Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-12-10


law hut because the. believed they were cntl!rd -
them They would ac"rn to clam 'h'm upon ""''
technically. -
from South Carolina who he SAID had attempted 10 era"
{ distinction between The people and the Go'crnmcn
Of New Jersey He would ask that gentleman no" Tie
people would express their sovereignty, they asa NJ"
. do ii through their constituted authorities: J! mere was
time when foreign prince attempted TO draw me
same distinction which the gentleman had drawn and
take an appeal from the Government 81 ths country 20
the people He would ask that gentleman wlIat ms
course would be- case he came here WIN cni'iS
sion from the Governor of South Carolina, GIiGcr ''
great seal Of the State and another person came mere
10 prevent him from participating in the organization OF
the House:
Mr.. PICKENS rose 10 explain. He did not pretend
10 rive an opinion with regard 10 the great seal When
that question he would be prepared 10 decide
unnn lis merits He meant assert lhnt this House
was made the suprcm" tribunal by the Constitution OF
the ntrd States, and that might take It's own course
He did pretend 10 Justify this course" or that course"
He asserted the of the House 10 take what course
il thought proper 1t might pass by the great seal OF
the State of New jersey if ii pleased. as Insufficient
evidence and was accountable to nobody bu, lis con
stlucns He did not choose to be represented ny any
gentleman having assumed position which he did
not take and therefore he 10 make this cxplaa-
! ton.
Il Mr. RANDOLPH resumed, and said if that dislnc-
ton had not been taken by the gentleman from South
\ Carolina, il had been taken by some other gentleman
n
grounds and warned gentlemen 10 beware how they
dsrceardcd their mlunclioms. Some gentlemen, IN the
course Of their remarks, had spoken OF hun as being
entitled Ia rights and privileges which his colleagues
were entitled to. But he begged leave to say 10
gentlemen, that he did consider himself entitled Il"
any greater privilege than his colleagues. Tie had al
ways considered himSclfon equality with them and
when they had offered proposition 10 their opponents
to resign and try the matter a@an before the people.
he had claimed the honor OF doing likewise, and they
| were ON. P'"~"".d from doing so by the advice of
/ friends. lie commended that t.,' --icatt of the Sc
crciarv Of State wholly void, and of cticcr.
a, officer had power whatever to grant ccr,If
in this case, aud that the Clerk had rIg 10 pass
over the names of those who had the Governors
ticatc.
Mr. ADAMS rose, and addressing himself to the
| House sad;
4 F,llow-cltizcnS and members elect OF the Twenty
sixth Congress: | address myself 10 you, and not 10
the Clerk in that char, under painful sense OF nay
own dutv. The Clerk, i'll the pcrnrmanc" Of official
duties assigned to hun by the laws Of the nrd States,
commenced reading the roll of the members here as
scnbicd for the purpose of constituting House of Re-
representatives. of the United States in the Twenty
Congress After calling the roll, commencing with
the State of Maine far the State of New Jersey,
and the members whose he called having answer
cd--asccr,anng their presence hcrr-hc paused after
i calling the name Of one of the members from New
Jersey and stated the House that the seats of the
five ether members from New Jersey were contested:
that hc drcming himself not authorized TO decide
which OF the two parties of FIVE members were
entitled to seats, must refer that decision 10 the
House and then immediately. shortly afterwards,
question ar0s and the proposition beng presented 10
the House, he dgaIn in tine discharge OF solemn duty,
declared that hr could put question the House
till 1t was organized. Now, fellow citizens. rcduc
ed To the necessity of appealing to yor Your Clerk
has decided that he could proceed he refers the de-
cison you and then he refuses 10 put the question III
order that YOU mas make the decision and has persist
ed the refusal IL put question OF kind until he
discovered Yesterday that he might put the question OF
adjournment. Now, fellow citizens, in what prcdca
mcni "" placed: We fixed here as firm and a,
immovcablc those columns; neither 90 forward
backwards and the Clerk tells that h" viii persist
in both these decisions What, then. can do have
waited here four days with firm determination not 10
enter INTO tins controversy. II was with firm deter
minaon not 10 word on the subject, that re-
manned in my seat un'il now Al The last session of
Congress iorcSccing what might lappcn, offered
solution 10 this House for the purpose of preventing the
difficulty III winch involved: bat that resolution
adopted, and the difficulty that then toresaw
has ovcrtakcn For many reasons had determined
not to word the subject before us, and should
still persist in that determination ii did not find il I'M
possible for the House 10 proceed on" step until relieved
from It's present embarrassment W" might stay here
until doomSday, and Eu be one step nearer 10 or
ganizatInn than are, unless adopt mode
OF relieving ourselves from the difficulty in which the
decision Of III" Clerk has placed Ms Now all this il very
extraordinary Here BODY ur:ici.
,wrnt y-six State, Of The Unon--a complete re-
presentation than was assembled here beforehand
here under the solemn convictions of duty and
vet without form order, and unable 10 progress
step towards the discharge of the public business The
Clerk has told ta, he acted under the solemn convc
tons Of duty, and concrdc that he has do even
question whether that sense oi duty correctly APP
piled, but do say that c has placed position in
which also have solemn duties to perform. Now what
are 10 do; This complete representation Of the pro
pie of the United States has assembled here, and the
| Constitution has enornrd upon ii solemn duly.
What is To organize itself If there is any diff
Gultics cfrctng THIS organization, let Us do what
Mr. Jefferson has told the General Assembly of the
State of Virginia DID, when Lord DunmOrr dissolved
them They adjourned 10 tavern, and there c"nsti
utcd themselves convention Tbs might he deemed
Irregular hut do think, that on the fourth day Of the
session, state of dS0rgan2a"n, ii is rather late to
make any objection the ground Of rrcguIary.
address myself you illow-ctzcnS. and call upon you
in the name Of the people Of the United States, To dis
charge duty. Organize Yourselves, and when that
is done, you take up and decide questions yon
heretofore have done. call upon the whole House !
call upon the majority which composes il 10 proceed TO
its organization We hav" recently been told, IN the oii
cia organ of the present Administration, that there Is
maoriiv-sctting aside the members from New Jersey,
or counting iIcni-that hnI" is majority Of trends OF
the administration elected 20 he present Congress And
pot OILY las the organ stated Thu" fact but lie n2ntonS
the precise nnnhrr-onc hundred and twcnty -"nc mem
hcrs, and every of them is here present. Now call
upon that hundred and TWEEN y-onc to organic" the
/ House. call upon them IN the name of their cOun-
try will not say in The Of tn Admins
traton, for have not right 10 invoke it; but call
upon them in the name %! the people of the United
States 10 organize the House; and offer, for that pur
pose. 10 this asscmbagc, the following resolution
which lies upon the table Of your Clerk, and which,
like all other resolutions that maze been placed there,
lies i'll the limbo valley, tn" paradise Of fools. We may
20 nd jnfatum, 10 the end Of time, laying rrsoiu-
tons the Clerk table and he will put the qmcs
lon on o! them. We cannot control the Clerk
He is in the position which he has assumed an abso-
lutte dcspo and unless you aside all his decisions.
and ae Tor yourselves you WI not be aos I" ADVANCE
rrcd yesterday BY gentleman from Kentucky mir.
Cravcs !and number of resolutions have been offer
ed Sincr,) hu1 il j. IN the condition III which all
tho Of them
Mr.. a. here read the resolution in the following
words: