Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-05-17

! amendment of the constitution, which would
4 exclude the election from the House. The
i following gentlemen composed the com.
4 mittce Messrs. Gilmer, Archer, Binney,
4 Beardsley, Gorham, johnson of Kentucky,
i Speight, Hubbard, and Carr. Five Of these
gentlemen are the known supporters OF
| General Jackson, and of Mr.. Van Buren
as his successor; and all were understood
when the committee was appointed, to be
| in favor of the recommendation OF the
President, which it was their exclusive and
special duty to consider and report upon.
| The Chairman Of the Committee, MIR.
Gilmer Of Georgia, though not n supporter
Of the administration, was known to be
gentleman of great sincerity, talents and
energy; and lie was also known to be u
jealous advocate of the propositions SUBJ
mitted to the Committee. | have a per-
sonal knowledge that unusual efforts were
made by the Chairman Of the Committee,
and by various other individuals to prevail
upon the Committee to agree upon some
report at an early day of the session, that it
might be before the House and acted upon
before the close of the session. The
friends of Judge White especially, fearing
the use which would be made against him
of the argument that by dividing the party
the election might be brought into the House.
cxerted themselves in every fair and honor
able way to procure decision upon the
question by Congress. Several OF the
members this Committee, who had always
avowed themselves in favor Of the measure
were privately appealed to; but all was
vain. The answer was, they could not
agree upon the details Of the measure-no
1.-Two, it was said, could agree. Now, sir,
every member of the least experience IN
Legislation knows, that upon any important
Equcstion whatever involving details, two men
can rarely be found to agree upon all OF
them. 1t is notorious, that no Committee
of this House would ever report upon any
subject of Importance, if a ma jority of its is
members were expected to unite upon all
the details of it. All that can be expected
in such cases is, that majority shall agree
upon the principle of the Report. The
House is always expected to alter the details
|.according to the views of the majority. Il
was no adequate excuse to say, they could
. not agree upon details. / will not be so
unjust as to say, that all the members OF the
committee who had before that time profess:
ed q desire to sec the Constitution amended
in this respect, wilfully combined to prevent
any action upon the subject last session.
az committee of nine members, and six
only of them being friendly to the principle
of a measure, any two Of the six were able
70 ug!eat any action upon the subject. A
report from the committee, feel warranted
from the circumstances, in asserting, was
defeated by the management of some por.
ton of the members of it, who were, at the
same time, avowed advocates of the ex-
pediency Of such an amendment OF this
Constitution.
The farther history ofthis question is
this: Mr.. Gilmer, the Chairman of the
| Committee, failing in all his efforts togct
the committee to make a report in any
shape, came into the House on the 3lst
of January, and asked that the committe
might be discharged from the further con.
sideration of the subject, on the ground
that they could come to no agreement.
thcreupon; and on the same day he was
permitted to lay Resolution, containing
a proposition for an amendment of the
Constitution in relation to the election OF
president and Vice President, upon the
table. / we'll remember that at first. one OF
the prominent members Of the committee
and who was also a prominent member
of the dominant party, refused to give
his consent shat Mr.. Gilmer should
even lay his Resolution upon the Ia
BILE; but he became ashamed of his
conduct, and withdrew his OPPOSITION.
Thus the subject was before the House ;
and it was at any time in the power of the
majority to take it up, and decide upon It.
On the 18th OF Feb. Mr.. Gilmer finding
that it would not do to postpone the sub
| iect any longer, without losing sight of it
altogetheH during the session, moved to
suspend the rules of the House in order
to proceed to the consideration of his Res
olutiou. Against this motion there were
only ffiy-six votes, & ofthese thirty-seven
were the known supporters of Mr.. Van
Buren, for the Presidency; or, in other
words, Of nomination by Convention
and fifteen ofthese thirty-seven were mem
bers of the N. York delegation. The re-
solution was that day taken up and read
second time, and postponed 10 the 18th
of the month, but it was superseded by
other business until the. .25th Of February;
when Mr.. Wilde of Georgia moved that
all the orders OF the day be postponed, for
the purpose Of considering this subject;
Upon this motion there were 1l2 yeas, and
92 nays of the latter, 80 were supporters
| c,1. &C aho,,