
was a clizirge ofa direct and positive act coin-
initted by the Speaker,a'n'd which ought to be
at this time investigated. The writer dc-
clares himself able to give information of a
transaction which will cover the republican
ranlfs with infamy,and lay the axe to the root
ofthe tree ofliberty. He asserts tliatilie will
give an account ofa most corrupt bargain ;
and goes on to state that, for some time past,
the friends of Mr. Clay had hinted that they,
like the Swiss, would fight for those who
would pay them best. He (the writer,)states
that “ lie was of opinion, when he first heard
oftliis transaction, that men professing any
honorable principle, could not, nor would iioi
be transferred, like as the planter does his ne-
groes, or the farmer his team and liorses.”-—
Thus the writer proceeds to state his disbe-
lief, in the first instance, oftbc report ; but he
goes on to say, that, “contrary to this expec-
tation, it is now ascertained, to a certainty,
that Henry Clay has transferred his interest
to John Quincy Adams ;” and, “as aconsid-
cration for this abandonment of duty to his
co iistitnetits, it is said, and believed, should
this unholy coalition prevail, Clay is tube ap-
pointed Secretary of State.” Iftbis is not a
direct charge, he would be glad to know what
is——“ It is now ascertained to a certainty, that
Henry Clay has transferred,” 82c. Who are
here said to be transferi'erl_?_ Mi-.Clay’s friends
in the House. Who made the transfer and
was to receive the consideration? Mr. Clay.
The presiding officer oftliis House isilirectly
and positively charged, by a member in his
place, with entering into Q corriiptoonlract.
called upon to interfere in,’-.tiie niattei. So
far as a cliange has been made in the climac-
ter. oftliis ‘case fronii) that of a‘nierc newspaper
publication, it has “ecu done in a way which
-gives itino title to ourflcountenance. The
name oftlie writer has been cxlorted by this
challenge, and.'all.that follojws pzirtakes oftliis
personal character. ’ ,.
Mr. FULLER, ofMass. said he should
not have voted for the inquiry had the charges
been confined to anonymous publications in
the newspapers, but when the I uieniber from
Penn. standsiip and says he is ready toprovc
these charges, he} thought it necessary to in-
vestigate them. The member from S. C.
said that this inquiry was of no use because it
could lead to no constitutional act; but he be-
lieved iftlie charges of corruption were trite
the house could preform a constitutional act
by expelling the implicated individual. He
thongbt the excitement which gentlemen so
much dcprecate could be suppressed in no
other way than the uit-zle now contemplated.
liinuinerable letters had gone abroad fraught
with the charges ofcorruption, and a member
ofthc house avows liimsclf ready to prove the
charges contained in one ol the most outra-
geous ofthem, and yet gentlemen proposed to
prevent excitement by stifling inquiry, and
suffering the charges to gain the public car,
without airy such contradiction as can coun-
t.eract the poison l
Mr. LIVERMORE, of N. H. next rose.
What, said he,is the subject before the house?
A member has preferred a complaint that his
privilege is endangered. Every member of
this house has ceitniii privileges, and these
privileges must be vindicated, or the govern
ment must be prostrated. A member has de-
manded that certain charges against him may
be investigated. What is to be done? Sir, I
Iliink we are in the straightcoiirse. It is our
. does liesay ? Does he charge him with ccr- by which, for the consideration of an office, every day practice to appoint committees, on
mpiion...with any thing which, if proved, dependent on success, he stipulates to trans- every subject.
ought to produce iiivestigation——-with any
for his own vote,and those ofthe members fr.
Do the same now.
Mr. RANKIN, of Miss. objected to the
thing susceptible of proofor disproof? I sus- the states who had voted for Mr. Clay I07 U16 «Wppointuieut of a committee mi the ground
pect, Sir, that the gentlemen who are dispos- Presidency, to one ol three candidates prc- that the public tribunals were open, and there
cd to pursue this inquiry, have not adverted seiited to us to choose a President lroni_: or, was the proper" place for the Speaker to seek
to the paper in question. The only part of
if it be not a positive charge, I have no con-
satisfaclioinp If he could vindicate his char-
the letter which conveys an imputation upon ccptioti what idea the gentleman a_ttacl_ies toa actor there why should be come here. He
the Speaker,is not even inatterut surprise up- positive charge. We are told, sir, with this thought all the meiiiliers from the west had
otiitlie part ol the. writer of that letter: be c
speaks of it as "a report—-as something said '1
‘and wliispcred in this place. Suppose this
barge before ns,tliat. no oficnce is imputed—-
hat all rests on rumor-5-—notliing aflccting, in
the slightest degree the dignity ofthc House!
equal reasop to appeal to the house. The
practical elfcct oftlie precedent estahlislicd in
this case was to be deprecated. Any mciiiber
charge were true, said Mr. A. what can this ——_v0llt'presi(liug officer corruptly selling his might appeal to the house whenever any
coiiunittee do if raised ?
It imist, whether own vote, and that of his fcllowincmbers, is charge should appear against him in a news-
the charge be true or not, make it report cx- no nt'fmice to the dignity oftbe House !—tbat ‘paper in any part oftlic Union, and the time
culpatory ofthe Speaker. - Shall we raise a no ulterior measures could grow out ofsucli a would be so occupied with them as to leave
conitnittee,then,, when we know that there (:b:ti'gc, it true; aml that it is beneath our none for the tiaiisaclioii of other bnsiness.—-
czin be but one response to the inquiry, on dignity to notice such vague ruinours!
matter what the facts may he ? To do so will win you go K, we cieciigii of a Chief Magis— I
be to constitute an inquiry wliicli can lead to trata while corruption fills y0|Yi‘ H0”: 33- Seeks or less influenced by that decision.
no useful result. lftlie things alleged or iii- to find its way into your ballot boxes? No, l
siuuated be true,-—if the Speaker be guilty of s
Sir,
it‘, let us go to that work with pure li:iii(ls,:i:id
all the corruption which scnrrility has charged drive these corrupt bai-gainers from our pres-
tipoii him, it must be a uizittcr within his own 8
nce. Let us investigate these cliargcs; and
breast, the truth of which no testimony can ifthey are foiiud true, I have no licsitation in
establish. Iftlie allegations be true, you can- 5
ayiiw
'3
,your S_ueal~:er is uiiwoiiliy the station
riof convict the Spealter of the imputed of— he fills, or a seat on this floor; and I, for one
fence.
lend niyselfto such an inquiry.
Any inquiry of omsimo mitiereibre, will vote for his expulsion, as I would any
I will not iiieuibcr,
c
‘What, said Mr. A. does the charge, con- be done, and then seek to punish; but should 4
who would falsely mzike siicli a
barge. We ought not to stop until the deed
tained in this letter, in its worst form, say ?— proceed now, in time to prevent the niiscliicf,
Does it say that the Speaker has betrayed ms and satisfy the nation tliat, when we go into vindicatetlic liouse,
No; but [hm it is surmised that he the election, we are free from the imputation t
duty ?
means todo so. Ifit shall appear, in the se- of corrupt iiiflueiice.
quel, thatthat officer has violated his duty,
M r. frl’D'UFFIl£, ofS.C. roseifsr. said,bcforc
men were win be ground for inqi-,ir_y_ Bin, we adopt the course suggested, we must as-
at present, suppose it were true, that the spea- certain that there is some lawful act wliicli we I
And when Congress had decided on a case
io jury could pass upon it without being more
Coiigrcss
iad no right to seize on a publication, &I. take
tout ol the ordinary course of imvesiigaiion,
l'rIr. STORIES, of N. Y. said the question
“'35 "‘7”’l“l-’. less than wlietlier we shall viii-
licate the character of the house from the irri-
iutzition of direct liribery. It was stated that
)l£’I)Ef)€l'.S‘ had been transferred from one candi-
late: to another: a bargain andszilc had been
fI‘t.‘(3l(’,(.'l—-illltl a recoiiipeiise was to be hat] in
case ol success. A nicmbcr ofthe house had
leL'itIl'i’.(l his i'eadin'-sss to stihstniitiiite these
cliai~;;es,:iiid be now felt bound to proceed and
or punish the guilty par-
akers of this corrupt conspiracy. Sir, said
Air. S, the place ofa Representative here, is
one of the most tiiaiisceiitlctit trusts in the gift
of the free people ofthesc states. The cliargc
ireferred against our presiding officer, strikes
i
i
l
‘I
(
(.
ker had thrown away the high character he, may do as the result and conscqiiciice oftliis at the fonudatioii of all public confidence in
has always iuziintained in the country and in ln\’0S_l_ig%lll0|1-_
itself into a tribunal to investigate charges un-
publication in question would represent him less It have :i right to do some act founded on present, what
to be, and that he did contemplate this shauie- t _ . _ _ ‘
ful violation of his duty to his country-—-woiild object in view was either to‘cxpel the Speuk- l
he even in that case be punisliable here ?-- er, or the member who prelerred the cliargos some de
‘Would we pass upon him any other sentence against him : but have we the power to do iiicut,in the so
than that ol ineffable contempt for his corrnp- t
this Housc—'—tliat he was the venal thing the
tioii and folly ? No, Sir, said Mr. A.
The House could not organize
he truth or falsehood ofsuch cliarges. The
his? He thought the attempt to do it would
I say be worse than the resort some years ago to the sit here fora iiioinem
that we must wait for some act which will scclitioit law, when the people oftliis country
perpetrate the corruption, by consuminating were rising up against an aclniinistratiou place.
the purpose. In that event, circuiiistaiices
will demand an inquiry on our part. Some
which was not acceptable to them.
By that
aw those who libelled the gov’t., or any ofits
act will have been committed against his ofli- Officers, were delivered over to iliejndicial tri-
cial duty——soine act which is issuable, and bunals of the country for trial, but in this case, prints have disscniiiiated far and wide me 1,...
can .be proved or disproved.
Mr. WOOD, of N. Y. took the same j
ground with Mr.Archer. Mr. FORSYTH
we are to prepare the law, investigate and
udge the facts, :ind inflict tlic piiiiisliiiieiit-
what was this but tyranny? Mr. l'il‘D. then
the liouse. If we refuse inquiry. especially
at a inomeiit and on a subject peculiar as the
. ‘ will be the suspicious, just or
unjust, ol :1 people generously jealous of the
ioiior of their rulers, and who uiust feel in
gree the degredation of their govern-
audal oftlieir public councils?
lftliesc charges can be proved, I would not
, if I thought that we
must patie-.itly bearthe liuiiiiliation ofsuch a
_ Uur situation is attliis moment pe-
culiarly delicate. Riiiiitiiir Iias been busily
employed in sappirig the foundation of all
coiilideiicc in our proceedings. The public
sest insinnations against the honour of this
house. It. IS scarcely a day since I read in
another print, from N.York, a charge of an-
replied that gentlemen were in advance oftlie adverted to the situation in which they were other coalition here for power. I know it to
question. The Speaker had requested the at that time placed. ’l‘lie eyes oflhc whole be false, and we all know it to be so. B
appointment of a committee to investigate nation were upon them, but by this acttliey l
charges preferred against him by a member
of the house. ‘The present motion was in
compliance with that request. Ifthe commit-
tee think the charges are such as to require
accordingly, and the House will confirm or
reject their decision, and give them further voice ofrcprobation made to sound through dishonor. Ifcalun
power to act. It is said the Speaker has been
charged with no crime, with no act, buionly
with an intention. But,Iask, iftlie charge
is true, has not the bargain been made? And
ifit has, is not this corruption, and deserving
of punishment? On the contrary, if any
member, niider the influence ofjealuusy, and
governed by rumors and surinises, has presn- who speculates on probabilities, or gives cur- s
med to hold up as an infamous bargainer for
votes and office, an officer of this house,ought
he_not to be punisbcrl—-to be expelled from :1
seat in the house 3’ This house alone is com-
petent to examine into the charge. Such was
the condition of the press, pending any ini-
portant election, so given to I.'clI.SCh()0.(l, and so
prostituted, that no man could resort to it
witliont injury to himself. The press in this
country was no longer a protector of inno-
cence and a scourge of the‘ guilty. What
-—-Iaanswer to the charge that the crime had
8611 ‘committed only in intention, he would
1 3 0359. Suppose a person who has a claini,
before this hopse discovers a member who
has greallwfliience, and to secure his vote of-
5t=\‘5 him Rbtibe and he accepts it. Wou‘ld
'”“"" iii“ h°“5e\ WIVC power to punish forsucli
" ‘ ""'1Is1blie had not as yet given
'hfference between
'- .‘ ~'.'-.'
--s: .
‘r .. .
_ ilnpported the reso-
tuiioii, ‘ah. _ . ..'-.u tor of the house, as
well as to both the ... , iv.:.’r roncerned. It
might turnout that tbr ‘-in Vere false, &I.
that the member wli-. ‘ :"3lll forward
acted innocently in so N
Mr. GAZLAY, of On-
I,-
V..
o having
any. thing to do with the {E ‘re pres-
ent time, when there was t ‘cincnt
on the Pmsideiitizil qucstio. '* zht it
acluty to put do_wii and keep ' .215
this character. -
Mr. WRIGHT,.of Ohio,'sa.
sof
were to chuck up the channels through which
alone the people could know what was going
on here. What was the case years ago,
when the liberties oftlie country were in dau-
? How did the people ascertain the ma-
chinations of that day ? He was the loud
the coumry ? By the reports-—t‘iie rumours,
then in circulation. Ifyou are forbidden, by
a decision here, to disclose ruiiionrs, reports,
and speculations, on political topics, then the
object ofthe intriguer, the conspii'atoi- against
the public interest, is accoinplislicd. If you
hold up the arm ofterror against every man
rency to ruuiors, you reaiizc the dead silence
of despotism. When you lull the sentinel to
sleep, the conspirator may fearlessly walk a-
broad in the dark, and the puclic cyecanriot
detect him. A precedent more dangerous
has never been set in this government, than
would be by the institution oftliis inquiry?
Mr. M’D. then remarked that the publica-
tion which liad caused the difficulty appeared
in a remote paper, but if the editor had writ-
ten it he would have been called here and
punished P This was not pretended.
Is a member of this House deprived, by his
election to this station, oftlie comuion right
ofa citizen? No. Ifthat letter merely had
appeared before the public, we should not
have gone into this inquiry. llow did that
letter get here ? The member who brought
it here issued, in a public print, the following
Card 9 [Here Mr. MCD. read the whole oftlie
card,till he came to the passage where it says,
“ and iflie (Ilie author of the Philadelphia
letter) dare unveil liiiiiself,and avow his naine,
I will hold him responsib|e”——not, said Mr.
MCD. to an iiivestigatiou before this House,
but——“ to all the lawswliicli govern, and reg-
ulate the conduct of, men of honor.’’] Now,
sir, said Mr. .\lcD. so far as this letter has
been traced to a member of this House, the
avowal ofit has been extorted-—dr:iwn out-
by this publication. IfI were ‘to go into the
iquestioii of-it breach of privilege,» on tliis_oc-
casion, I would say, here, in this “ Card” is a
breach of privi1ege——-a public challenge is
‘more abreacli of privilege than thetwriting
ii-I undsi.
stood the gentlemen who oppos.-i the men pl
"of that letter ;-and y.et',.. after the name ofthe
\‘iVl‘l[€l' has been'tli,us;ieit.torted, this House is
in, sir,
be public mind may be poisoned by this in.
vetcrate perseverance oflhe press. It becomes
us, in my jndgmeut,to act firmly and prompt-
lyfto bring, it necessary, every member of
lili.‘)'IIt)llSe to the scrutiny. Ifthe honour of
our Speaker is implicated by the inquiry, it is
our solemn duty to purify the house from the
. iniatcd, we not only vindi-
'C2‘llC liiui, but ourselves from the siispicion.——
lbe gliarge is too palpably tirade to be eva-
ded. The proofis otfered, and if we now de-.
try the inquiry, the nation itself will inquire,
and pass tlieirjudgment on him and us, with-
out proof.
M’DUFFlE reiterated his former as-
e'rtion that these proceedings could lead to
I 0 result or act which the house is adequate
“l P9l'f0l’|ll, although otliergcntlemen thought
dili'crcnily—-iliouglit we might detlirone the
Speaker, ifguilty--but did we mean to do it?
W as this the object? No. It was only
under a show of doing one thing to do anoth-
er! It had been said that rumours were
3lJ|‘0i|ds and that the house would lose the
conlidcnce ofthe nation. But are we to (rain
confidence by investigating newspaper phra-
graphs? Suppose ‘my coiistitueiits were to
assail me in the iicwspapers, would, I have a
right to send the sergeant—at-arms"to bring
‘tile-ll] here to answer for it? And where was
the dilfcreiice in the two cases ? The Gentle-
man froui N. Y. had said thatinaN. Y.bpaper
he had seen another account ofa new coali-
tion-in a Virginia paper I have seen anoth-
cr——hnt shall I move an investigation on that
ground ?_ Rumour, with her ten thousand
tongues is busy on the subject, and if we give
up ourselves to the investigation ofthem we
shall rcnde'r ourselves pitiful and degraded.
_ M_r. FULLER, of Mass. said his only ob-
ject in recommending this investigation was
to establish the innocence ofthe party accus-
Cda which no doubt almost every member of
the house anticipated. And was it ofno im-
portauce to refute calumny, to sustain the iii-
"OC"-”la In disabusethc public, and to eradi-
cate the poison ofsuspicioii fr. the very core?
He wassorry to see any gentleman so unwil-
ling to aid this object.
Mr. _A-RCHER then m'ov
the subject until Thu r-Sday nex
was any corruption in the case, it may have
lbceu consuiriniated and the house might be
ed‘ to postpone
t, when, ifthcre .7
jautboriz'ed-to make ti inquiryz. Iifegatiitctl.
Mr. INGHAM, oenn. observed, that he
iwas at fii'st,in favor an investigation, biil
upon more mature co ideration had changed
his iiiintl. The qiie. ii wa‘-s-not an issue be-
tween two individus, the consequence of
which’ uiust necessai be the prostration of
one ofthcui. It wa. qt ustion o‘f privilege.
The privilege of tlipeaker had been inva-
ded, and the house as called on to punish
the offender. Tbel iction of this punish-.
ishineut was the liigi st privilege possessed
hi’ the l‘0"5e- H9 W -r present sortie years :1-
go -when this questii underwent a whole
iveek’s disciissioii andf,-as finally decided in
[he 3m|'m6tlVe ‘only h__ very small iiiajorit_v,
altho’ the breach ofpr ’lege was very appar-
ent. Now, supposing-lié'lettcr iii qtiestir-in
had been ten thousand iines worse than it is,
should a mere iiewspailr article call into sol-
emn exercise the biglic power oftlie house?
Why most this be done . It is answered, be-
cause the letter has be traced to a member
oftliis house; but uiayiou not, on this prin-
Gillies follow up all the intei'stliroii,«_~li.-iut the
U. States? Is there ,iy earthly difference
between a iiewspnpcr.' rticle written by a
member oftliis House and such an article
written by any other pe on? Did a gentle-
man, by becoming a m the-r of this House,
deprive himself of tlieortliiiary privileges
which he would have ll . had he remained
out oftbe House? Mlg he not write to his
constituciits the same 5 other gentlemen
‘WON: '0 their friends? Surely lieinight.-—
And ifiliis House is oblipd to investigate and
ptiiiisli a letter which cdnes from a member,
If is bound to do the saric if the letter came
,”‘°“’ 3")’ Other rncniberlftlie coiiimnniiy.-
I‘lie power to piiuisli fd, contempt was the
most tyrannic.il, in its nitnre, ofaiiy of the
powers incident to goveiiincnt. Itis given
by the constitution to tlieludiciary as well as
to the Legislature ;yet, if many of the states.
the Legislature has circuliscrihcd the power
of the courts, in punisliinglto their own walls;
and, in the discussion to which be before allu-
ded, and which took placrlin this House, the
sanic rule was contended to apply to the Le-
gislature. It was, ably and very strenuously
argued, that even this House had no authori-
ty to pnnisli a coutenipt lreyond the limits of
its own Hall. Shall we, asked Mr. I. consti-
tute ourselves into an inquisitorial tribunal to
try and punish a /brcacli of ‘privilege merely
about a letter to a printer? Sir, this house is
now about to establish a principle more ob-
noxious to freedom tbanpny I ever heard
broaclied in the worst Ofilllles.
Mr. I. next alluded to th " nianner in which
the subject had been brouglit before the house,
and to the respective conditions oftlie parties
coiiccriietl. The one occuiiics a lofty station,
possesses the confidence oflhe lioiise, and ex-
ercises high powers of pairoiiage in it, all of
which created dill'crenr.:e between him and his
accuser, and rendered an; impartial decision
oftbeir dilfcrcriccs impossible. He thought
it would loriii a curious 2-jwcuiclc to see every
iiicnibcr oftlie house called one by one before
the cotninittee to testify all that ho had said
and heard on the subject ill private as well as
in public; and, he added, ifan attempt were
made to arraign me for a lontcmpt by writing
ll letter to my coiistitueuts,or any where else,
I would stand mute, and deny and dcty your
power. You might ch-.iin and imprison me,
but would never compel me to violate the
coiistitution and the liberty; of the press.
Mr. FORSYTPI (l(‘llll‘(l that this was it
question of privilege merely, nor did it touch
in any manner, the right olan individaul to
publisli any thing be pleased. It is a question
touching the purity of conduct oftbe mem-
bers ofihe house, and if tbe,‘meniber who is
the auilior ofthc latter had slated facts totbo
lionse, and d-.-uiaiided an iovi-stigatioii who
would have refused it ? ls itrcfnsed because
it comes froin the Speaker? The member
is here, and so are the charges, and both the
meiiibcr and the Speakcrdcrnand an inquiry.
A few years ago an inquiry was instituted up-
on the mere suggestion t|iat"a member had
made a contract while in‘ office, and year be-
fore a last another inquiry was ordered upon
the request oftbe primers to the house whose
official conduct had been implicated.
Mr. INGI-IAM rose in reply. He did not
conclude that the gentleman from Georgia
had put the inquiry simply on the ground of
privilege. He placed it on the ground‘ of the
licentiousness of the press, and maintained
that it was necessary to correct that licen-
tiousness by the iiiterfereiicc of this House.
A principle certainly very nearly allied to the
other. There is another ground ofobjection,
ofwliich it was fittliatsomc mcuibcr fr.Penn.
should take notice. The Speaker in his coin-
munication, says, that he sliall take no other
notice of the accusation than that which be
has done, becrzzisc of the souipe from which it
proceeds. He did not know whether he was
to understand the Speaker as alluding, by
those words to the state from which the mem-
ber came, or to the iricmberliiiiiself. The
expression was_ equivocal : but, whether he
meant the one or the other, -Mr. I. said he
should consider himself as dqlinquent in his
duty, if he did not notice and rcpela state-
ment ofthatkind. By the coiistitntioii oftlie
country, every portion ofilie Anierican peo-
ple is alike rcpreseiited by members on this
floor. Audit would be unforttinate indeed,il'
the house were "called on to compare, and to
contrast the respective claims of different
members to differentdcgrees ofconsideration.
He would coiifess,tiiat these words oftlie lion.
Speaker had excited in his breast some sensi-
bility, both as to the honor ofbis state, and to
that ofthe members of her delégation. And
he considered it due to the character of thr-
state he had the honor, in part,to represent_.to
deny the right of any mcuiber to assume such
a position in this House. 4
A motion for adjoulnment was made by
Mr. Buchanan, of Pa. and negatived.
Mr. M’DUFFIlé‘. moved an amendment to
the resolution in debate, instructing the coin-
mittee to inquire whether the friends of Clay
have “hinted tliatthey would fight for those.
who would pay best,” and itliether Mr. Clay
had transferred his interest to Mr. Adams on
the condition ofbeing appointed Secretary of
State, 85c. and that the said committee have
power to send for persons and papers, and to
compel persons so sent to answer all questions’
touching the subject,on oath. Mr. B ’Dufi‘ie
said he was opposedlto going into committee,
-but if we must investigate the cliarges con-
tained in the letter oftlieitieniber from Penn.
"he wislied‘to try bimon the very words used.
Mr. RANDOLPH rose and declared be
’bad‘_ been a most reluctant and impatient spec-
the institutions oftliis Eonntry weitb siiliicient-
l_v,discredit'e'd abroad to render it iiniiecessaryf
to discredit them at_.honm. , I cannot, as one_
of the oldest members (l.-‘lllls body, any long-
er refrain fronvasking to what we are about
to reduce oiirselves in the estimation not only
of the public, but in our. own. Are we, the"
Congress of the U. States, sitting here to (le-
liheriatc on great national concerns, or are we’.
reduced to the situation ofa parish vestry,0I' Of
a board of oversecrs to the p,o5r? I do not
wish to enter upon the question, butI beg the
ltonseto consider what they are him!!!» If ,
understand the proposition before t1S.ill5.'hFl1’-
iliis House shall do what it would be rler0.E’."‘
tory to anuiriividiial to do-—that which is no_
of siiflicierit dignity for an individual to toiicli
is referred to this body. Sir, I cannot con’-
sent to reduce this house to snoha_condition.
He thciefore moved for an indefinite post-'
ponement nfthe whole subject. , _
Mr. FORSYTH thought the idea that this}
proposition was derogatory tn the cbaracterpf
the house a strange conception. A meniber
was charged with having in his pnnltet
prouiise ofa place of hotior andnfprofit if he
votes in a certain way. This was dertigatory
to the house. am] not the proposition to inves-
tigate ll)P.Cl.l£ll'§{e. He would ask the gentle-_
man fr.Vir2. ifbe were cliargerl by a member
oftliis house ofhaving paltered with his dirty
—with having made a corrupt lt3|‘_l_fHln,Wll8illf‘
or this house would not ring with his cry for
justice ? And, if an in.qnir_v is in such a case
as this refused, to what condition is a member
ofthis‘ house reduced ? Yours-fer him back
to a state ofnature,and say to him, go and do
justice to yotirsclf upon your accpscr._ And,
will he not? One of the immediate effects of
such refusal would be personal contests in
your lobbies—from that we should come to
were saved from the rlis;-_rnceof‘this,\vitli cold-
ness and deliberation members would depart
from their scars to seek each other’s lives
elsewhere. Ilinve known the interposition of
this house invoked to orevent the settled. tit
ofdisputes out ofit. When members are in
this H:-ill charged with crimes. in this Hall the‘
charges ought to be iuvestifluted. And have
we not the power to investigate them? 'Why
was the power of expulsion given to us, if it
was supposed there never could occur a case
in which it could be excrcisecl.
Mr. R.'indoln|i’s motion was negatived.
Mr. IWDUFFIE renewed his motion for
amendment. The question was lourlly called
for, when Mr. M’Duifie who was on the floor,
said, Sir. l’ll speak to the question. The feel-
ings which I now have it would not become
me to express. I am not to be put down by
the cry of “ question ! question!” and let it
be called for ever ‘so loud I shall deliver my
sentiments. Sir, this is a high handed meas-
ure, and the object of my amendment is to
accord to the individual wboisto he tried the
right which belongs to him. It is an import-
ant riglit ofcveryaccnsr-.d man that the cliargze
on which he is to be tried shall be specifically
set forth. It has been again and again said
that the letter charges corruption. I believe
it charges no such thing. There are the
this is nothing more nor less than indictnicnt
for libel I have pursued the common Law
forms. I regret the investigation, but if it
must take place, let it be in proper lorm. .
Mr. Jifallary, of Vt. said the house would
see at once that the amend ment was irrevo-
lcnt to the subject matter of iiiqniry. Mr.
Ellis moved an adjournment. Ne,<_zatived.'——
Mr. Cook said ifthe house adjourned he hop‘-
ed that before it again met the gentleman fin.
Penn. would distinctly explain what he did
mean in the letter, and whether he meant any
thing beyond report or not. W'ith this hope
he moved for adjournment. Negatived.
Mr. Forsylh remarked that the gentleman
from S. C. had called this a high-handed
measure, and had said that its object was the
oppression of a nicinbcr. He might have
and wished him to explain. Mr. M’DzI_fi'ie
replied that he meant whatever his words ini-
ported. Upon which Mr. Forsytli again rose
and observed that he should take leave to say
that as far as be had any thing to do with the
subject the assertion was without foundation.
The question on Mr. bl’Diifiie.’s amend-
ment wzis then taken and decided in the neg-
ative by a large majority. The qiiestioii tlieu
recurring on the motion of Mr. Forsytb, it
was decided in the affirniativc. Yeas 12’-—
Nays 69: and then the house adjourned.
On Saturday the House were engaged the
greater part oftlie day in lialloitiiig for the
Committee ofInvesti,r_ration. Before the bai-
lotting commenced Messrs. Forsylli and Me
Lane rose to object being placed on the coni-
tnittee. They thought it improper that those
who had taken part in the discussion, should
be placed on it, as they would scarcely go iii-
to it with nnbiassed minds. The Speaker
pro. tcm. (Mr. Taylor) decided the coinmuni-
cation to be.out oforder, and thenilic ballot
commenced, when the following gt-nilcnicn
were chosen: viz. Messrs. P. P. Bairboiir,
Webster, Mo-Laue, Taylor, Forsytli, Saun-
dci's, and Rankin.
There were 707 persons. committed to the
Boston jail for debt, during the year ending
the __.‘30th of September last. The average
number in close jail is about 18. So say the
Nlassiicliiisetts new:~papers. “'0 should like
to know how many oftlic “ average iiumber"
have refused, being able, to pay tbcir debts.-
We should like to know, further, if they are
not able to pay their debts, wlietliertliey will
become so by being deprived oftlie means of
cariiingeven salt to their portage. We should
like to know, still further, ifit do not benefit
productive to any benefit to society. Finally,
we should like to know, whilst they are rot-A
ting in a dnngeon,wliat ordinarily becornesof
rlicir wives and children. If no'satisfactory'
answer can be given to these questions, in-
what terms ought we to characteriz'e a prin-
ciple of law, which makes misfortune :1’ crime‘
scarcely less penal than tnurder of thelesser‘
degree ivliicli, wliil'st it benefits in no manner
either the creditor or the community, enfee-
bles the body oft-he debtor by»cout’inement,8r-
drives his innocent’ 8L helpless family to beg-
ging in the streets, or to worse ?--.N'at. Int.
the date hereof, for the creditors to the estate
of C’al-hari'ne~.MorcIiousc, late ofD-aricu dec’té
to exhibit their claims against said estate.
HENRY lv_Ioi:r:HousE', Adm’r.
Hon.Court of Probate for the district
'tator of proceedings-oftlie house. He-tho’! ,
i
Darien, Jan. 19, 1825. 49
personal contests in the House: and if we’ ,_
charges embodied in this amt-ndnient. As.
misunderstood the riieaning oftbe gcntlcnian
the "creditor, whether their ,inc_arceration is ‘
ofStamfoid has limited six» months from
Norwalk Chronicler