Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-03-16
PUBLISHERS OF THE LAWS.

House of ressntafices-Fs February 26, %, 1877
The House having resumed the consideration
of the resolution offered by MIR SAUNDERS, CALI
ing on the Secretary Of State for information re-
la,ive to the publication OF the Laws OIL tue u
nited States
Mr.. WRIGHT addressed the House as fol-
lows:
Mr. SPEAKER: II is with unfsignetl regret that
feel myself called upon again to ask your at
tention for few moments on this resolution
The extraordinary and violent personal attacks
gentlemen have INDUCED themselves in making
upon me, requires to be repealed; but seldom
interrupt gentlemen, while making their re-
marks, preferring, in general, to wait until they
have finished, aud then TO make such reply as
seems to be needed On this occasion my re-
yret is increased by the consideration, that, ow-
ing to the nature Of the attack on my early pri-
vate character, shall be compelled to speak OF
myself The attack upon me, sir, was not call
ed for by any consideration connected with the
question before you, but was altogether unpro'
yoked. | made no personal allusion in my Tor
mer remarks; intended 10 make none; and
have since looked them over and find none
Under such circumstances, if gentlemen on this
floor, Tor any purpose connected with individual
motive or political objects will forget what IS
due to the place, and descend to calumniate the
private character OF member, instead OF meet
ing and answering his arguments, must de-
-fend myself the best way l can with such wea-
pons as are within my reach, while pursue the
example set me, no farther than can help
Gentlemen may be certain, that, however ready
j may be to compete with them IN any iair ana
honorable field; yet, when they abandon SUCH
fields and seek decorations for oratorical iou-
H. of E.ShN rHPf mr. H.
lingsgate, they must be content to remain In the
undisturbed possession Of their chosen place.
cannot enter the lists or compete with them
there. They may there revel and regale their
delighted senses with the congenial sweets OF
their choice, without interruption from nae.
The gentleman from North-Carolina, (Mr
SAuNDERs) says he leaves it to me to answer
whether addressed the Chair the second time
10 supply former defects, or in obedience to the
,corking effhs pires. Sir, know not precisely
what idea the gentleman intended to convey to
the House by this; but il he intended to charge
or intimate, that, in the instance alluded to,
acted, Or in other instances act, here, In obedl-
ence to the will Of any other man, in the House
or out Of it, the charge and intima,ion are I'm
worthy Of the place, or OF any one having
right 10 a seat here; they are only torthy the
resolution Of the gentleman, and the polite and
courtly manner in which il has been defended
am no mans modth-piece on this floor. con-
suit no one. NV own will and my own judg-
mrnt are my guides. Irepresent freemen; what
deem right and proper, speak at such time
as suits me. My views and arguments, feeble
as they may be, are exclusively my own. am
alone responsible for wha, 10, though no man
has right to call me to account. The impu-
tation ofthe gentleman is insulting to the House,
TO my constituents, and to myself, and owe it
10 the occasion to repel it. Sir, the gentleman
must have been aware that the method he re-
sorted to to meet my arguments, By PROFOUND
ing lnterrogatories for me to answer, was sim
gularly unfair; and, in order that he may feel it
the more sensioly, l will, in his own style, sub.
nit few propositions, and leave. it 10 him 10
answer, or not, as shall! suit him. How many
wire drawers and managers were about him at
the time, and Immediately before he delivered
his last speech? How many contributors Of
private scandal did he solicit, and received aid
from, in collecting materials for that speech?
And, making all due allowance for the extraor-
binary zeal of new convert 10 the cause of the
Military Chief, l leave it to him, also, to say,
how many times, in the lobby that surrounds
US, pending the Presidential election in this
House, he besought the friends Of MIR. CLAW. if
they could not vote for MIR. Crawford, the low
est of the three candidates returned, to save his
friends, and to save the country, from the yio-
lence, misrue, and ruin that would follow the
elevation of the candidate he now SO much adj
mires? leave it to him also to answer, If he
did not come here even at the commence men,
of this session, with no unfriendly feeling for
the Administration, and how far a vacant Soil
ci,or Generals Office in North Carolina, and a
certain state of political feeling in those pos
sessing the power Of appointing to that office,
has operated TO quicken his zeal and influence
his conduct in bringing forward and advocating
his resolution? offer these propositions only as
an Offset to the one he submitted to me. Hope
the gentleman will receive them as they are in
tended, kindly. He may, however, learn from
them, how fair it is to engage in such a war
fare.
The gentleman affects to suppose was ar
raigning the conduct of the Postmaster Gene.
.al, in reference to the mail contracts held by
the Printer in New Hampshire, and the one in
This District well know the worth of the
Postmaster General, rs public officer and
private man, and hold him in too high esteem