Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1835-03-05
u. =. CONGRESS. 3
IN SENATE,
Saturday. Feb. 81.

=
Mr.. Silsbee presented the memorial ofsun-
dry persons in Salem, Marblehead, and Be-
verly, recommending a resort to commercial
restrictions against France, in preference to
! War or reprisals, and moved that il be print
! ed. Mr.. Calhoun expressed wish that the
petition might DC permitted to lie on the Ia.
bic for the present, as he wished to avoid any
discussion on the subject. He considered
War as the worst evil which could at the pre-
sent moment befal the country. Mr.. Web
ster was opposed TO any expression of opin-
/ ION at the present time on the French Ques-
ton, but at proper time he would be willing
to meet 1t. lie was in favor of printing the
memorial. After some further debate, the
motion was agreed to- without division.
The bill to repeal the part Of the act of
1920, which limits the term of service Of GER
tain officers, and to prohibit the removal of
officers without the consent of the Senate,
was read third time, and passed, yeas 81,
nays 16.
\ The bill to regulate the pay of the Navy,
was reported without amendment. The bill
to establish branches Of the Mint in North
Carolina and Georgia, was considered and
passed to be engrossed for third reading.
The following communication from
Mr.. Poihdexter, addressed to the Vice
President was read, together with the let
ter of Mr.. Pcarce, of Feb. 2l, which was
enclosed therein.
Washington City, Feb. 2l, 1885.
Sir address you as the Presiding
Officer ofthe 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 ofwhich am member.
An article, in the form of letter, from a
person in this city, to his correspondent
in New York, has found its way into the
public prints, and has already been wide-
ly circulated throughout the country, al
leging" that the administration was pos
sessed Of dcpositions, taken from three
individuals, who swear that Richard Law.
renee, 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 ofGen.
jackson.
II No one, presume, sir, can mistake the
purpose for which these dispositions have
been procured. The evident design is to
fix OH me the most infamous of all crimes
that of having been accessory before the
fact, TO an attempt to take the life Of the
Chief Magistrate, by the hand of an assas-
sin A charge so monstrous, and re-
pugnant to the tenor ofmy past life, rest
ing simply Oh the authority of an anony-
nous letter in the columns of ncwspa-
per, might well be placed in the general
of, fbf I,x x.,h, ,cl
have of late been so freely cast on me,
and, as such, would scarcely merit con-
tradiction from me. But the invcstiga-
ton which have thus far given to this
conspiracy against my character, has
enabled ne to trace the authority on
which the statement in the letter referred
to, was founded, to member of the House
of Representatives from Rhode Island
and the dcpositions therein spoken ofhavc
been taken at the instance of the Pres-
dent himself. Having ascertained these
facts, deem it to be duty which owe
to myself. to my constituents, to society at
large, and to the Senate, to ask the ap-
pointmeDt of Special committee clothed
with power to send for persons and pa
pers, and to inquire into the truth or false
hood of the charge imputed to me, having
relation to the Chief Executive Magis-
| trate of the nation,--that iftound guilty,
may no longer disgrace the seat which |
now occupy in this body.
| | have the honor to be your most ob'dt
serv't. GEO. POlNDEAIER.
! The Hon. III. Van Buren, Vice President
| ofthc u. States.
| Mr.. Clay, after few remarks upon
the nature of the charge, and of the state
mcnts in the letter, moved that commit
tee of five be appointed to investigate the
charges against the Hon. George Pom
dexter, with power to send for persons
and papers. The resolution was agreed
to unanimously, and the following gentle
men was chosen by ballot TO compose the
committee, viz. Fir. Smith of Connccti-
cut, Mr.. Tyler of Virginia, MIR. King of
Georgia, Mr.. Mangum of North Carolina,
and Mr.. Wright, of Ncw-York. The
Sppotp thpp adjourned