The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-05-23
@ o " G r e S S.

of the House to punish ior breach of privilege,
and of the expediency of exercising the power
in the present instance. The proposition of
MIR. Huntington, declaring Gen. Houston to be
guilty of a contempt and breach OF privilege,
was agreed TO. Ayes LOG, noes 50 Mr.. Clay
moved that further proceedings in the case are
Mir. Huntington moved that Gen.
Houston be reprmandcd by the Speaker on
Monday at ~ O'Clock, and that he be prohibit
ed from admission to the floor of the House
The first amendment of Mr.. Huntington was
adopted, and the latter rejected. The resolu
tinn, amended, was then agreed TO- AYES
So, noes 81. AT nearly IL o'clock, the House
adjourned.
MONDAY, May IA
SENATE. The Senate passed the Post OF
flee Bill, made some progress on the Pension
Bill, and acted on number of minor subjects,
which we have not room 10 notice.
HOUSE. The Speaker ordered Gen. Hous
ton TO be placed at the bar: he soon afterwards
appeared accompanied by The Sergeant at AF.ass
The Speaker informed him if he had any
thing TO offer to the House before the iuds
ment vas pronounced upon his case, it would
be received.
Gen. H. rose and delivered the following.
To The Honorable the House IF Representatives
ofthe United States:
The accused, now at the bar of the House,
oSNo 'O"'o respectfully VI Stdte,
That he understands he is now brought be-
fore the House, to receive repri.nand from
the Speaker, in execution of the sentence pro.
nouhced upon him.
Was he to submit in silence to such SEN
tence 1t might imply that he recognized the au
thoIity OF the House to impose it,
lie cannot consent that il shall be thus i'm
Piled He considers it n mode of punishment
unknown 10 our laws, and, If not forbidden by
the prohibition of the Constitution against Sun
usual punishments," yet inconsistent with the
ed upon free citizen
he thinks proper TO add, in making this dec
iaration, that he has been unwilling TO trouble
the House.
mat though he believes that the whole pro.
ceedlng against him, as well as the sentence he
now oo]ects TO, nnwarranted by the Constitu
tion OF ms country, yet circumstances may ex-
list to justify or excuse a citizen in determining
las he has done on this occason) to suffer in
silent patience, whatever the House NAV think
proper To enforce. SAMUEL HoUsToH
The Speaker then addressed him as follows :
Samuel Houston! You have been charped
with violation OF the rights and privileges Of
the House OF Representatives, in having offered
personal violence to one OF its members, for
words spoken in debate In exercising the
high and delicate power of ascerlainng and
indicating their own privileges, the House
have proceeded throughout this investigation,
and IN relation to your individual rights, with
all that deliberation and canti. n which ought TO
characterize the dgnifed and moral Justice of
such an assembly,
You have been heard in person in your de-
fence. You have been ably and eloquently de-
Tended oy eminent counsel, and every facility
afforded you, to place your cause fully and fair.
iy before the House, and to urge upon its con-
sderation, matters of principle as well as fact
IN explanation and justification of your conduct !!
Whatever the motives or causes may have
been, which led TO the act of violence commit
ted by you, your conduct has been pronounced
by the solemn judgment Of the House, to be
high breach oftheir rights and privileges, and
to demand their marked disapprobalion and
censure.
IT, in fulfilling the order Of the House, were
called upon as its presiding officer, to reprimand
an individual, uneducated, and uniformed, it
might be expected, that should endeavor as
far as was able, to impress upon him the i'm
portance and propriety of seduously guarding
from violation the rights and privileges secur.
ed to the members OF the House by eur invalu-
able Constitution but when addressing cit.
Zen OF your character and intelligence, and one
who has himself been honored by the people
with seat III this House, it cannot he necessa
ry, that should add to the duty enioined upon
me, by dwelling upon the character or conse-
quences OF The offence with which you have
been charged and found guilty!
Whatever has a tendency to impair the free.
dom of debate in this House, freedom no less
sacred than the authority Of the Constitution
Itself, or to detract from the independence Of
me Representatives of the people, in the right.
iul discharge of their high functions, you are
H., a..
weaken and degrade not only the Legislature
of the nation itself, but the charact ter Of our free
institutions.
Your own mind will suggest to Won probably
more suitable reflections than any thing which
| can say. could convey: To those reflections I
am prepared to trust, not doubling that had YOU
at the time, considered the act of violence which
yoI have committed in the light in which it has
been regarded by the House, YOU would have
been spared lis Misrepresentation and censurc, and
l, the duty, OF declaring to You, the result of it
for3ear to say msre, than to pronounce tie
Judgment of the House, which is that YOU have
been guilty of high breach of its privileges,
and that you be reprimanded therefor at It's Bar
by the Speaker; and in obedience 10 the order
of the House, do rep.imand you accordingly.
You will now be conducted from the Bar of
the House, and discharged from the custody of
the Sergeant at Arms.
After Gen. Houston had left the Bar. Mr..
Stanberry moved the rules of the House be sus
pended to enable him TO offer resolution, in.
curing into the contemplated fraud between
John II. Eaton and Gen Transformation was
currieG-ayes 1853, noes 49,
The resolution was them after some cunyer
saiion, adopted.
Mr. E. Cooke presented the following letter
from DR.. f. S. Davis:
Broton's Hotel, May 12, 1882.
Hon f. CeoKE: SiI--Orting my examina-
ton before the House of Representatives i'm the
case OF Gen. Houston, you very mpertinently
asked among other questions my business in
this city Whilst the trial of Gen Houston
was pending, deferred calling on you Cor the
explanation which now demand through my
friend, General Demetry.
am, very respectfully.
Your most obedient,
L. S. DAVIS.
Mr. Crane then offered the following resoIu.
ton:
Resolved, That the communication of the
Hon. f. Cooke, n member from Ohio, be refer.
red TO n Select Committee consisting of seven
members, to report the fncts and their opinions
whether the same establish a contempt and n
breach of the privileges Of this House or moi.
and that said Committee have power TO send
for persons and papers. The question was tax
en- and the resolution rejected ayes IS. noes 81.
Mr. StanbeTry, IN the course of debate here.
upon, reiterated the statement that assaults on
members OF the House for words spoken in de.
nate were encouraged by the language used by
the president OF the United States, and said he
asked put nan an hour to prove the assertion
by unquestonahle evidence Mr., Polk land
perhaps others) having declared the statement