Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-20
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DEBAIE OK cor AND FNsoNs CASE.

OEBd Z on COT. dNDERSONS CASE.
ECoNrINugD.
SAr. SERGEANT, of PENNSYLVANIA said as The
motion now before the House, was merely for
the appointment OF y committee of cuquirv he
could see no reasonable objection 10 it, The
,oai Ter proposed 60 be enqnIred into was not
D." SAID, question merely between the in,liyi
dnal accused aud the House bat twas orc in
WHICH taa nation WIS interested aud the House
would commit as great an.eTror a they ne lect-
ga 70 lHtset proper punishment on lbe Otiem-
der L. snca a ease, as IT they were TO ndict pu-
ElsR9rttt Wncre no offence had been commit
ted. I he immediate ques ton was not wheth-
er Tie members OF the House were assailable
10y bH1es; whether their feelings were TO be
"ounden With IMMUNITY whether they were
liable to the arts % Seduction-but IL was 4 re.
neral question, whether the House would or
would,nut enquire what authority it had to pun
ish those offending ia this respect five have
tue authority, said Mr.. s. we are bound to in.
Bict punishment III the case before MS for If
the offence supposed 10 have been committed
snail be proved, can any case occur hereafter
more requifiig The exercise of the powers of
ibis House : 1t yOu will not exercise what pow
er yon possess now, there is no species of
att mp; which may not he made with impunity
on lie honor or ON the feelings of this House
there Is no practice, however corrupt which
niay not be attempted. For upon whom was
this attemptnat.e! Upon member who is al
The mead or the committee OF claims that COM
nittee whose business il is TO determine be-
tween the claims OF individuals and the inte-
rest ofthe United States, coming in conSict
before them: in doing which, the Chairman of
tHat committee has 10 contend with on the
part or the United States, against the interest
urgedin every possible shape, of tie indiyidu.
AIS whose claims are preferred to this House
And would the HOuse allow the member VINO
occupies that station O. centinei at the door o +
the Treasury, 10 be placed ia situation 10 be
exposed to all the gross and corrupt attempts
which may be made on him, ii they are permit
ted 10 be maze VITA impnnILy Surely not
II, then, Mr.. S. repeated the House .Sould iiet
IN the present case, exercise the power pun
ishiuE for contempt, there never would occur
one Ia which il won!d.
AS 10 the question Immediately before the
House, Mr.. y said a reference to a committee
was the usual course in all matters coming De
tore the Hohse. Why not then pursue the
usual course ina matter of as much impor.
tance as this 1t appeared to him indeed
that this course was Inevitable; the House
had gone so far in lis proceedings that il was
Impossible 10 stop at this stage, unless it c0mid
b. shown, more Clearly than il had been that
the warrant whch mad Issued was altogether
w thOd authority.
There we've, h,r S. said, III the present, as
there must be IN all similar cases, two offences
committed the one, "A crime for which thu.
individual might he handed over TO the courts
OF Justice Tor puaishMuAt--the otherau offence
against this house, foF which the individual
might be proceeded against and published in "A
Summary manner. lie did not say that both
LltN't- StufSts lf4Nt -Dl Dt pursued But ne GiU
admit, that the question whether the House
should q should not interfere, was al all times
q question on Which sound discretion must
be exercised wneu the cases arise. IN this
way he would answer tbs gentleman from n .
Hampshire, who had supposed extreme cases
This house, said MIR. :. may certainly m such
eases rely or is discretion that il will not
be lmpeiieu into q course Whlchis unjust
The case noW before the house was not such
case however bar one Of q totallV different
ehaVIefnr gite.
now the privileges Of the house were suVrcn
fered in every case. unless for what should be
'!one IN the face OfIhc hoase. 1T the doctrine
Of the gentlemen from Ohio and = Hampshire
prevail (said Air. s. we shall be assaliaIle at
our dOar, on ihe Star-c case, every where until
we come INTO this house, and this house is Or4a-
pised. Wa, this possible? And yet he said +,
he did not suppose cases as extreme as those
pnt on tile other SHE.
As to tie omnipOtence OF the British pallla-
meut, 10 which was imputed their extensive
privileges, Mr.. s. SAID, tiIat parliament consist
ed two branches the Lords and Tie Com
mons, exercising Legislative authority. But
the authority exercised by those bodles in the
punishment OF cOntempts, and ~ tile pf0tecti-
on oil their rislleges was not Legislative act !;
MOI an act Of parliament at all, but OF the indi-
yidual houses. The hOBse would see at once
tue distinction between the exercise Of the
legislative authority, and OF tile right and pow
Ell Of seltprotection aud the gentleman from
Hgw hampshire wOnld see that his remarks OF
tbe s.HnIpotence Of the Bnusb Parliament
a3crfed no argument against lie exercise of
sewer, IN regard 10 tie privileges OF this
house, somewhat analogous 90 tie British
House of Commons. Henier was II correct.
Mr. 5. said, thar the House Of Parliament 80
respect 10 privileges, Wefe Omnipotent. Gen
tlemeu might recollgct "a case whlciiba occur
red during the trial OF w arTen Hastings when
a clergyman Nv the name OF Logan, thinkns
Hastings uiussliy dealt by, entered into an
acrimonious yindicaiiOu OF him against the
charges preferred by the House Of Commons.
bat house did not ~ that case proceed Will,
a SUMMARY process, but directed a prose- Cution
70 be commenced against the publisher aud
that case htd SINCE become famous by the uanle
Of the prosecutions against StJckddle
Mir q. SAID, be was free 10 confess that with
respect 80 many IT tlOse distant attacks upon
the tIouee no public pgints. oT otherwise
which Appealed l0 touch tie B0ose, aud set
scarcely reached TO-, he should say. leave then
TO the ordinary administration Of justice bat
Wien the bands Of corruption were extended
10 this House he hoped jht constitution Wo0lu
never tdii the House no exercising an authority
al once, because h. was an oiieuce which pun
ishncnt Ought 20 follow, and 30 follow speed
~. FpF, said he, it practices Of this knd are
inaulged q mem5eIs Of this House, EXPOSE,
TO suclattempts ave 10 be left individually &,