Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-02-17
FEB EU.gae YH7, ss.s.

might be; and instead of being House of Representa-
lives, constituted to the pabc, resolve ourselves
into great court OF inquiry Try Others be iegItl.
mate object Of every judicial rhunal) but 10 try onr.
selves and pronounce Judgment in case and
behalf Sir hope such policy will be adopted or
/ commenced This scurrops, dirty communication Is
the production Of ore who is we'll known b. the term Of
the Nv ashington Spy" This man. who nov sits
looking you from the gallery, branding cuunny and de-
traction black, base and foul the apologies. and erlo
EIs OF Aaron Burr-(lle is worthy Of such purpose
But We are told by the gentleman from Maryland, (Mr
Jener that this investigation ought 90 on The charge
! he understood To cnme from respectable source.
respectable snnrce ). The g-;irrran finm Maryland
would not make The statement Of responsibility, If he
knew the general character Of HE "Washlugun Spy,'
he would deiamr and backPn the term 'respecta
BILE desgnrd!y by applying 1t IL wretch 80 base aud
degraded q. tie Washington spy. nnw IN my eye
Perhaps the gentleman rnm Maryland has been taught,
has your humble speaker, To the head that is
bald, and herye thai is dimmcd by age, and from this
laudablc vrnrralInn led ~ @ abuse Il" the term
"rcspccaie, IF hrh he has Us; been guilty. Sir,
Elisha had bld head; he jas. man, aud feared
Gnd; bat doas it l'lhw that who has bald
head is just an" has 'll tar of God hcurc lis
eyes, entitled I" The appelatlun .. rFSpscabe.
II is prnblhe that EIislas eyes had grown din and that
ii sprctarles IN his day discovered H.. them
but Will ask my friend from Mar, land, i! every
wh" sprcaces is an hur''si and upright
No, sir; W. hav sIrct"n ui i! converse - the pro-
positions before Us ~ the person Of The Washing
ton Spy. Sir, wlI further evi rHce do you want, or
Islander, is sconndrrl, lar. and coward than the
fact that he has withheld his proper If you hear
of at the CITY of Georgetown, passing himself
of by the oi y Bat tie city at Alexandria by
the name Of Z Dat your Navy Yard by the name Of
E F-aad at Dladcnsburg BY TIE Of u n. what
other conclusion would yam be likely to come TO- IN rcll-
ton 10 that man. other nn tina. he IL horse hlea cHun.
tefr:tcI, some base iern who merits a residence
in your District pcnit"nliary Such kind OF character
is presented in The person of the Washington Spy
But. SIR, this Is not the place 10 try him: say we have
higher duties 10 perform here not the duties that HPprr-
to ourselves, bat those that ~ the conny
Fnri!i'r, Sir. deny that any thing which thu WASH
ngton Spy say publish sorhy of an inv"sti:
CATION in ihs House rsewrre | say 81 because |
consider him morally deprarct. and 50 degraded in
the .s!!nan ~ every honorable aud high minded nin,
tina! hr is literally incapable nI tIc critic q sand"r.
mean BIZ llIs 81, that ne is notorious liar, aud 81
generally known to be- SUCH HAT he is incapable longer
Of telling fns.hnod 4 gentleman asks how That
can be- answer. tina! faSrhr ID Is moral prrvers!on
of the truth for the pa: p,se of t"rpOn hut the Wash
nr;on Spy is nonrl"u; and degraded liar that he
can "grr drcrirr; therefore. the object purpose
intended failing. ih. iash"od fails with 1t. Sir. shall
vote against The original proposition, and any nIrmbrr
will move 10 lay the proposition and all the proposed
amendments the lah!, | Will vr'r for ihs mn"n.
MIR Reed was in favor Of investigation. but not in the
mode pupnsed hv Mr. Dfoagooe; lor that would defeat
the nhi'cL intended.
Mr. Fry said according To his nrtion of this matter,
h. thought the House would best maintain lis h"n"r, lis
dignity and rs character by as!'lning from any notice
OF the efusirns %! The newspaper scrbbrrS who Inrst
this hall! and lrra such projections wish that contempt
whI:h they, when !mpeacliuy I'll the ici5cgs GER
tlinly melt
ii the Eilor Of the New York Courier and Enquirer
any other prrson shes 10 make lnrG,y 10 thus
city, and rr,naI. here few weeks IN The character vi
before this committee, wiich Il IS proposed ID
raise, t. here al the pUoiic EXPENSE for "ne
not disposed 10 crafty them do NJ, say that il IN.
design: speak for contingency
II the arpa7iIIIn That has !i:un:ed this hall since
have been member CT this itunss, which has beer de.
signal"t to the &" Spy, has any rhatge 10 make
against menl-r Of tbs House, let hun make il let
him publish his name 1T him openly accuse him Of
whatever crime with which he mag b. charGeahIe. II
membc. thus charged. and thought himself az
grevrtl. and would ask inquiry. would grant IT. but
/ am utterly opposed To tie House taking notice OF any
newspaper slang 10 the exclusion OF the important basil
ness n the cnuury la order therefore, that the House
may dispose OF this su" rc and on to clcr Tie p'u
tons which load our tables, | move the resolution
and amendments liz on tlte table
Mr.. Wise asked for the yeas and nays; which were
ordered, and wsrr-yraS ia, nays iI9.
The question In, REQUIRED uPJa NJ LOOMS amend
ment.
Mr. McKernan said the in". ;iga,ion had become
cpssary far otherwise. the char" m rest upon him.
self or upnn the Speaker, upon any other member
Mr. Flllurrt we'll assured that The House was not
the proper body nvss'iate th's charg" though he
thought il better that the name u" The individual should
be stated to the House and then the truth oi The charge
might be inquired into by c"m''lI'er MIR F. wasoP.
posed sending ih. L" .rrF"t committee p SIT
aud COLLECT testimony The character "i an aivd;a'
without his having opportunity OF being heard IN Ills
defence.
Mr. Pnpa was in favor "r having The report Of con-
niltee of investigation preliminary STRIP and then
il would be the proper tnc for the House t. take direct
cnGHIZancr OF the subject
Mr.. Thomas remarked upon !ls injustice there hld
been done u,surJer ot the House. whom he
kne nol bat The discussion having progressed to tbs
point lie wished the resnn,iVn amended as to cause
the writer To appear at The bar ut the House and name
lao nlpr nuhthp bret q
hlr. Wis. modified his resolution 50 that VIXEN the
name Of the member was girca to tile committee, he
should be notified thereof
Mr. Lonmis modified Ills amendment, by requiring
Mr. Davis when brought ut the bar of The House 10
name the person implicated and The Of his in'r.
nation.
Mr. Briggs advered 10 the inconsistency Of gentlemen
dennuncing anonymous letter writers, while the HdiV
dua, was known every Of them and to The country,
their remarks were addressed 10 him in the gallery and
they proposed amendment III which his name was
distinctly mentioned Mr. B. ais" went on to show that II
would be much Gst To Inc person implicated 10
have his name given al the bar and heralded form upon
every wind than 10 have II disclosed 10 committee,
which committee would instantly notify HIN OF the
fact.
from mere runpr with no other foundation, and to
bring so lying scamp the propagation 10 the bar OF
the Honse would be only esvainr him 10 consequence.
A similar charge had been made by another Ne" ORR
letter writer that the respectable member from Balti'
more (N1r KcKim) had been favored with "a contract,
when there was the semUirst foundation Ia" The ca
lumnv. Another had charged that the members OF he
House had purolned the money missed BY the Sergeant
at Arms and both those writers were admitted to seals
on the floor and minge with the members. AS TO
the present subject, Mr. b opposed tn bing'ng The
"Spy the bar. and was opposed to The whole inVeS.
ves,ira,on because he would not condemn menb"s OF
that House upon such testimony.
After some further remarks from Messrs IcnIfer Fill
more Reed and Mckay, at the suggestion q" tie latter
gentleman,
Mr. Wise modified his proposition, by restricting the
investigation To members of the House, and by bringing
| MIR Davis 10 give The name al the bar.
Mr. DromgooIe withdrew his amendment
MIR Rives moved to insert after the words 'menloer
! jinvlicaled" s.if q member Of this House.