The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-05-09

ly ascertsined by law 4; and TO be informed
Of the nature and cause of the accusation
TO be confronted by the witnesses against
him; to have compulsory process for oh.
tanning witnesses in his favor and TO have
the assistance of counsel for his defence"
The inquiry, therefore, is directed TO one
object only-the maintenance Of the priyil-
eges Of the House; and the question is,
what in that view where the causes which
led to the death Of Mr.. Ciley and the cir
cumstances connected herewith, and did
they involve breach of those privileges
In pursuing this investigation, the COM
mittee have examined all whose testimony,
there was reason to believe might be ma
terial and Messrs Graves, Wise and Jones,
members of the House, were permitted to
attend, and 10 examine and cross-examine
the witnesses ard the same leave was ex-
tended to Mr.. Menefee, of the House, and
10 MIR. Pierce, of the Senate, at their re-
quest. The entire mass of he testimony
is now submitted rs part of the report.
One witness, Daniel Jackson, of the city
of New York, who vns summond 10 attend,
and called upon to testify, has neglected TO
obey the reqisition, though he appeared
before the committee, and interrogatories
were put 10 him but from the position in
which he stood, and the disclosures of
another witness, it was not thought worth
the time or attention of the House or of the
committee 10 notice him farther.
The late Jonathan Clley, member of
the House from the State Of Maine, fell by
the hand of William J. Graves. n member
of the House from the State Of Kentucky,
in n duel fought with rifles, near The boun-
dary line between the District Of Columbia
and the State of Maryland, on Saturday,
the 9th of February last.
The causes which led to his death are
connected with the proceedings
Of this House. On the l2 Of Feb. MIR.
Wise, of Virginia, presented to the House
a publication in New York Courier and
Enquirer, charging a member Of Congress
with corruption upon the authority of an
writer under the signature Of
the Spy in Washington ) and thereupon
moved resolution for tho appointment Of
a select committee, with power to send for
persons and papers, to inquire into the
charge. Mr.. Wise said The charac-
ter Of the authority upon which the charge
is made, is youched for ms respectable and
authentic by the editors Of the Courier mud
Enquirer, in whose paper it appears, and
the House is called upon to defend its hon
or and dignity against the charge
Mr.. Cilley addressed the House in OPP
position to the resolution. In the course
of the debate he said he knew nothing of
this editor; but if it wss the same editor
who once made grave charges against all
institution of this country, and afterwurd
was said to have received facilities to the
amount of some $52 900 from the same
institution and gave it his hearty support,
he did not think his charges were entitled
to much credit in an American Congress-
The words, spoken by Mr.. Cilley in de-
bate, were strictly in order, were partinent
to the subject under discussion, and did
not exceed tho bounds and limits OF his
place and duty and though they implied
doubt inconsistent with unblemished hon
or and character in the person alluded to,
yet Mr.. Cilley was justified in the use of
them, by report of n committee Of the
House of Representatives, appointed on the
I4lh Of March, 1882, to inspect the books
and examine into the proceedings of the
Bank Of the United States. An extract
from the report, made by the majority OF
the committee and published by order Of
the House Of Representatives, is hereby
annexed, in which it is stated, that for
sixteen months" the New York Courier
and Enquirer was warmly opposed" to
the Bank Of the United States that on
the Goth of March, 1881, and within nine
months thereafter, the bank made three
loads, amounting Z" to the sum OF S52,975,
which consisted Of notes drawn and endor-
sed by the editors only; and that on or
about the sth of April 1881, it (the paPerl
changed its course in favor of the bank"
1t was 10 reference to the facts contained
in this report, and published to the world
by order Of the House Of Representatives,
that Dir. Cilley spoke the words which
have been already recitcd and for thus
alluding to the facts put forth in the pub
lisbed documents Of that body, OF which he
was a member, he was called in question
by the editor of the New York Courier and
Enquirer. James Watson Webb, on the
2lst Of February, addressed note to him
reciting those words, apprizing him that The
writer Of it was the editor Of that paper
and concluding with demand Of explans-
ton, couched in very explicit terms.
Here is given the first letter from Mr..
Webb to Mr.. Cilley, which, with the other
correspondence, we published March 7th.l
This demand Of explanation, under the
circumstances which existed, was not sus-
ecpiiblo Of misinterpretotion, and, the se-
Guel proves, was not misunderstood. Mr..
Graves, was the bearer Of this note, having
read it, and being fully spprized Of its con-
tents, and rendered it to Dir. Cilley, in the
hall Of the House Of Representatives, while
the House was in session. Mr.. Cilley de-
eIlned to receive it, and thsreupou brief
correspondence ensued, which terminated