Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-12-10
Wur<dnH Der'mb'r >, l-3".

IL SENATE.
4 Mr.. SPENCE, Of Maryland, appeared and took h.
! seat.
/ The CHAIR announced the reception Of commu
ncaon from the Treasurer of thu United States, wh.c!
would remain the tabl, unopened until after In
receipt oithc Presidents Message.
| The SECRETARY OF THE SENATE havin!
read ofthc resolutions submitted Yesterday b. Mr.
I BrntOn-hlr. HUBBARD thought the proper cours
would be- wait the reception Of the Presidents Mes
s,rc before any Legislative action had the rcso
lu,ons before the body Ia short, it was the course in
dica,cd BY the Chair III relation to the letter from tn
Treasurer. and he certainly conceived il TO be- the trn
one, and submitted To the Senator from Missouri wie
! thrr il would not be better to lei them lie over.
! Mr. BENTON would leave all 10 the Of ht
Senate.
! The several resolutions were accordingly laid on thu
1 table.
/ Mr. BENTON rave notice that he would, al tn,
proper time bring III bill TO repeal the duty on I'M
ported salt. Ne
Mr. CLAY, Of Alabama, gave notice of his inten
ton the proper time arrived, OF introducing
several bills relating In the interests Of Alabama and
the citizens thereof also that granting To States and
incorporated companies the right OF way through the
public lands.
MIR. NORVELL gave notice that, when The proper
time arrived he should ask leave TO introduce bill
making appropriations Tor the completion of certain
roads commenced bv the United States in the State oi
Michigan.
Mr.. TT LION also gave the notice in relation
to several bills among others that to set apart belt OF
land on the borders of Missouri and Arkansas a
bounty settlers engaged in the defence of the from
tier.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
At IL O'Clock, the Clerk called the House to order,
and stated that at the adjournment Yesterday the
gentleman from Kentucky (Nlr. tndcrwood) was en-
titled I" the floor.
Mr. UNDERWOOD rose TO address the House. but
gave way Ia
Mr.. Ill nj, who made an explanation in relation TO
the resolution he had submitted on YESTERDAY. oo'h.
p,nlomcn he -nd, entertained the idea, that II It was
,dcptfd no action Of the House could be- had on any
other subject than the case of the New Jersey election
He contemplated such thing by the resolution, as
his object was that the House should organize speedily
and 30 with the business which had brought them
together.
Mr UNDERWOOD then rose, and commenced by
saving that when the House adjourned yesterday,
he attempting 10 arrive al the principles upon which
they might proceed and organize the House ana rSa,
mining the peculiar situation III which the House, had
been placed Some gentlemen contcndrd that If the
Clerk had called the Of The five members from y
Jersey il would have settled the case and relieved the
House from the difficulty i'll which II had been placed
Such however, not the fact III his view Of the ease
Suppose the Clerk had called one of the five members
from New Jersey. and any member on the floor had
and objected Ia his taking his seat, would then
be in precisely the position III which w"arr now
He held ha, he had the right to object 10 any OF
The members from that State taking their seats and has
In the case of Claiborne aud Ghoson, a gentleman
from Virginia Mr.. Mercer objected IL thr!r taking
their seats and called Tor further testimony III the case
ana the house laid the gentleman motion Oh the table
Mr. t. then submitted the following proposition:
The Clerk Of the late lio's" Of Representatives, in
calling tie roll of members %! the Twcnt:-Sxth Con-
rrcss brran al the State Of Maine aad proceeded
ruarlv according to usage until he came TO the State
OF New Jersey He called Joseph F. Randolph,
member from tina, State, and then stated III substance
that there ten persons besides Mr. randolph clam
inr h. Representatives from the state OF w jersey
and insisting their right to take seats members
when bv lax the State entitled 10 SIX Representa-
lives only and that lie declined calling any Of the claim
ants brlcy me to be his duty not To decide who were
entitled 4 debate thcrcupun arose, and I'll. mem.
b-rs elected have been unable III the usual manner to
recognise each other, t. ascertain whether there was
quorum III attendance: and To organize the House
For the purpose, therefore, OF "bvlatln@ all further
difficulty:
ResOIr,d That the Clerk Of the late House ought,
and he is hereby directed proceed i'll calling the roll,
aud each person called who to his name, and
against whom objection urged TO his taking scat
shall BE- counted member III aSccraIn;ng whether
there be quorum present and each person so called
! AGAINST when objection may BE- made" shall not be
counted: but, upon objection being made. the Clerk
shall pass by the v,rso objected to and call another
After the roll shall have been called through If there
be quorum present Of persons against whom no obicc-
ions hav. been raised such quorum shall proceed 10
decide upon the claim: Of those who have rot been
called by the Clerk, who, called, have been prctrc-
united III consequence Of objections raised against
tl, and shall determine which "i III" claimants snail
participate in The organization OF the House: pyOridcd
k0wcr'r, That nothing herein contained, and no deer
sion which be made admitting any 10 partl-
cpac in The organization of the House. shall br con-
strucd TO bar preclude the House, after shall have
been du.y organized, from igating, Judging and
deciding upon the election returns and qualifications of
each Of those whose right 10 seat questioned, before
the House is organized, and who may he admitted To
participate H. IL" organization ol the House by deer
SION in pursuance of this resolution.
Mr.. L. cont"nd,d thai this was the only plan Nv
which this matter ever could b. brought to concln-
sion II had hccn suggested I" him who should vote
on this question. In reply 10 ,hai he would say that
he thought every who there claiming 10 b.: Il
member of The House, might vote upon il. The pre-
sumption was, when set OF gentlemen assembled at
the Of Government ut the time of the meeting Of
Congress, the Representatives Of III" people, that
!, they entitled 30 vote on all preliminary questions
of organizations and fthcy could moi do So it mani
fest 10 him that this question could be settled
There Mast bc mode by which this question could
be settled aud he knew OF other than the he
had pointed out Gentlemen had inquired whether we
had not the power to 20 behind the commissions Of the
Governor of New Jersey previous to the organization oi
ihr House He contcndcd YOU could not, and that i,
wonld c outrage on all precedent, law. and usage,
10 do Gentlemen had asked, will not allp ru
TO be cxposcd-wli you nol allow 10 exhibit a ma
ory Of the votes Of the people favor Of political H.
hcrly, and the great rights of the people, These areu-
mrntS, however, appeared 10 HIM 10 hr more spccous
than sound. He admitted that you could 70 behind h.
returns, bat must bc done by organizing proper ri-
bna try the question: and in order that this tribunal
might be raised essentially necessary that the
House SHOULD first b. organized and the oats b. admi-
nstcrcd TO members according TO the Constitution ana
laws. Then the could be brought up ana evidence
might be 2dduccd on both sides THIS his vc; Of the
case bn; il seemed 10 BE- the opinion of some gentlemen
by their arguments and by the they pursued that
you decide the without giving the parties hear
mg AT all according 10 the arguments of some gentle
men, il was only necessary for gentleman clam the
10 pass his when he arrived Al the roll
tie might put the Of Barton and Lucas. He I'M
dcrSiood from the EcSsPaprrs that there gentle
man by thenanc Of Barton who claimed iic scat of air
Lucas, and would gcnrmcT pretend that he not
entitled to his seal merely because this other gentleman
claimed it; He commended that the pointed ont
hy his resolution The only correct course and re.