Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1832-05-09

The Speaker then announced to the accused, at the
bar the charge alleged against him, and observed if he
wished time to prepare for Defence the assistance of
COUNSEL or the attendance of witnesses he might so in
form the House and his request would be granted Gen.
H. replied that he did wish the aid of COUNSEL that
he desired the attendance Of witnesses, and would be
ready for trial in "a hours
He was then conducted from the House, and com
nitee of privileges appointed, consisting of
bers, Messrs. Davis, Drayton, Taylor, Muhlenburs,
Clay, and Ellsworth, to manage the trial the partof
the House. Next day the committee reported the lol-
lowing course proceedings to be observed in the uyes
ltigation:
sSaid Samuel Houston shall be again paced
at the bar of the House, and the letter of tie said
VIM Stanberry shall be read to him; after which
the Speaker shall put the following interrpgatory
DO you admit or deny that you assaulted and
beat the said Stanberry, as he has represented in
the letter which has been read a copy of which
has been delivered to you BY the order of the
House2
! If the said Samuel Houston admit that he did
assault, and beat the snid Stanberry, in said
letter is represented, then the Speaker shall put
to him the following Interragatory:
do you admit or deny that the said assault and
beating were done for and in consideration of
words spoken by the said Stanberry in the House
tof Representatives in debatel
II the said Samuel Houston admit the assault
and beating, and that they were done for the
cause aforesaid, then the House shall consider
the charge made by the said stanberry as true,
and shall proceed to judgment thereon.
But if the said Samuel Houston deny the as.
Isaut and beating, or that the same were done for
the cause aforesaid, or refuse or evade answering
the said interrogatories, then the said VIM. Stan
berry shall be examined as a witness touching
said charge; after which the said Samuel Hous-
ton shall be allowed to introduce any important
evidence in his defence; and then any further ev-
idence the House may direct shall be introduced. /
Ii parol evidence is offered the witnesses shall
be sworn by the Speaker, and be examined at the
bar, unless they are members of the House, in
which case they may be examined in their places
A committee shall be appointed to examine
witnesses. The questions put shall be reduced
to wiring (by person to be appointed for that
Purpose) pefore the same are proposed to the wit
ness; and the answers shall also be reduced to
writing. Every question put by member not
OF the Committee shall be reduced to writing by |
such member, and be propounded to the witness by /
the Speaker, If not objected to; but if any ques-
ton shall be objected to, or any testimony offered
shall be objected to by any member, the member
$50 Directing, and the accused, or his counsel,
shall be heard thereon, after which the question
shall be decided without further debate
When the evidence is all before the House the
SAID samuel Houston shall be heard ON the whole
matter, by himself or his counsel, as he may
elect. ~
After the said Samuel Houston shall have been
heard, he shall be directed to withdraw, and the
House shall proceed to consider the subject, and
TO take such order thereon as may seem Just and
proper
The said Samuel Houston shall be furnished
with copy of this ordern
Wednesday the Speaker named Messrs. Davis, Tex
cused account of i'll health) Coulter, Huntington,
Patton, and Beardslee, as the committee to examine
witnesses.
After some preminaries, MIR. II. was again brought
to the bar, attended by Mr.. Key as counsel. The
Speaker read to him the letter of Mr.. stanberry, in
forming the House of the assault, and propounded the
first nterrogaory, given III the order Of the proceed
ings, to which Gen. Houston replied
"The accused denies that she assaulted and
beat the said Stanberry as he has represented in
the letter which has been read"
"He admits that he felt great Indignation on
reading in the National Intelhgencer, remarks
there stated to have been made the floor of the
House OF Representatives by the sad Stanber-
ry, imputing to the accused by name, gross Of
fence, of which he knew himself TO be innocent,
and the dissemination of which throughout the
country, by such publication, was evidently cal
cuated to affect his honor and character. Under
these circumstances, the accused was induced to
inquire of said Stanberry, in a res7ectful note,
whether the report of what he had sad was truly
set forth in said paper? To which inquiry thus
made, said Stanberry refused to give any answer,
in manner still further to iniure tle accused.
The accused admits that he was greatly excited
by these provocations, and that und9r the lnfiu
ence of feelings thus excited, he dd, on acclden-
tally meeting the said Stanberry, assault and |
beat him, the accused being unarmed with any
other weapon than common walking cane, and {
believing the said Stanberry to be, al he in fact
was, armed with pistols-that the meeting took t
place several hours after the adjournment Of Con
gress, about O'Clock in the evening, on the h
Pennsylvania Avenue, and nearly half mile
from the Capitol; and on the opposite SIDE of the
Avenue from where Mr.. Stanberry's boarding
house is situated; and that at the time OF this oc-
currence, he was neither seeking for nor expect
ing to see the said Stanberry.
''The accused denies that he intended to COM
NIT, or that he believed he was committing, any
contempt towards the House of Representatives,
or any breach of its privilege, the privilege of
any of its members. He denies that the act