Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-02-05
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Pursuant to notice. and to the arrangement made
by the Supreme Court. the motion for rule to sliew
cause Why Tobia, Watkins should not be brought up
by writ ut Habeas Corpus g. discharged, onIne on 10
tie heard yesterday after the preliminary business of
the Court had been disposed of. About half past &
Mr.. Coke, of the counsel for D.. Watkins, opened
the case, and argued with more than even BITS acrus
TONED dbility in support of tho moMna. He relied
much on the course of reas onng which he pursued
before the District Court, in tho various dennurrers
which werc argued there during the last summer,
and introduced much new matter and MANY strong
precedeuts- He occupied the Court nearly an hour
and half, when Mr. Berrlen rose in reply. He de
MED altogether the Jurisdiction of the Court in this
and holding he did The opinion that to enter
aln the motion was act of usurpntion he declined
to go into any of the merits of the The ground
he took vas that the judgment of the District Court
IN criminal cases was nal that that Court had in all
snc cnses uncontrolled and uncomfortable jurisdic
ton; that If in its discretion il should even inf1jc
the sentence of death individual for nero u.s.
sault and battery, there power on appeal to
(which such sentence could be reverxed; and that
the motion now made was merely an indirect mode
of making the Supreme Court an appellate tribunal
in criminal cases, which it could be, there being
no law comforting on it any such appellate urisdic-
tlon except in cases Ut civil character. He con-
t1naed to argue this point until O'clock, when the
Court adjourned General Walter jones' the other
council for Dr.. Watkins will reply to AIR. Berrien
TN Monday, and it is expected that his argument
will be very interesting to tho bar, and thu. the At
torney Gtneral will be made to feel his opponent
You will have learned the proceedings Of the past
week from the newspapers The effect produced
here all minds, whether friendly or Opposed, by
MIR. Websters admirable exhibition of mind on Tues
day and Wednesday has yet even began to sub
side. Nothing could exceed his eloquent euiogy on
the Patriots of the South; nothing could equal but
his other eloquent tribute to Samuel Dexter. She
punSency OF his sarcasm only 10 be matched
by his accurate and astte reasoning, and there
ed to be distinct impression made friends and
The highest tribute which could be paid to this
splendid shson, is be found in the universal re-
e. which is expressed by the political opponents
Of MrWebster, that the debate produced.
While MIR. Webster vas engaged in the Supreme
: Cont Thursday understand that Mr.. Benton
made speech which he intended reply One
of his sentences to this effect, that the gentle
man from Massachusetts kicked as hard as q horse
that had monkey his back. He did not pro-
coed to illustrate further, being probably made SEN
sble soon as his caught the brilliant sally of
his fancy, that it might rather please his enemies
than his friends.
Phe resolution laid on the table relative to the
election of printer to the Senate Thursday next
Is tantamonnt to a motion to turn out Duff Green.
IL is probable that Mr.. Webster made his calcula-
tons the Issue, before he offered the resolution.
Should it be adopted when called up tomorrow, the
fate of the printer ofthe Senate may be considered
sealed. Phe on the resolution to purchase the
compilation of public documents by Gales and Sen
ton, has very omnous appearance for Green; and it
Is said that should the resolution now the table
for the election of printer succeed, there six or
seven administration Senators who i'll vote for ano-
ther--I had almost said for any other--than Duff
Green. 1t may be well to state for the information of
the fashionable world, that Duff has made lodge
ment within its boundaries. He has launched splen
did chariot and magnificent lveries, and to show his
Hagnanpaity, of the first visits of himself and his
wife was to Mr. and Efrs. Webster! 1t may be as
we'll to add that there interview, the cards of
the newly indicted fashionabes being according to
the most approved practice, merely discharged from
the carriage window
It was ruInored two days since that Mr. Branch
was to go out of Office IN ten days. and that Mr.
Woodbury. to succeed him; but the r,mor of
yesterday casts doubt on the subject, and states
that there will be change at present
THURSDAY MORNING, FEB, A, 1870