Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-12-21


tives from the State OF New Jersey. He had mercly
RISEN MIR s said, to explain the course he had taken
If any harm has been done by preventing these gentle
men from participating IN the election Of Speaker,
is too atc now u apply the remedy The act has beer
DONE aud done forever, and i the country and poSic
ritv Iudrc Of lis correctness. y great deal had beer
said about the States Rights doctrines that were IN
ynlvrd in this question. Sri said Alr. Shepard, h'
question has much 10 do with States Right
ii has with the Egyptian hieroglyphcs No mar
wishes dslranchise the Stale oi New Jersey. Iii,
only question is who shall take their seats : members
from that State: There intention OF GvprrinG
any Of his rights; the contrary, the sending tia
matter IL committee, and bringing it oa thorough III
vcsga'!nn upon lis merits was the surcst way OF do
ing Justice TO all The argument had been used in the
preliminary stage Of the proceedings, that the House
an imperfect state. and without Speaker, could not
enter into examination OF the evidence connected
with the subject, try IT on its ncTS. hat din
Guilty was now removed Tho House now organ
ized--a Speaker elected, and the members were
He hoped, therefore, there being II" longer any
obstacle in the way, that the House would take TIN:
course.
Mr. THOMPSON OF South Carolina here took the
floor, and replied at length 10 MIR. Drom@ocl", cst!ng
various prccr!rnts to show that the gentlemen whc
presented themselves with the certificates Of the Go
vernon of New Jersey, entitled to take their seats
without further question: and that the House had no
right to 70 behind these returns this stage OF it=
proceedings Ia into an examination Of the testimony
contcstng their validity
Mr.. WISE obtained the floor and moved an adjourn.
mcnt
Mr.. SHEPARD asked that the gentleman would
withdraw the motion, so that he might have oppor.
tunity of saying few words in reply to the gentleman
from South Carolina.
Mr.. WISE could not withdraw the motion unless il
was understood that he should have the floor after
wards
Mr., ADAMS hoped the House would permit In"
gentleman from North Carolina to make cXplana-
ton
Mr.. WISE then Withdrew The motion Ia adjourn.
Mr. SHEPARD then SAID, shat lie had been hum
bic member of the House OF Rcprcs.ntav for the
last two years, and in his tina, floor he had
cndcav"rcd Ia be nctlatcd by what he believed TO b.
his duty 10 himself and the people he represented He
knew, that various occasions, h. had taken
unpalatablc 10 some gentlemen, and they had shown
their dsapprohatlun Of that course by various circum
stances and means. lie, would, however, now say 10
thrn, that he not responsible them, any body
else except the people who sen, him there, and the
try at large: and he hoped that IN the discharge "t his
duty in that House. he lar from fear any other
member on the floor He would neither Yield 10 'ati,
~ the SIDE. nor to bullying on the other When
he rose few moments ago, hc did not rise make
apology for his he owed no apology To any
body; but hc 10 put himself right before his
Sucnts and the country al large, because he knew that
the party organs, which spread throughout the
country, always disposed to hold up public man
to odium The people do not understand The rules of
order in this House, and when gentlemen act differently
from the views of parsans II is easy for them TO be
misrcprcscnted And Notwithstanding the remarks Of
the gentleman from = Carolina, he felt satisfied with the
propretv of his and he believed that every per-
son, uniramecd by party prejudice would justify has
conduct He would briefly state what he had
said He had said, that when we first met in this
House, he believed those members from New Jersey
who had the Governors certificates were entitled 10
take their seats and participate in the election OF
he ih1t he. had
p.cion that those had come here through fraud.
The gentleman from South Carolina himself had strong
suspicion that they came here through fraud If he
had not misunderstood him another occasion. he
thought in the first place that they had the right 10 par
i!cpair in the election of Speaker. They however
deprived of lha; right by the House, ard they
did not vote for Speaker Then, so fax ns the prn-
cpc concerned, It was violated by prohibiting them
from voting in the election of Speaker; and II they
had at any time right 10 participate in the organll-
ton ot the House, that right had been tranpled upon
and il gone forever Then, after all this done,
was IT not the proper course, rs Speaker had been
elected who would Immediately appoint committees
to let the whole matter be brought up before com
mIttrc and br examined, and properly decided
Last week, the argument was, that must give faith
and effect to the certificate, because la. House not
organized, because there Speaker, commit
to examine, and collac facts Now, Sir the is
different You have been elected BY the gentleman and
his friends because of your Justice and Importantly
vcsgatc the whole mattcr-tha. vii! bring to light the
dark parts of this TRANSACTION and do equal and full JUS
ticc to all Let The House take the subject and de-
eide upon the whole question Of right, that these
have been deprived Of taking seats in the first m
stance Was there any Inconsistency III hls wishing la
pursue this course Would the gentleman from South
Carolina desire 10 give men seats here who, upon rA-
animation, in few days, IT might be found, were not
entitled To rm This was his position, and these
his views, expressed with all due rcspcc. 10 the great
legal talents Of the gentleman from South Carolina
Sir, said Mr. s, the gentleman from South Carolina,
in the conclusion OF his remarks had SAID that his Fcia
tons with me not such would permit him Ia
speak Of me as he would "f his honorable colleague.
Although, SIR do moi fear that gentleman lance, in
any contest, know that he is possessed of talents far
superior 10 mine The gentleman seemed 10 know that
he is much my superior in age, in learning and in lo
Gucncc, but why did he not think of this before he
commenced his attack; Why did he not attack his
friend from South Carolina who had voted with on
all these questions; That would have been more
SIslcnt with the gentleman yauntcd chivalry, which
he is ctcrnaiiy talking about. (.aughtcr) But the
gentleman further SAYS, that had held that these
haha constitutional right 10 participate IN the organza
ton of the House and contends that because they
bad constitutional right act Inc0nsiscntir not sup
porting their admission seats al the present moment
In this matter tic gentleman HIMSELF in enviabr
position Tie gentleman came INTO thus House Null
LITER opposed 10 National Bank and hiCh tariff: still
find him always acting with that very party which
goes for National Bank. for high tariff and for all
os. measures which hc has declared 10 BE- most odous
to HIM 1t II is inconsistent in to pursue the
have, is it not doubly inconsistent in the gentleman to
pursue the course which H. pnrsues, II an NEON
slstcni, ne Is still mere and how oaa he justify him.
self to his constituents How IS il that he is struggling
to get that party power which would adopt all those
Fedora which he himself prccnds 10 b. abso.
iutely opposed 10:
In pursuing the which desire 10 pursue, do
not that any harm be done to any party for
will be willing 10 postpone all the great questions which
this House has TO act upom until the matter Of this New
Jersey election is finally decided upon, which BE-
done short time, the IIo>, proceed 10 it a:
once, and act upon it in legal and CONSTITUTIONS
manner.
Mr.. THOMPSON said few woods il: reply 10 Mr.
Shepard, when
| Mr.. TURNKEY obtained the floor, aud moved TO refer
this resolutions together with hr credentials, and all
Other evidence III regard TO the New Jersey elections
LIZ. Elcc,....s md liz,