Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-01-29
DOMESTIC NEWS.

WAsntSGToN, January %.
Tho House Of Representatives Yesterday, for
saking the regular routine Of business, found itself
engaged IN u debate, which, SO far as concerns the
Public, was Of no little moment, and, SO lar as II
was only personal OF particular, was yet sufficiently
piqHant to interest, the hearers moe than ordinarily.
This debate ran out to go great n length that We
know the reporters will be able to make nothing Of
1t within tho ,imo nlloted to them before it IS ne.
cessary Tor US TO 80 to press and we have there
fore borrowed one of their peas to give our readers
q brief familiar account Of II.
Mr.. Adams opened the debate by a statement Of
facts, as he understood them which, us confirm ed
and enlarged by those who followed in debate,
were substantially rs follows On the resignation
of Mr.. Wayne, who was Chairman of the Com
miitcc Of Foreign Relations, MIR. Cambrole ny of
New York WAS appointed 10 fill the vacancy in the
committee occnsIoncd by his retirement. On the
committees next meeting, a motion was made by
Mr.. jarvis of Maine, ono Of the Members thereof
not considering Mi. Everett (the next in order to
Mr. Wayne on the commluce) as Chairman, to
proceed to the election Of d Chairman 10 the com
mi,tee, and an election was held. An the mem.
bers being present, they ballotted with the follow
ing result Mr.. Everett, acting Chairman, no, vot-
,ng:l For Mr.. Cambrelcns 4 votes; for Mr.. Everett
3, for another Member |. No choice having been
made at this bano',ng, Il second was held, at which
the votes were for Mr.. Combreleng 4 for Nj.
Everett 3 and Mr.. Cambreleng, having n maio-
rl.y of all the votes given, was declared to be
elected, and is now acting as Chairman of he
Committee on Foreign Relations. This proceed.
ing, Mr. A. declared To DO contrary to usage,
which recognized the first named member of u
as its Chairman, and the other members
as entitled TO preside in the order in which they
were named. Mr.. A. also considered this election
a. nnneaaI hpfanca tbn nnntl,,,n IN nn,,, ,n
To be acting as Chairman, had been placed in that
position by the votes Of u minority OF the Commit
tee (thnt is, by four out OF nino.) In the British
practice, as quoted by Mr.. Jefferson
in his Manual, It IS indeed stated that "Thc person
FIRST named is generally permitted to act rs Chair.
man but this Is matter Of courtesy, every Com
"mlttee having a rigM to elect their own Chair.
imam" &c. What was courtesy there, had, how
ever, certainly become usage here, md was The es-
tabllshcd law OF practice in this House. Under
this usage the Committee of the House had been so
constituted that Mr.. Everett became Chairman by
the occurrence of tho fact of Nh. Wayne's rosiy-
nation. The object of Mr.. Adams was not, how
ever, to move to set aside this election, however in
correct he thought II. but to make the records of The
House correspond to the fact and he therefore
moved, IN substance. that the name of the Chairman
of the of Ways and Means be entered
OF record on the Journal Of the House, which, q,
present, does no, conform % the fact.
This was the notl1n upon which a debate took
place, which wandered occasionally pretty far from
the merits OF the par ocular question, into questions
OF greater moment, bearing upon tho state of our
foreign rclatlons-wiih what country especially it
were needless 10 say, The right Of a Committee
TO elect IFS Chairnt IN was generally acknowledge
cd but II was no less generally admitted to be con
trary TO the practice Of the House, and only iusti.
fed, by those who approved of it in this case, on
the ground that the Chairman Of the Co nmittee OF
Relations ought to be a person who held
polltlcsl relations 10 the Executive for
he time being-a doctrine, on the other hand utter
denied. The deb ito resulted, after consuming
he whole OF the days sitting, in fay,ns tho motion
Mr. Adams on the table, by Il majority OF twelve
votes.
What will be the most interesting TO our read
srs, however IN this connection, will be the facts
concerning the proceedings Of the committee, upon
he Presidents recommendation Of Reprisals a.
gains: France, which came out in the course of tie
Debate. They were substantially as follows:
Before the withdrawal of MIR. Wayne, q question
hId been taken on concurring in the Presidents re.
Sonamendaton, and determined against it. A ma
ofi'y OF mo com arc still opposed 10 that
indeed, II was declared by the acting
that he did not believe that IA single mem.
Ter otthe committee was in favor Of now rcsorting
0 tho measure Of Rcprisals. The commitc how
yer, have voted down u proposition 10 make de-