Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-05-07
Il EVENT y.FIFTM CONGRESS-
REPORT OF THE DUELLING COMMIT
SECOND SEES SION.

The Committee appointed 10 Investigate he causes
rehich led 10 The death ofhe Hon. Jonathan C,i-
ley, late a member ofhe House Of Representatives
and The c,rcamsidn es connected Htreleih. and n
inquire rhether there has been in tde case oliuaed
toa breach Of he pr'utcgeS Of he House. and 10
trtom rere referred Snadry emoralS upon the sub
itct, ask leare 10 submit Their
REPORT:
In dischareing the trust committed to them bv
the House OF Representatives. the COMMITTEES have
endeavored implicitly 10 obey order. neither stop
ping short Oh the one ha1d, of the full measure of
the duty imposed upon them. nor t,anscending its
Just hunts on the other. They were of the opin-
ION that the investigation Instituted solely
for the privileges of the House. 1t was not within
the province OF the House Of Representatives 10 in
ycstigalc the which led Ia tie death Of one
of IT'S members or the circumstances which alien
aed il; with "A view TO the punishment of any often
der tor a high crime or misdemeanhr.-rhat be
longs III every case, exclusive to the courts of law
Senator's and Representatives not privileged
from arrest IN cases of treason, felony aud breach
of the peace and ii is constitutional provisien
that in all criminal prosec ATOMS the accused shall
enjoy the right to speedy and public trial. by an
impartial jury OF the State and district wherein the
the crime shall have been committed. which district
shall have been previouy ascertained by law and
10 be informed OF the nature and cause the sc
cusation; TO be confronted BY the witnesses aafi st
hun to have compulsory process for obtaining wit
uesses in his favor and to have the assistance of
counsel fot his defence" The inquiry therefore is
directed to object only-the maintenance of the
privileges Of the House and thr question is wtat
thar view, were the causes which led to the death
of Mr.. CIey, and the circumstances connected
herewith, and did they involve a breach Of those
priseg,sl
In pursuing This investigation, the committee have
eXanlned all whose testimony, thete reason to
believe, might be material and MeSsrs Graves,
WISE aud jones, members of HE tlquse per
united To attend aud It, examine aud cross examine
HE witnesses; and the same leave WIS exrem,d
10 Ai. Mrnelee, of the House. aud 10 MIR. Pierce.
OF the Senate, al htlf requcst.-he entire mass of
the testimony Is now submitted as part of his re.
port. One witness, Daniel Jackson, of The CIV 81
New OK, who was summoned 10 attend. and cal
led upon To testify, has nee leced obey the req Al
sltlon, though he appeared before The committee
aud inenogato,ieS were put To him ; but from the
position IN winch lie stood, and the Disclosures of
anotder witness, 1t was not though, worth the time
orattenion OF the House the committee 10 no.
tee him further.
The late Jonathan Cilley, a member Of the House
from the Site OF Maine tell by the hand ofW llimm
j, Graves. member OF the House from the State Vt
kentucky, in duel fought with rifles near the
boundary line between the District OF Columbia and
me State Of Mdr!land on Saturday, the cath Of
February last
The causes which led to his death are intimately
connected with the proceedings of lbs House. On
the 18th of February, Mr. WISE of Virginia. pre-
sen'ed TO the House publication in the New Iork
courier and Enquirer, charging member Of Con
gress with corruption upon The autloii of an a
nonyamous writer under the signature of the Spy
III Nashiu9lon;" and thereupou moved resolu-
ton Tor the appointment oil a select committees
with power to send ion persons and papers, to inqure
INTO the charge Mr. Wise said =. The character
Of the authority upon winch the cha, ee is made is
Nouched for respectable and authentic by the Ed
Nor OF the Courier aud Enquirer, in whose paper t
appears, and the House called upon to defend
Us nOuof and dIghIly against the Charue.h
Nh. ClIey addressed the House IN opposition TO the
iesuIutlon. In the course OF The debate he SAID " he
knew nothing OF this Editor but if it was the same
Editor who bad once made grave charges lainst an
institution Of tins country, aud afterwards was said
10 have received facilities the amount oil some
S52OOO nom The same institution, and gave 1t hIs
hearty sup OFT, he did not think his charges were
entitled TO much credit in an American Congress-
These words, SPOKEN by Mr. Chley in debate
were strictly in order, pertinent the subject
under discussion, and = did not exceed the bound,
ana limits OF ms place and dlty;' aud thou. they
implied n doubt Inconsistent with uhblemishcd
honor and character in the person alluded to,yet Mr.
Clley was justified in the use 1T Them by a report
OF committee of the House OF Representatives, ap-
pointed on the 18th OF March, 1889 TO l. sect the
books aud examine INTO the proceedings OF the Bank
oi the United States. Al extract from the report,
made hy the maJu,uy OF the committee, and rub
i'shed by order OF the House oil Representatives,, Is
hereunto annexed, IN winch II is slated, that :. tor
sixteen months the New York Courier and En-
quIrer' was warmly opposed" TO the Bank OF the u
hied States that on The Goth OF March, o3l, aud
within less than niue months thereafter, the bank
made three loans, amounting ito the OF S52. 975,
winch consisted Of notes drawn and endorsed by
the editors only y and that on about the Sh Of
hpfi'' 1881 II (lle pape) changedt It's course in favor
OF the Bank"
II was IN reierrenc to the ftcts contained in this
report and published to the world b, order of the
House OF Representatives, that Mr.. Chley smoke
the words which had been already recIed . and for
mus audIng to facts put forth the published doc
uments oi Tie body OF which he was memb r. lie
was called in question by the Editor of the the New
ork Courier and Enquirer. james Watson ", bb
on the 2lst OF February last, addressed a note to
MN, recitlng those words appizDg him that the
writer OF IL the Editor OF that paper and con-
Guiding with demand of xplanaton. couched III
very explicit terms.
GADsBYs HorEL.
Washington, February 81, 1888.
OR, In The Washington Globe of the Eth Instant,
you are reported 10 We said, in the coulse Of the
ucod'e winch took place in the House OF Represen-
"'feS on that day, growing out Of publication
made III the New York Courier aud aud Eequfer-
lie Cou) knew norhng OF this Editor; but it IL
was tile same Editor who had once made .iave
'idfges against an Institution of this country and
afterwards said To have received facilities TO the
amount of some $50, 900 from the same institution.
ana gave 1t hls hearty support. he did thuk his
'hafges were entitled 10 much credit an Ameri-
can Congress-"
=, ueem 1t my duty To apprize you, sir, that | am
Tue Editor OF the paper in which The letter from The