South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-02-28
Congress-.
In SENATE-Feb. 81.


of Marblehead, and many citizens Of
Beverly, sll in Massachusetts, on the
subject of our relations with France,
and suggesting, as the most effectual
! measure to be adopted Non.inter.
course law. He moved to lay the
i. memorials, onthe table, and print them.
On this motion, an incidental dis
. cussion of about ten minutes duration
arose, in which MIR. Calhoun, Mr.. King
of Alabama, Mr.. Poindezter, MIR. Web
ster, Mr.. Benton, MIR. BroOns Mr..
Buchanan, and Mr.. Leigh, took part.
Mr.. Calhoun deemed war with
France, in our present condition, the
greatest of evils which could befaI the
country, while Mr.. King, Mr.. Bro,on,
and MIR. Buchanan, expressed the OPP
iaion that the loss of national honor
was an evil Of greater magnitude, and
that we ought to be ready to defend
that, at all hazards. MIR. Poinds1ter
attributed the position in which our af-
fairs now stood with France, to the
message ofthe President; & stated that
there was no risk threatening our ma
tional honor until that message provok.
ed it. Mr.. Benton answered, that the
fact Showed, that, although the Cham.
bers had been sitting forty-dve days
before the arrival ofthe Message of,he
President, the King had not sent in the
appropriation bill; but, as soon as the
message was received, the bill was in
stantly transmitted TO the Chambers,
which he considered as proof that the
message would lead TO the adjustment
of the matter. Mr.. Leigh expressed
regret tina, the letter of Mr.. Livingston,
on the subject of the tone OF the mess
age, had ever been published, and said
that he had fears for the result. The
ground taken by Mr.. Webster, in two
or three sentences, was that the affair
had ceased to become mere question
of debt, and that he viewed the crisis
as a serious one, but deprecated any
discussion at this time.
THE HON. GEO. POINDEXTER.
The CHAIR laid before the Senate a
letter from the Hon. GEORGE PONDER
TER, in the following terms:
WASHINGTON ClTY, Feb. 21st.
Sir address you, as the presiding
officer of the Senate, on subject involv-
ing a criminal charge, highly injurious to
my moral character, and which, if true,
ought to cause my expulsion from the
august body of which l am a member.
An article in the form of letter from a
person in this city TO his correspondent
in the city of New York. has found its
way into the public prints, and has alrea-
dy been widely circulated throughout the
country, alleging shat the Administra-
ton was possessed of dispositions taken
from three individuals who swear that
Richard Lawrence, the assassin, was
seen by them in the private room of the
Hon. George Poindexter, the two days
Immediately anterior to his attempting
the life of Gen. Jackson"
No one,I presume, sir, can mistake the
purpose for which these dispositions have
been procured. The evident design is
to fix on me the most infamous of all
crimes, that Of having been an accessory
before the fact TO an attempt to take the
life ofthesChief Magistrate, by the hand
of an assassin! "A charge SO monssrous,
and so repugnantto the tenor ofmy past
life. resting simply on the authority of an
anonymous letter; in the columns OF
newspaper, might well be placed to the
general account Of the calumnies of the
day, which have of late been so freely
cast on me, and as such, would scarcely
merit contradiction from me. But the
investigation whichsE have thus far CIV
EN- to the conspiracy against my charac"
ter, has enabled me to trace the authors
ty on which the statement in the letter
referred to-was founded, to member OF
the House ofRepreaentatives from Rhode
Island, and the dispositions. therein spoken
of have been taken at the instance OF the
President himself. Having ascertained
these facts,I deem it TO be duty which
owe to myself to my constituents, to socl-
ETY. at large, u to the Senate, TO ask the
appointment of special committee,
clothed with powers to send for,persons
and papers, and-to inquire into the truth
or falsehood Of the charges imputed to
me, having relation 10 the Chief Execu.
tive Magistrate of the nation, that, if
found guilty, may no longer disgrace
the seat Which occupy il this body
have the-honor to be, with great re-
spect, your obedient servant,
C. POlNDEXTER.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 81.
Hon. George PoINDExTER:
In reply to your note, which l received
this morning, ! am at liberty to state,
in answer to the intesrogatory which you
have propounded, sin whose hands did
you see the afidavts ofwhich you speak"
that the aflidayits were by me read at the