Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-01-29
He was followed by Mr.. Coulter, and Mr..
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of his remarks, for a like reason, cannot De gl-
ven. AS soon as the reporter heard him he was
ferred TO that gentleman as having said that he
had voted as he did, because he should have
considered il violation of delicacy and pro-
priety to have voted otherwise.
MIR. Patton here interposed, and denied ha.
wing used any such language. What he had
said, was, that the remark of the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Cambreleng) imputed to
him violation of propriery, and also, that he
could see no propriety and no necessity IN wnat
the Committee had done.
Mr.. Jarvis resumed. The gentleman from Va.
had pronounced the act of the Committee I'M
called for, unjust, and improper" Those words
the gentleman certainly had used. Now 1t was
certain that majority of the Committee had
not thought the measure uncalled Tor, Tor the
vote, he believed had been unanimous, in de-
termining that the Committee should elect
That il was not unjust, or improper, in the opin-
ion of the majority of the Committee, might be
inferred, from the course they had pursued
Mr.. J. without speaking for others, would frank
" state the motives which had actuated himself
II was mainly the consideration that the chair
men of the several committees OF the House
ought to be men who were in confidential rela-
tons with the Government; or, at least, men
with whom the Government might stand in
those relations. The chairman of an import
ant standing committee Of the House ought not
to be man who had shown from first to last the
most open and unrelenting hostility to the Adm :
nistration, and who on every occasion had en-
deavored to thwart its measures. The gentle
man from Virginia, with his delicate notions OF
proprety, might think it right and fit to embar-
rass the Administration, by the election OF a
chairman of the latter description; and the gen.
teman has told the House. that, If the case &C.
Cured, he should vote for such an one. Mr.. J..
was glad, on one occasion, at least, to know pc
forehand how that gentleman would vote. The
gentleman had declared that ma ority OF the
Committee was in favor Of the gentleman from
Massachusetts lMr EveretD as its chairman
On that point, he and the gentleman were direct
ly at issue. He distinctly affirmed that it was
not So Twoprevious propositions had been be-
fore the committee, and they had both been vo-
ted down.
In those votes the gentleman from Massachu-
sets Mr.. Everett, and the gentleman from
Virginia, Mr.. Patton, had voted on the first
occasion in the majority, and in the latter with
the minority. The gentleman from Virginia
had moved one Of the propositions, and the
Committee rejectedit. Mr. J. had voted against
both Of them. If however, he had been com
PEELED to choose between them, he should GER
tainly have preferred the epigram of the Presi-
dent, to the madrigal of the gentleman from
Virginia. That gentleman, however, had been
so fond Of his proposition that he had brought
it before the Committee second time, and then
its consideration had been postponed. That
was the nearest the gentleman had come at any
time to obtaining a majority. 1t had been the
opinion Of the Committee, that if they intended
to do nothing, they ought to say nothing, and
not to issue a report to the world which the dis
affected might make to speak any language
they chose. He was glad now to hear it decla-
red that it had not been the intention of any
gentleman in the Committee to do any thing but
respond to the President. Mr. J. had not been
apprised Of that; he supposed there had been
disposition to give the House dose OF milk
and water. Such mixture the President was
not in the habit Of preparing, and it would GER
tainly be no response to what had come from
him. The gentleman from Virginia had thought
it proper enough at first that the Committee
should have Chairman, who in political views
and feelings was with the Administration. In
the middle of the session, however, he preferred
having one of an opposite kind. What kind OF
Chairman the gentleman would prefer at the
end of it, Mr. J. did not know.
Mr.. Patton replied that he certainly should
not wish the gentleman from Maine Mr.. JAR
Wis at any period.
One remark had fallen from that gentleman
to which he would say word in reply. The
gentleman said, or seemed to say, or appeared
to wish it understood, that he, Mr.. P desired the
appointment of a Chairman who should embar
rass the Administration. Now it happened that
House to give any point to such an insinuation.
Mr.. P. had stood there during the last session
in position, and had pursued course which
must prevent any insinuation Of that sort from
being credited any where. He had stood there
at his post in vindication Of the Administration
from assaults, the most violent in their charac-
ter, which had been aimed att by two-thirds of
the Legislature of his own State, and he had
made this vindcation under circumstances
which he knew involved great personal sacri-
fice But this he had considered but dust in the
scale when put against the fair and honorable
discharge of his public duty, according to his
own honest conviction. He had never stood on
that floor nor would he so long as he should be
honored by the confidence of his constituents
with a place upon it, to throw embarrassment in
the course Of any administration whatever; nor
would he stand there to echo, with base subser
viency, all the edicts of any Administration un-
der Heaven. He cared not who they were, or
what they were. He came to that place to re-
present the People who sent him, and to main
tain their rights and interests against all as
saults, whether proceeding from the Admins
tration or aimed at the Administration.
Mr.. P. said he should certainly have thought
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