Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-04-20

consider the facts of this not amounting to
Papaple and garng violation of the prilcges of this
House. lie quoted from the sixth section of tine
first article Of the Constitution that provision
which cxcnpts members "irom arrest during their
attendance al the session oftECir respective House,
and in going to and returning from the same; and
fer Gay speech or Gcjaic ia cHtcr HOU&c, they shall
not be gucS!i0acd in any ptbcr place."
Mr. JENirER proceeded III his argument to
show that tl.a privileges of the House had been
clossy outraged h'It in so low tone of voice that
his remarks partially nau'iibo to the reporter.
lie was understood tn ask whether, in the o:
the gentleman from Ohio, (Mr. SrANrrRY,) not on
" tic right OF Mcmhor Of this House to freedom
of s!ccch and debate had been qucstioncd but ALSO
that that Member had been deprived Of the privilege
OF attending the House for the purpose of discharg
ing his public duties. lie would not comment on
the facts &s related y that gentleman. He had
stated that he had leon wuyla;d and assaulted; that
IN consequence, lac was unable TO attend i'm his
place. and under these circumstances he could
scarcely conceive IL possible that tho House should
lac called upun for dclibcra;ion instead of nc
ton Another point required their attention IL had
been SAID "t he matter should he let to the corris
of the District OF Columbia, which, it was contend
ed, had lmrS lotion over it, of assault and
battery. Certainly, some weight might he attached
to this, If the individual now in custody: but
he wished the House to consider, that if a spocd
action should not be taken, their power might be
exercised on Monday in vain.
The respect which the House owed to it self and
TO the People, of whom it's Members were the Rcnre
scntatves, render the preservation of its dignity
and the protection Of those who composed its body
an Imperative duty. If they should refuse TO vim
dcatc those privileges which they enjoyed as the
Representatives of tic People, it required but little
prcsccncc TO say, that they would be Justly deemed
IN future, unworthy of their privileges and OF fine
confidence of that People.
AS TO the remarks that had been made in rcla-
ton to the action of the House former occasions
he must observe that it appeared him to be mma-
reference W hat np
Congresses might have done on subjects of a simi-
lar nature brought before them. We, said Mr.. J.
are here representing the American pcoplc-it is
their rights, their privileges, that contcndinl:
| Ter. We ourselves are but individuals among the
people. but are here the representatives and the
guardians OF their rights and interests. 1t is our
privilege to act in this hall without interruption
from external yiolcncc-to deliberate upon public
questions involving their interests, and to give cN-
preston 10 our views, and their wishes, fully and
freely, and that without the intervention of any
! thing which could question or check the freedom
! of speech and debate. Mr. JENvER repeated that
he had scarcely supposed it possible that debate
could arise on this subject; he trusted howevc that
| itwoud not he much further protractcd. In the
! result he would express hope that mistake
| III have occurred in this muttcr-it would lie a
source of pleasure TO him to find that the case was
not or so aggravated nature, there was at pre-
sent, he feared. too much reason 10 suppose But
at all events, hotcvcr mg; be the greater or less
degree of offence, still it beloved the House to
vin;icatc lis violated rights. The adoption of the
resolution of the gentleman from Ohio would placc
the party accused III the power of the House. If
on an investigation he should be cxoncrated from
the charge, IL would be well, and his character
would stand unimTcach,d d. If, on the contrary
the i,tca sculd prove the yiollton of the priyilc
g's OF the House, the duty which they allowed
to the TCopic whom they represented, would re-
gUigc that it SHOULD lie followed by proper repre-
tension. Bat ii the House postponed its action up
on the resolution, III what way he inquired, could
| the alleged offender he arrived at? He concluded
by saying, that the decision of Il question of
such Importance he felt it his duty TO ask for the
ayes and noes.
The call being sustained by The requisite number
tic ayes Gnl noes were ordered
Mr.. SPEiGIIT advcr,cd to the improrri,ty, &c
TN aIuSion nude as to the employment of myrIni-
dons by, or the exercise of violence at the instira
ton OF the Executive, with view Of controlling
votes in any possible case; and after few brief re-
marks, submitted the following amendment TO thc
resolution offered by Mr.. VANCE.
| To strike out all after the word Resolred and in
| scrt-"That Select Committee he appointed to
whom shall be referred the communication of the
Hon VIM. Stanbcry, member of this House, from
the State of Ohio, in relation TO assault and bat
| terry committed on him by Samuel Houston, with
! power to take such steps will insure a thorough
| investigation of the Transactions"
Mr. DODDRIDGE called for the reading of the
cntFy III the journal of the House, in the OF
! AIr. Anderson.
The resolution adopted on that occasion was
read by the clerk, together with the statement o
the course Of action which had been taken upon it
1t was precisely similar to the action proposed by the
resolution submitted by Mr. Ni%cE.
MIR. DODDRIDGE then said that the resolution
| proposed by Mr.. VANCE followed UP strictly. the
| former rrcccicnts. The House in his opinion was
now dcIlbcrnting whether their debates should be
allowed to be obstructed, with mpunity, by a band
! OF a@snSSins; whether they should be controlled in
the free expression of their opinion by the cxcr-
else or the anticipation of brute force The very
debate itself this subject might serve to give the
| party offending timely notice to escape Con.
celving IT'S continuance derogaory to the charac-
ter OF the House. hc should, though he might
be alone III his vote upon it, move the previous
question.
The motion was ncgativcd-Aycs So, n ocs not
counted.
Mr.. COULTER said he was disposed TO make
few observations on the subject before the House,
from the circumstance that he was one of the mi
norlty Ill tho case referred to by the gentleman from
Tennessee, (Mr. PoI.K:) and it was due to himself
| Tor The purpose of explaining the vote lie should
give on The present occasion, to state the grounds
on which he had differed from the majority in thc
case alluded to. On that OCCASION though Giffcrinr
with the majority, he by means concurrcd i'm the
reasons stated by the minority to that House,
These reasons were drawn up by very able gen.
tieindn; but they were peculiarly his own reasons
The ground OH which he mir c. had disscntcd
from the majority was, that the individual upon
whom the assault was committed in that case was
not known to the House i'll any official character
1t was very certain he neither member nor an
officer OF that House, was he recognized in his
Official character, by the law the constitution
1t dd not appear to him (Mr. c. necessary in or
Ger to maintain The intercourse bctwixt that House
ana Inc Executive, that the individual i'm question
should be clothed with that special immunity; Inc
was no: Tie only medium of communication bciwiyt
that House and the Executive; there were many
other channels by which that intercourse MIGHT bc
carried on. Such were the views which had opcr
&icd on ms mind on that occasion; but they could
have no OpcrafiOu here II anncarcd to ~, a., |