Litchfield enquirer., 1838-02-15

sey enough to be heard, and Mir. PrentIss himself caught the eye of the Speaker, and being in order was suffered to proceed.
 Mir. Prentiss, of course, was much excited and although full to overfiowing. he prom iSed to speak but for five minutes. He told the House that the decision just made was the first act of legislative usurpation recorded against Congress. There had been acts of executive usurpation in abundance; but this was the first act of legislative usurpation up- on the records of the doings of Congress- Mir. P. with burning words and bitter impre- cations, told the House that Mississippi would not abide its decisions, unjust and unsatisfac- tory as they were. In vehement manner and language he solemnly protested against an act which he said had disfranchised Mis- sissippi of her Representatives.
 "Confusion worse confounded" followed the remarks of MT. F., and .he question soon came up on the resolution of MT. Bell, which declared that Messrs. Claiborne and Ghol- son were not members of the 25th Congress. This was adopted, l21 to ll3!! and all the members, therefore, are sent home with mo- tifcation from the Speaker, that the seats are vacant-N. y. Express.
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 1888.
 The first business before the Senate this morning came in the form of MT. Grundy's instructions from the Legislature of Tennes- see, as presented by Mir. Grundy himself, under his own announcement that he should vote against the Sub- Treasury Bill from the Committee of Finance.
 "Mr. President-I have received, and now present to the Senate, the Preamble and Rcs- olutons of the General Assembly of Tennes- see, by one of which resolutions their Sena- tors are instructed and their Representatives requested to vote against any law of general finance such as is recommended by the Pre- sident of the United States in his message of September last. understand the Bill be- fore the Senate on this subject, and under consideration, to be such as is embraced by this Resolution; and believing in the right ofinstruction by the Legislature, 1 feel no diff ficulty in declaring that shall comply with those instructions"
 The preamble and resolutions were read in full by the Secretary of the Senate, and on motion of Mr. Grundy ordered to be prin- ted.
 MT. Webster rose, and said in reference to the resolution adopted by the Senate in re- gard to the payment of fishing bounties and pensions in bills oft Commonwealth Bank of Boston-that the report of the Secretary of the Treasury in answer to that resolution gave his reasons for those payments, and one, and the most prominent of those rea- sons, was the fact acknowledged by the Sec- retary of the Treasury, that pensions upon the seaboard could not be paid in gold and silver. What comment, said Mr. w. on the b-Treasury bill before the Senate, and such will be the inevitable result when the Sub-T Treasury bill comes into operation as q law of the land. Mr. w. also stated that it was the custom with the Secretary of the Treasury to make advanced payments for six months upon all pensions due. Mr. w. thought it wrong, and hoped the practice would be reformed.
 MT. Webster said, in reference to a per- sonal matter in regard to the Commonwealth Bank of Mass. the Globe had reiterated q charge made some time since in regard to himself and this bank. Mir. w. repeated what he had to say many days ago, and said to his knowledge he did not owe. and never did owe the Commonwealth Bank single dollar. He had no personal connection with that bank, and to his knowledge, never had. Now, said MT. w., l must repeat the lan- say with him, "that it is exceedingly dcspi- cable to bring the private matters of public men before the public TOT party purposes"
 WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 1888.
 As anticipated, the House of Representa- lives have decided against the right of Prem tiss and Word to seats in the 25th Congress. This decision was by the casting vote of the Speaker; or rather, by the vote of MT. Yell of Arkansas, whose election rested on npiCcise- ly the same grounds as those ot Prentiss and Word and yet MT. Yell was permitted to vote, and by his vote 10 make tle. There certainly is not, in the history of our Gov ernment, such cn outrageous violation ot the ,,>fo oloOfinn ou1 fhn rUhfl Of the States, as Sovercignties, as this act of the House of Representatives. They first dcci- ded that the election in July was illegal, and then that the election in November, was also illegal. Now is not this, in effect, deciding that neither the governor of the State of Mis- sissippi nor the Legislature of that state, lad the Constitutional right of fixing the day when their election should be held! Is not this an alarming decision! Does it not prove, incontestibly, the dangerous extent to which a dominant party may be impelled, when struggling for power! l know not whether Messrs. Gholson and Claiborne will be candidates at the next contest, but ii they are, predict that they will be defeated by large majority, and l make this prediction from information received, as well as from the natural effect which such palpable injus- tice must produce on the minds ot thinking freemen. Be assured Mississippi will arise in her might, and resent the wrongs which have been done her. in depriving her of representation in Congress. at moment when the very pillars of the Confederation are tottering on their foundation. The State that would not be proud of such an intellect ual son, us Mississippi has in MT. Prentiss, would not merit the character of intelligent or independent; and if proud of him. as she ought to be. and probably is, who can SUD-