Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-05-11
'z'wcnly-Gs1h Consrcss-.-od sess.

hLlohi oF TIE DUELLlNG COMMITTEE.
The Committee appointed 10 investigate The cou.rs
which led to the death cf the Hen Jonathan Ci!ley,
late n member OF The House of Reprcse natives. and
The circumstances connected Herewith, and 10 in.
qurrr whether there has been. in the case alluded to.
n breach Of: the privileges Of the House. and to whom
were referred suniry memorials upon the subject, now
ask leave 10 submit their
REPORT.
In discharging the trust committed Ia them by The
House of Representatives. The Committee have cndra.
voTed implicitly 10 obey It's order. neither stopping short,
on the one hand. of the full measUr" of the duty impns.
ed upon them. nor iranscending lis Just limits on The
other. They were Of the opinion, that the Investigation
was Instituted solely for the maintenance of the prlvi-
!"g's ri tie House. Il was not within the province e
the i!pnsc Of Representatives 10 investigate the causes
which led 10 the death Of ore Of lis members, O! tire
circumstances which attended il, with n view to the
punishment Of any offender for a high crime or misde-
.neanor. That belongs, in every case, exclusively TO
the courts Of law. Senators and Representatives. ue
not privileged from arrest IN cases Of treason, felony,
aud breach VI the peace: and It is q constitutional pro.
vision, that ''n all criminal prosecutions, she sccuscd
shall enjoy the tight TO u speedy aud public yial, BY an
impartial Jury OF the State aud District wherein the
crime shall have been committed, which district shall
have been rreviously ascerslned By law; and 10 be IN
formed Of the nature and cause Of the accnsation; to be
confirmed by tie witnesses against him; to have com.
pu!sory process for obtaining witnesses i'll his favor; and
TO have the assistance Of counsel for his defence"
The inquiry, therefore. Is directed 10 one object only
! the maintenance OF the privileges OF the House; aud
the question is, what, in that view, were the causes which
led 10 the death of Mr.. CIl!ey. and the circumstances
connected Herewith, and did they involve a breach If
those privileges:
In pursuing This investigation, the committee have
examined ali whose testimony. there was reason 10 he.
liave, might be material; and Messrs Graves, Wise ard
Jones, members OF the House, were permitted TO attend,
ana TO examine and cross examine the witnesses; and
the same leave was extended to Mr. Menc.ee. OF the
House, and to Mir Pierce, Of The Senate, at their re-
Guest. The entire mass Of tie testimony is now sub
m.lted rs a part OF this report. One witness, Daniel
jackson. of the city o! New York, who was summoned
TO attend, and called upon TO testify. has neglected TO
obey the rcGnisiiiou. though he appeared before the com
m!tiee. and Inierrogaiorics were put 10 him; but, i;om
the position in winch he stood, aud the disclosures Of
another witness, il was not thought worth the time or
the attention Of the iiDuse, or OF! the committee 10 notice
him farther.
The late Jonathan Ciley, a member Of the House
from the State OF Maine. felt BY the hand of William J.
Graves. n member OF the HOUSE from The State of Ken.
lucky, in 4 duel fought with rifles, near the boundary
line between the District OF Columbia and the State Of
MARYLAND, on Saturday. the 9th Of February last.
The causes which led 10 his death are intimately con.
nected with the proceedings oi his House. On the
l2lh of February, Mr. WISE, Of Virginia. presented 10
tie House a publication IN The New York Courier and
Ercu!rer, charging 4 member of Congress With currup.
lion upon the authority Of an anonymous writer under
the signature of '.ihe Spy in Washington; y and there
upon movcd a resolution Tor the appointment Of Il select
committee, wI'h power to send for persons and papers, 10
INQUIRE into the charge. Dir. Wise said: The character
a. the authority upon which the charge is made, Is
vouChed for as respectable and authentic by the editor
Of ,ha Courier and Enquirer, in whose paper Il appears,
and the House is called upon 10 defend lis honor and dig.
nifty against the charge"
MIR. Cilley addressed the House in opposition 10 The
resolution. In the course OF the debate he said "he
k imf WIZ 9ot daGs q%falia ais sr E$$iSsEE; p r. i n !! Tn5 ' aS i n]hGf Ion
of this country, and u:lerward was said to have received
facilities 10 the amount of some SJ2,GOO from the sam5
institution. and gave II his hearty support, he did not
think his charges were entitled 10 much credit in an
American Congress" These words, spoken by MIR.
Cilley in debate, were strictly in order. were p'''incntto
the suhjec, under discussion, and . did not exceed the
bounds and limits OF his place and duty; and though
they implied a dcubt. inconsistent with unblemished ho'
ncr and character in the person alluded 10, yet Mr..
CIiey was justified in The use of them, by a report OF
Z committee Of the House Of Representatives. appoint.
cd on the 18th Of March, lc52, 10 inspect the books
and examine into the proceedings of The Bank OF the
Uni,ed States. An extract from the report, made BY the
majority Of the committee, and published by orter OF the
House Of Representatives, is hereby annexed. IN winch
il 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 2G,h March, 1871,
and within less than nine months thereafter, me bonK
made three loans, amounting ITO the sum OF SoSIJ'o,
which consisted Of notes drawn and endorsed by The edi-
tors only and that son or about The 9Th OF April, 1851,
il uhe paper changed lis course in favor OF Inc Dank'
il was IN reference 10 The facts contained IN this re-
mort. and published IA the world by order OF the house
rf Representatives that Mr.. CIllev spoke The worGs
which'havc been already reci.i; anG for thus alludng
70 facts ru, forth in The published documents OF that Do
DE-. Of which he was a member. he was called IN 9l's'
ION by lie editor of the New York Courier and Enfni-
rpr. James Watson Wchh. on the 2lst OF February, al
dressed 4 note TO him, reciting these words, apprIzing
him the, the writer Of it was the editor oil that paper,
and concluding with a demand Of explanation, couciied
IN very explicit terms
rHere is given the first lftteT from Mr.. Webb 10 Mr..
Ci;sy. which with the other correspondence has already
been published in the Enquirer. sooa after The duel
This demand of explanation, under the circumstances
which existed, was not susceptible oi mIsin'erpfeta'nn,
-, ~ .--,o. nos not ,isD ii nIn - Mr.
Graves was the bearer Of this note, having read 1t. n"d
being fully apprized Of lis contents, and rendered IL 10
Mr.. CilIey, in the hal! Of the House OF representatives
while The House WAS IN session. MIR. CIIey declined 70
receive il. and ihereupon a brie! correspondence ensueu
whirh terminated in the chalienge and death OF Mr. Ci''
lev by the bearer of this note The hrst mole oi WI
Graves was delivered by himself TO AT Gii'ry, " u
same dav on which h. bore the note OF Nrbo, 'hat IS,
on Wednesday, the 2lst OF reotuaIyi 1909 a"o '
have borne that date,
rOmitted, for the I.Ison above stated
/, will be ebserved that the note which Mr.. Graves
bore. is d described by him as The note OF Coione! w;
Webb. asking uh,htr .nr. CiHcy uGs correctly .rtPortld
!, me Globe. in uhat he uaS thJs represented 10 hG1e sad
in lie House IF Representatives,, on tc l2h tnst Butt
| will be perceived, that the note itself: though II Is uHs
described By Mr.. Graves whenever he speaks oil IL al
,rrward does not contain that inquiry.
Mr.. CilIey. on the same day, personally delivered 20
MIR Graves tie following note in reply:
IOEit,ed, for the reason above stated
In Thursday. the day following, Mr.. Graves sent bis
second note to MIR. ClIey, which was delivered to him
in his seat, during the session Q: the House, by MIR Me-
nefee of Kentucky. the latter accompanying It's deI''e,
ry with an expression of the hope that Mr. I'iey "oU'a
perceive the %proprirly of relieving Mr. Graves i'"ma
position which was painful to him. Mr.. CiII~y remark
ed that the note should be attended 10. 1t is as follows:
IOmit,ed, as above ,.;n.
Mr. Galley. on the same day, returned the following
reply, by Mr.. Duncan of Ohio.
On FTiday. The Odd of February, Mr.. Wise presented
to Mr.. CilIey, at lis boarding house, a lew minutes oe'
fore ~ o'clock, A. NJ q challenge rom wi. nfave', ,
o'cIoek' p. n Nj. Jones, the delegate from Wisconsin,
in his presence, an accordance Of the challenge.
'" A. ~. tones Immediately submitted the following pro.