Litchfield enquirer., 1835-03-05
fi, Senate, Eeb. 2l.

Seu0fe,
 The Chair announced that a communication in wr. ting the Senate from the Hon. George Pondex,er, was before him, which handed tO the clerk, and
 Washington City. Feb. 2l, 1885. Sir: address you as the Presiding Officer ot the Senate, subject involving criminal charge, high y injurious to my moral character, and which, if rue, ough, to my expulsion from that august body of winch am member. An article, in the form of a letter. from person in this city, 10 his correspon dent in New-York has found it's way in'o the public prnts and has already been widely circulated through the country. aIedglsg "that the administration pos sessed ofdepositions taken from three individuals who swear that Richard Lawrence. the assassin. was seen by theEl, ip he private room the Hon. George Poln dexter, the two days immediately anterior to his tempting the life of Gen. Jackson"
 No one, presume, sir, can mistake the purpose for which these depos'ons have been procured. The ident design is to fix me the infamous of all crimesat of having been accessary before the fact, to attempt to take the life Ol the Chief Magistrate, by the hand of an assassn!! charge so'mons,rous, and repugDaOt tO the tenor of my past lile resting simply on the authority of an anonymous letter, n the columns ot newspaper, might well he placed to the general account of the caunnies of tie day, which have o late been SO freely cast on me, and as such, would scarcely merit contradiction from But the investigation which have thus far given to the spiracy against my character, has enabled to trace the authority 0N which the statement "fthe letter re- terred lo waa tounded, 10 member of the House of Representatives from Rhode Island; and the deposit ons speken of have been taken the instance of the FFdSleii hliseiT. Having asrer n aimed these facts, deem it to be du,y which owe to myee to my constituents to society at large, and to the Senate, iO ask the appointment of Special Committee clothed with power to send for peraOns and papers, aud tO inquire into the truth iasehOod Of he charge iin pued to me. having relation to the Chief Executive Magistrate of the naon,--hat found guilty may no longer disgrace the which now occupy in this body. have the honor to be
 Your most olI'di. serv't
 GEO. POINDEXTER. The Hon. Martin Van Buren,
 Vice. President United States.
 Alter reading the above letter. the clerk proceeded to read the following enclosure:
 Washington City, Fs6. 2l, 1885. Mr. George Poindexter,
 Sir: In reply to your note. which received this mornng, am at liberty tO state, in answer 10 the in lerroga.ory which you have propoonded-ln whose hands did you sea the afidavs Of which you speak that the aidasiaa were by read al the house of the President of the United Slaies,--ihey were baGded me in his presence by (reBd of his. by me reprUed to the President and pot into his haads by the afhants themselves, as have bean informed by him, and an further authorized say, that other teslimO ny of the k.nd is expected.
 Your most ub'dt serv't,
 DUTEE J. PEARCE. Aer these letters were read, there WAS pause for n few seconds, whereupon
 Mr. Clay and said. that he could not credit the statement con,aiped in the letter just read. He ap. peared L" think lhege must be some msnndersianding asins given hs VieWs of this subjec hs moved that Committee ofhye be appointed 10 investigate the