Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-05-16
CONG r E SIS.

The Senate, on Monday, passed the Post w.
flee Bill, made some progress on the fension
Bill, and acted on a number OF minor suo]ects'
which we have not room to notice.
In the House of Representatives, after the re-
ception Of few petitions and reports, Mr.. ).
@. Adams moved resolution requesting the
President Of the United States to communicate
to this House copies of the several instructions to
the Charge d'Affaires at the Court Of Denmark,
under which the late Treaty of Indemnity was
negotiated; which resolution, from its nature,
lies on the table one day. On motion Of Mr. Bar
bour, the Committee on the Judiciary were in
structed to inquire into the expediency of de flu.
ing by law contempts against either House OF
Congress, and prescribing the punishment there
of. The Wiscasset case being resumed. Mr..
Sade spoke upon it till the hour Of IL arrived
When, according to order,
Samuel Houston was brought to the bar oil the
House Of Representatives. He was allowed to
read. and to have spread on the Journal OF the
House, paper protesting against the authority
of the House, but avowing his submission to ii,
under the circumstances in which he was placed.
The Speaker then pronounced the reprimand re-
auired by a vote Of the House, for the contempt
of the House and breach of privilege thereof,
committed by Gen. Houston, in the following
words:
Samuel Housfon-You have been charged witt,
a violation of the rights and privileges of the
House Of Representatives. in having offered per-
sonai violence to one Of its members. for words
spoken in debate. In exercising the high and de-
licate power Of ascertaining and vindcating their
own privileges, the House have proceeded
throughout this investigations and in relation to
your individual rights, with all that deliberation
and caution which ought to characterize the dig
nified and moral justice of such an assembly.
I You lave been heard in person in your defence
you have been ably and eloquently defended
by eminent counsel, and every facility afforded
you to place your cause fully and fairly before
the House, and to urge upon its consideration
matters of principle as we'll as Of fact, in expa.
nation and justification of your conduct.
! Whatever the motives or causes may have been,
which led to the act of violence committed BY
you, your conduct has been pronounced, by the
solemn judgment of the House, to be high breach
of their rights and privileges, and to demand
their marked disapprobation and censure.
If, in fulfilling the order Of the House, were
called upon, as its presiding officer, to reprimand
an individual uneducated aud uniformed, it might
be expected that l should endeavor, as far as
was able to impress upon him the importance and
propriety Of seduousIy guarding from violation
the rights and privileges secured to the members
Of this House by our invaluable Constitution. -
But, when addressing citizen of your charac.
ter and intelligence. and one who has himself
been honored by the People with seat in this
House, it cannot be necessary that should add
to the duty enjoined upon me, by dwelling upon
the character or consequences OF the offence with
which you have been charged and found guilty.
Whatever has tendency to impair the freedom
of debate in this House-a freedom no less sa.
cred than the authority of the Constitution itself
or to detract from the independence Of the Re-
representatives. of the People, in the rightful dis
charge of their high func tons, you are no doubt
sensible, must, IN the same proportion, weaken
and degrade no, only the Legislature OF the ma.
ton itself, but the character OF our free insttu.
tons.
Your own mind will suggest to you, no doubt,
more suitable reflections than any thing which
can say could convey. To those reflections am
prepared to trust; not doubling that, had you at
the time considered the act Of violence which you
have committed, in the light in which it has been
regarded by the House, you would have been
spared its disapprobation and censure. and the
dut, Of declaring to you the result OF 1t.
| forbcar to say more, than to pronounce the
| iudsm ent of the House, which is. that you have
been guilty Of high breach Of its privileges, and
that you be reprimanded therefor, a its Bar by
the Speaker, and in obedience TO the order of the
House do reprimand you accordingly.
You will now be conducted from the Bar Of
the House, and discharged from the custody Of
the Sergeant alarms.
On motion of Mr. Stanbery. after consdera.
bic intermediate proceedings, resolution was
adopted for appointing committee, with power
to send for persons and papers. to examine into
the allegation of intended fraud in making con-
tracts for the supply Of rations to the Indians, in
the year 1880.
Mr.. L. Cooke, Of Ohio, then presented 10 the
House letter presented to him on Saturday last,
BY person who gave his name as Alex. Dimitry,
which letter was from E. S. Davis, one of the
witnesses examined in the late hearing of the
case of Gen. Houston. demanding satisfaction
for question which the letter alleges to have
been impertinently put to said witness BY Mr.
Cooke, whilst he was under examination. This
letter was accompanied BY a written statement
by Mr.. c. of circumstances which occurred the