Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-05-12
SCENE I'm THE HOUSE.

the scene winch occurred III TIC 1AouSC VI AsCp-
resentatives last Tuesday:
The Committee on Elections, through Mr..
Seaborn Jones, presented to the House of Rep
resentatives an elaborate report on the Letcher
case. The conclusion they come to, is only
inst what might have been expected from such
a Committee of partisans; for they assume the
right TO reject, ad libituna, and consequently Re
solve, (" that Mr. Moore has been duly elected,
and what never yet was resolved upon IN the
case of an election Petition as II ashamed OF
their first resolve, they determine "tnat Mr.
Letcher shall be paid the pay ana expenses 10
which he would be entitled had he been decla-
red the sitting MEMBER! A motion being then
made to postpone the further consideration OF
the report until Tuesday, an honest proposition
to have the evidence on which the report was
based printed, gave rise to debate OF sucn
character, that it would seem the dignity OF the
body. and the respect in which the members
of that House should hold one another, is to
be only remembered as one OF the things that
have BEEN The proposition, in word, was
stoutly opposed. Mr.. Hardin adverted to the
singular circumstance connected with TINS OPP
position, !" that not one member OF the party 10
which Mr.. Letcher was attached was ONT - al
leging that as the House could not have 1t IN
their power to decide the subject understanding
ly, unless the evidence was printed, he hoped
the former circumstance would be considered
as an appeal 10 the magnanimity OF the adverse
party. to let Mr. Letcher have fair trial, on the
merits. before the House. This was reasona-
BILE appeal one would think. Not so, however,
thought Mr.. Jones Of Georgia, MIR. Peyton OF
Tennessee Mr. Vanderpoel, and others OF the
Swiss corps no, they all fell foul OF Mr. Wide
of Georgia, for advocating it, and on Mr. Har,
din. forspure souls--leaving it to be imagined
that such a circumstance, coupled too with the
then opposition to have the facts printed, should
be stated as grave imputatlon against the
AT IT fhan hI ma n
that side who came out honorably, and advo-
Gated the printing as necessary for the House
to have in coming to determination on ques-
ton. which he felt was of a suicidal character,
and which scared above every consideration OF
party. Well and good! This was damper;-.
and accordingly Mr.. Jones agreed to withdraw;
but he took occasion to remark, that any man
who would make an imputation such as MY.
Hardin had made, stood self-convicted OF being
a person that would do the base deed he mpu-
ted to others and proved himself thereby to
be unworthy of a seat in the House. Mr. Har-
din had disclaimed the intention of imputing
any improper motive to the Committee.
The debate then took another turn, to restrict
the qaantum suficit to be printed; and after
second attack, Mr. Hardin having got the floor,
after various essays, said in answer to these OBJ
servatons of Mr.. j., "That from what he had
seen of his conduct since he was MEMBER ne
was the last man that he would call upon to de-
eide as to the worthness or unworthlness OF
his claim to a seat his praise, he considered
censure, and would receive his censure as
praise: but if the honorable member meant to
saw. or insinuated that his conduct in aught, had
made him unworthy Of having the honor of
seat he considered it falses unfounded, and
base calumny" The Speaker here called him
TO order and intimated, that the member from
Georgia, had not made such an inslnuaton Mr..
H. then said, if so, it should be now dlscalm-
ed, and sat down for that purpose. MIR. Jones
rose and said that as the member from Ken
lucky had volunteered to get himself into this
difficulty, he might get out of it as well as he
could; and he went on to repeat, that ne who
made the imputation, &C., would himself be
guilty of the baseness he imputed to others, &c.
&C. The Speaker said this personal discussion
must cease, and directed him to sit down. This,
Mr.. Jones resisted, warmly protesting, that he
would repel such insinuations as he had Alright TO
do The Speaker called him to order, and re-
peated that improper conduct was not attrbut-
ed by Mr.. H.. thathe had expressly dSclaimedlt 1t.
I" He did not, replied Mr.. j. Some alteration
then went on, painful to described; after which,
Mr.. Fl. claiming the floor as his right, repeated,
that the nsinuation made by Mr.. J. as to him,
he pronounced to be false and unfounded. MIR.
]. retorted, that after this language he had too
much respect for himselfto indulge further in the
example of low billingsgate, he could not per-
nit himself to be so degraded. Loud cries
of order burst from all parts of the House.
Mr. Jones was nettled at this, and said he was
surprized, that gentlemen who were so sensi-
tive as to what fell from him, should not have
called the member from Kentucky to order,
when he used his filthy and improper express
siOnS.
The Speaker said he had interposed, andhad
called that member to order. He did so, GER
tainly; but it was soto roCe-was unheeded by
all in the excitement of the scene-and most
certainly his call to order was not enforced, as
it should have been. Mr.. Jones then went on
to say, that he felt he would have been unwor-
thy of a seat in the body, if he did not feel and
repel the insinuation; and he must say, that be
him whom he might, he who did not think that
such language as was used to him, was not an
imputation, he, too, was unworthy of a seat
there This was hit at the Speaker himself
which he did not fail to feel, for he promptly
called upon the interpositon of the House to
put down the alteration The call for this pur-
pose was general and Mr.. Hardin, who was
prepared to reply to Mr.. J.,-whom he termed
the new Chesterfield cut short. And, af
ter Mr.. Wise rose to a point Of order, and stat
ed, that when he joined in the call, he had no
desire to interfere, but was actuated by re-