The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1822-11-13
From the Providence PATRIOT.
GENERAL. ASSEMBLY.


The refusal Of the House oil Representa-
,ives to joio the Senate in Grand Committee
for the purpose OF elec,ing a Ssha,or os Ihe
United States, at the recent session, has ma.
tursliy excited much enquiry, and various
reasons have been assigned for tho extfsotdi
nary procedure. IL is proper that the people
should be informed Of the facts relating 10 the
subject. A, the commencement Of the ses-
500, il was ascertsinet, thar scvetaI OF tho 70.
publicon members were confqed to their
homes BY sickness, which gave y shs federal
party 9 mo iority ia the House, aod reduced
tho republican msjori,y in Grand Committee
very considerably. II should be remarked,
,ha, the Senate 10 composed entirely Of repub
leans, and that severe illness oecssioned the
absence Of one Of ,ha. body also. This state
OF things inspired The grand political intrig-
uer, Elisha X. Poner, with !ain, hope, that
bc might ob,sin the post os Senator, and he
sccor d,ngly declared himself q candidate. a.
ware that his omnipoteOt" conduc, had
sou,ed some Of his own party, his hrs. object
was ,o assure himself Of the support OF alb his
federal friends, and then TO gsio few Of the
fepublcsn me Ubets TO favor his views. We
will not stop 10 dealt the arts OF persuasion
and cajolery which he resortel to tor the s,.
taioment oil his object; suffice It 10 say, that
the resuli proved tina, he was not so success
fui as he wished. The republican members
Of the Assembly, al q meeting on Thufsdsy
evening. (sf,er a regular ballot, in which our
present worthy Senator, Mr.. Knight. obteined
nearly all the vo,es,) unanimously resolved to
re elect Nehemiah 4 Kuigh. rhe election,
it was expected, would be made Friday alter
noon, as had been the nsnai course. Al that
time, a motion was accordingly about to be
made, for the purpose, when sevcssl OF the
leading membets declared, thst the House
would not agree 10 proceed 10 the election
until the next morning. The member who
had inteoded TO mske the motion, therefore
wsivcd H.. On Saturday morning, the TWO
Houses ioined in Grand COMMITTEE to receive
The repo't Of the Congressional Neprcsenta-
lives counting -commWtee, and this business
having been Dispatched. il was proposed TO
fill the vacancy 10 the office Of Adjutant Cen
eral of the militia; this was objected to on
the ground that The grand commitce was
formed for . specific object, which having
been accomplished, tho two Houses ought TO
separate the grand eommiuee wss accord.
inciy dissolved. In the House q republican
msmber then moved, that the Senate be ro-
aues,ed 90 join for the purpose Of eleeting u
Senator F; th,s motion was ws' mly opposed by
all the leading federal members, and finally
nega,ived. As the practice had been slmos,
invsrisble TO elect N the October, session,
whenever the Senatorial office wss to be filed,
and 20 good reason could be assigned for de-
parting from this ussgc, the Senate socn alter
sen, message TO the House, proposing
convention for that purpose, cod to elect an
Adju,snt. General, (which latter election was
tcslly necessary, - tho 'eturps OF the militia
to the Genetal Government could not other-
wise be legally made.) The request Of the
Senate wss rudely suimsdvsried upon aod re.
fused. And in the afternoon, the Assembly
sdioarned without having come to the choice
of. Senator, or Adju,ao, General.
The above jss plain statement OF he,s,
which would variant much comment, ou, We
refrain at present. We may, however, 'e-
mark, ths, the leading federal members have