Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-06-09
TUESDAY. June 4.

i ~ r
/ The ease Of George Richards was
again brought up. g
Mr.. BI.a's amendment was put
and lest. 70to75.
Mr.. xrockroN Of CT. j. moved
TO strike OIL, "al'itional steno-
| srabhers' and insert +" additional
| accommodation he made in the gal
lery for stenographers."
MIR. RIBn moved TO. strike out the
whole Of the resolution from the
werd resolved, and insert "that the
prayer ofthe petitionerough' not to
be granted"
SIR. CALHOUN spoke with some
Warmtl, against the petition, urging
that The speaker WAS not to he re-
daeed to the ieve. of the petitioner
that be claimed & sest as a matter OF
right-whcnce these high professions
he had been EXCEEDED by an ar
rangement Of the speaker. as il be
had rightto be admitted, he. deni-
ed the qualifications of Mr.. Richards
as stenograpIier, upon the score OF
ability and in,paI4islity.
Mr.. CASTOR said he rose with
reluctance to claim the attention Of
The house. He was sensible that the
discussion had been prolonged until
il became fatigueiug. lie was un-
willing also to be accessory in bring
ing down uFou the horse a repetition
of the sentence, which a self Great
ed Censor had pronm;ncea against
them, Of having =" lost day" But
he was disposed to examine the
train of argument which had been
pursued by he hon. gentleman from
South Carolina with al ingenuity
and a pIausibiii.y which rendered il
deserving Of notice. Fe had listen
ed to the gentleman with attention.
with freedom from hias--hut GER.
tainly not conviction. A fallacy
rcrvaded the whole OF his argument.
IL was TO he found in every efhis pre-
misses, and necessarily led 10 error
in his conclusion.
IL isassumed by, the gentleman. as
first principle, that the speaker Of
This house is irresponsible except for
wrongs Done TO the members Of this
house. This is not The ,gentleman's
language. but il is clearly bis mean
ing. would not for worlds mistake \
it. Whence is this position deriv-
ed? That the speaker is not &C.
countablet to any other tribunal than
this house for wrongs committed as
speaker, is indeed true. But where
is the principle to be found, which
restricts his accountability to wrongs
committed aa the members IF in
the exercise of discretionary au-
til|ity coHi;Led to him by the house,
the speaker errs. and the coRse-
qnence is Inconvenience or injury to
any individual ofthe nation, high CT
low. private orpnblic. it's an obyi-
Gus dictate Of justice, that the house
should hasten to redress the injury.
to remove the Inconvenience result
Ing FROM the error. The speaker is
their agem-their organ. His acts
are to be deemed theirs. Whenever
those ,aets are -disapproved of. the
house will, and ought, to disavow
them. But bow hes it become ne.
cessary to enquire into this doetrine1
There is nothing in the resolution
now before us. and which TIE gentle.
man from Georgia proposes 10 a.
mend. that calls for such discus
SIGN. Without enquiring whether |
thedecision Of the speaker he right |
or wrong. without pronouncing an
opinion On the individual case of Mr.. |
Richards. it directs that arrange
mentsshali be made for the accom- |
mediation Of additional stsnograpb-
ers. By such resolution the diff