Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-01-25
IN SENATE.

IN SENATE.
MONDAY, JANUARY 16.-The reso-
luton offered by MIR. DAVIS, on Fri
day, requesting information such as
may be in the possession of the Pres'-
dent concerning the visit of Santa Ana
was taken up and adopted.
ExPUNGING RESOLUTION.
The Senate then proceeded TO the
special order, being the expunglng re-
solution.
Mr.. CLAY then took the floor and
spoke at length in opposition to the re-
solution.
MIR. BUCHANAN followed, in vindica-
ton of the expunging resolution, and
in reply to Mr.. Clay.
Mr.. DANA made a few remarks, and
Messrs. BAyARD and HENDRIcKs adj
dressed the Senate in opposition to the
resolution.
Mr.. STRANGE addressed the Senate
in favor of it, and proposed a trlfling
amendment, which he said would rem.
der the language of the preamble less
severe.
Mr.. EWING, of Ohio, spoke in oppo-
sition TO the resolution at considerable
length and with great force.
The debate having closed, and the
question being about to be taken, Mr..
WEBSTER rose, and addressed to the
Senate the following
PROTEST.
Mr.. PRESIDENT: Upon the truth and
Justice of the original resolution Of the
Senate and upon the authority of the
Senate to pass that resolution, had
an opportunity to express my opinions
at II subsequent period, when the Pres
idcnt's protest was before is. Those
opinions remain altogether unchanged.
And now had the Constitution secu.
rcd the privilege Of entering a PRoTEsT
ON the journal, | should not say n
word on this occasion, although, il
what is now proposed shall be accom-
pIIshod, | know not what would have
been the value OF such a provision
however formally OF carefully it might
have been inserted in the body ofthat
instrument.
But, as there is no such constitution.
al privilege | can only effect my pur-
pose by thus addressing the Senate
and | rise, therefore, to make that Pro
TEST in this manner, in the face ofthe
Senate, and in the face of the country,
which | can not present in any other
form.
! speak in my own behalf, and in be-
half ofmy colleague; we both speak as
Senators from the State Of Massachu'
sets, and, as such, we solemnly Pro.
TEST against this whole proceeding.
We deny that Senators from other
States have any power or authority to
eXpungc any vote or votes which we
have given here, and which we have
recorded, agreeably to the express pro-
vision Of the Constitution.
We have a high personal interest,
and the state whose representatives we
are, has also a high interest in the en-.
tire preservation of every part and par
eel of the record of our conduct, as
members of the Senate.
This record the Constitution solemn.
ly declares shall be kept; but the reso-
luton before the Senate declares that
this record shall be e%Tpunged.
Whether subterfuge and evasion,
and, as it appears to us, the degrading
mockery Of drawing black lines upon
the journal, shall or shall not leave our
and our votes legible, when this
violation Of the record shall have been
completed, still the terms "to ~expunge"
and the terms ''to keep" when applied
10 a record, import ideas exactly con-
Trajectory; as much so as the terms
''to preserve" and the terms "to des.
A record which is capunged, is not
a record which is kept, any more than
a record Which is destroyed can be a
record which IS preserved. The part
eXpunged is no longer part of the rec
ord; it has no longer a legal existence.
1t cannot be certified as a part of the