Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-05-18
In CONGRESS-. MONDAY

/
number ofminor subjects, which we have no, room
to notice.
| In the House of Representatives,. after tbc re
ccption OF Il few petitions and reports, Mr. J. q.
Adams moved n resolution rcGuostinc, the Prcsi
dent of the United states to communicates tn hi.
House copies of the several instructions to the
Charge dAharcs at the Court of Denmark under
which the late Treaty of Indemnity WAS ncgota-
tcd which resolution, from it's nature, lies on the,
! table day. On motion of Mr. Barbour th,
Committee on the Judiciary were instructed to in
qnre into the cXpcdcncy of defining by law con-
tempts against either House of Congress, and pre-.
| scribing the punishment thereof. The Wiscassct
case being resumed, Mr.. Sllde spoke upon IL until
the hour of IL arrived When, according TO order
SAMUEL llousroN WAS brought to the bar of the
House of Representatives. He was allowed TO read
and to have spread on the journal of the House, a
paper protesting against the authority ofthc House,
but avowng his subnissc., TO it, under the crcum.
stances in which he was placed. The paper wIs
road as fellows
To the Honorable the House of Representatives nj
the United States.
The accused, at the B.r of the House asks
loaye respectfully to state,
That he understands he is brought before the
House, to receive rcprimnnd from the Speaker in
execution OF the sentence pronounced upon him.
Was he to submit in silence to such a sentence
1t might imply that he recognized the authority of
the House to impose it.
lie cannot consent that it shall be thus implied
lie considers 1t a mode of punishment unknown to
our laws, and, if not forbidden by the prohibition
of the Constitution against "unusuul punisiments"
yet inconsistent with the spirit of our institutions,
and unfit to be inflicted upon Il free citizen.
lie thinks proper to add in making this dccli
ration, that lie has been unwilling to trouble the
House.
That though he believes the whole proceeding
against him, well as the sentence he now objects
to, unwarrantcd by the Constitution of his country
yet circumstances may exist to Justify excuse a
citizen in determining las he has done on this oc-
caslon) to suffer in silent patience whatever the
House may think proper TO enforce.
May IA. SAMUEL HOUSTON
The Speaker then pronounced the reprimand
required by the vote of the House, for the con
tempt of the House and Breach of Privilege
thereof, committed by Gen. HoUsroN, in the fol-
lowing words
Samuel Houston:
You have been charged with violation of tho
rights and privileges OF the House of Representa-
tivcs, i'll having offered personal violence to one of
It's Members, for words spoken in debate. In cxcr-
cising the high and delicate power of asccrtaining
and indicating their own privileges, the House
| have proceeded throughout its investigation, and
in relation to your individual rights with all that dc
liberation and caution which ought to characterize
the dlgnihcd and moral justice of such assembly.
You have been heard in person in your defence
you have been ably and eloqucn,ly defended by
eminent counsel, and every facility afforded you to
place your cause fully and fairly bcforo the House
and to urge upon its consideration matters of prn-
cple we'll of fact, in explanation and iustif
cation 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 censurc.
If, in fulfilling the order of the House, | were
called upon as its presiding officer, to reprmand
| an individual uneducated and uniformed, it MIGHT
be expected that should endeavor as far as + was
able, to impress upon him the Importance and pro-
pretty OF sedulously guarding from violation the
rights and privileges secured to the mcmbc of this
House by our invaluable Constitution. But, when
addressing citizen of your character and intcli-
gcncc, and one who has himself been honorcd by
| the People with seat i'll this House, it cannot be
necessary that | should add to the duty enjonad up
on me, hy dwelling upon the character or consc-
| quenccs of the offence with which you have been
charged and found guilty. Whatever has tcndcn-
cy TO impair the freedom OF debate in this House
freedom no less sacred than the authority of the
Constitution itse-or to detract from the indie pen
dcnce of the Representatives. of the People in the
righttul discharge of their high functions, You are
| no doGbt sensible, must, i'll the same proportion,
weaken and degrade not only the Legislature ofthc
nation itself, but the character of free nstitu-
! 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; doubling that had Won at The
time considered the act of violence which you have
committed, in the light i'll which It has been regard
cd by the House. you would have been spared it's
dlsapprobatlOn and ccnSurc, and the duty of de-
clarmg TO you the result Of it.
L torbcar to say more, than to pronounce the
judgment of tho House, which is, that you have
been guilty of high breach of its privileges, and
that You be rcprimandcG therefor, its Bar by the
Speaker and in obedience TO the order of the
House, do rcPrimand you accordingly.
You Will now be conducted from the Bar of the
House. and discharged from the custody of the Ser
geant-at- Arms.
On motion of Mr.. Stanbery, after considerable
intermediate proceedings, resolution was adopted
tor appointing committee with power to send
Tor persons and papers, to examine into the allcga-
ton OF intended fraud in making contracts for the
supply Of ra'ions to the Indians in the year 1890
Mr. IL. Cooke, OF OHIO then presented to the
House letter presented to him Saturday last,
BY person who gave his as Alex. Dimitry
which letter from f.. s. Davis one of the wit
ncsscs examined i'll the late hearing of the case of
Cen Houston demanding satisfaction for a qucs
ton which the letter alleges TO have been mperti
ncntiy put to said witness by MIR. Cooke, whilst
he was under cXarsina;iOn This letter was accom-
panied by a written statement by Mr.. G.. of cir
cumstanCcs which occurred the day of cxamina-
ton, and of threat said TO have been made by Dr.
| Davis, as he went out of the Hall Mr.. Crane of
ONO, moved to refer this letter. and the statement
accompanying 1T, to select committee, with pow
er to send FOR persons and papers and report the
facts III the case; which so far amended as TO
require them to report their opinion, whether the
transmission of this letter, demanding satisfaction
Tor words spoken tir floor constituted a breach
OF privilege of the members of tho House. Mr.
Sanbcry, in the ofdcbntc hercupon, rcitcr-
atcd the statement that assaults members Of the
House for words spoken in debate were encouraged
10y the language used Ivy the President of the Uni
ted States, and said he asked but half an hour TO
prove the assertion by unqucstionablc evidence Mr..
POLK "a perhaps others having declared the state
mcnt TO be unfoundcd Mr. Stanbcry moved TO T.
lrfi 10 if,,f,.