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

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Of her rights: il II wcrc but for instant, he w"u'
never consent 10 H. And who 10 vote on In
adoption Of this outrageous proposition: were Tn
members from Nrw Jersey, who brought Their coTaihs
sions IN their hands or those who claimed The seat
with them. Ne: thrr. was, there could BE-, but or
sar ruc to b. pursued, and that was 10 receive ri
who brought The legal qualifications, be they gtvei
rirhtiully wrongiuily, 10 scat upon the floor, an
look into the question of right and of wrong alter
wards. In party view, what difference could !
make Ii the friends of the opposing claimants had
majority here, they could make their Speaker am
their own Committee of Elections, and could turn thu
FIVE Wig members out Of their seats after the Hous'
was organ zcd But il the friends Of those who brcugh
lreql commissions should turn out 10 have the majority
would moi tn. be the with them: IT th'
election was irregular, let the House declare, an'
tarr out those who came wrongtuy m; let 1t do AM
III no. rather than say that certificates IN form of law
graIicd BY sovereign State, were 10 be uuli.cd tl
those who sat her" better authority themselves
Mr.. H. regretted, as much the gentleman from Var
gm could do, that he unable to accept OF In" Pr"
pos ton of that gentleman, but II was imposs Die to
him to vote for measure which would lead to ssr~a
aud palpable violation Of tho rights both of sovereign
Safes and Of the members of this House.
Mr.. GRAVES. of kentucky, offered the following
as a substitute for Hlr W,sc's resolutions
Rcsorcd TIN, the Acting Clerk Of this House shall
proceed with the call Of the members from The differ
cnt States Of the Inon in the usual way calling The
names of such members from New JERSEY as hold Tho
regular and legal commissions from the Executive 81
that State.
Mr. 6. proceeded 10 advocate this propHst on in
speech of great animation. and al times, 81 50 mach IA
p;dty and vrh"mrncc. that II WAS diiticmli task 4
catch all he sad. He commercially observing that il
il was competent for the House, in its present state ID
vote any pr"posiiIon II was competent Tor t!'".n
vote this. doubt had been expressed and Mr.. &
himself was not wholly free from degree OF H. As
to the power Of the House to take any vote in the cX
isng state of things; but if they could vote on the
resolution Of the gentleman from Virginia, they Ger.
ta;nly could as well pass on this Gentlemen IN ght
scss questions here oT month To come, and be
nearer decision than they were now; but here was
proppS VIII ch brought them nj once I, the test,
and would ascertain what was the judgment n The iinuS
on The cas-, before it. THIS looked 10 practical
end As to the rights Of the mrnhrrs from y jersey
ltr thought no honest could doubt Il h would My
oui imto the OF Moore and Lrtchrf In that case
gentlemen high in place rs friends ri Tie Ad'ln $
tratiun-Guycnor Polk, Senator Hubbard, and others
ngua! d ngu.shcd-had all insisted on HE drrtr ~
that the legal certificate OF election furnished The ri-
mar f;iris evidence winch members TO tax" the
seats and that ii perfectly monstrous 10 advocate
any other pos ten The doctrine admitted Ey all
SIDES the House and the only r,vrrsy had been a
to the question winch had The Irgal cert h"atc hr.
G.; should kr t. hear State rights gentlemen, cSFc-
ally that distinguished gentleman from ;. Carolina
DIR pckcu>) vii" had been talked Of for nomln9iton
as Il cad liz fer the Speakers char speak oni "n IN :
point. He appcalrd - that gentleman and to his cot
lrrpIcs Wren men came here and a.vpca:cd step
VIII eli WAS /. ,ing hess ;ian revolutionary, and went
10 sir kc at the sovereignty of State, he wanted To
hear the opinion Of those gentlemen. SupPos'ng hall
= dozen lra.rs from THIS ID street of llu.n5 tand in
making such suppoStcn II" INTENDED no reflection on
those who claimed The >rats Of the New Jersey mem
bcrs he knew some ot those gentlemen personally,
b,tI ham IN Shp
contest the seats Of the members elect from South Ca
rolina, he wished 10 know whether hcy would hold. N
such case, that II was The province ul mere act
ing Clerk OF this House TO refuse to rccogn - the
members who brought the authority of Carolina in Their
hands, and ths defeat The viii o that sovereign STATE:
Let them up 10 the mHrh and speak out. IT."
wanted The authority Of distinguished men On ne a
wei! on The Other SIDE Of iiIc iIu,i.r
Mr. G.. then cirllcng"d Nj. NanGrrp""I, who, hay
r recently returned from g. Britain was presumed
h. familiar with Parliamentary law aud nSlan pro-
d.cc single precedent where REGULAR cert iicair o!
election in legal fcrn. had ever 5c"n 81" u d.. IS ssu
hcirni 10 rm;iil" man 20 4 sat Hf. o. spoke Wv;
warmth! Of the assumption ii ihr Clerk 10 decide that
the evidence Of the gentlemen from New Jersey was
insufficient warran: hIm 10 call their names a. mem
brrs elect of this House. and insisted ii amounted TO
this tia; clerk to be- I'll" Judge who wrrc ana "io
were no; to be members Of Congress. lie had II"
more doubt than If h. had been present at late caucus
the Clerk had been advised to the cours" be had pursued
and was III fact compelled 70 take il III addressed In"
Clerk nrrspnav and observed that IL was unnecessary
fer hun 10 stale the reasons for his the members
Of the House well acquainted with item as h'ih-
self Gentlemen her" talked very loudly about the u"
nocrary and had proclaimed that they would scofn I"
take their ais by the SIDE of man IS j" cam" up here
without 4 majority Of the votes ~ the People N his ia
vor But what would these great democrats say 10 Tie
gentleman from Pennsylvania over the way or ing"r
soil who came up here with admitted nihJ"ri" OF
10 votes dead against him, and who relied on the Ger
4 a.
GROUND of claim seat anoag the kcprcsrnnt yes Ct
recmcn: Would these gentlemen let HIM st by them:
Would they not sc0rn his nctghhorfHod When gem
ilrmrn claimed To be the cxclUs yc guardians Of the
democrat interest, he asked them under who's" pat
rnu1rr this very distinguished ind vidual had com" mp
her. 10 ella n, a seat against Il inairr.ty OF votes
Mr. G. claimed also to BE- Democrat, and lriH III
rnnc!n, The pw vic slang Of party press WI en- &C.
med Ia him ard his c.arS that honorable aPPria
ton Il u sInnGrr to accuse li'm {" "isi ny - SCI
y d, the viii Of the People he dies red that viii to ts
carr ed into effect: h" would sc eject however
n, 9!, practically operate in party view II turned
oui Thai The If c!s OF the Adm ns.ration III hcw Ser
Scv had obtained clear majority OF lrEa! vc'c* ne wa
Ter Their obtaining and hold ng thcr seats upon ms
floor He moi lock prac crI results ~ this mat
,. In, >, tEr question of rirht ard the rw Of usage
and precedent IL looked at the present decision as
was To- work AZ precedent for future tunes" As 10 Inc
ultimate result IN regard 10 the gentlemen VINO had the
Sratc certificates from Nrw Jersey, h believed ii"?
" q u M ~ bi 81 ~ ~ = -
generally adm tied tint they mus, sooner OF later g"'
Their seats. Tie great importance a IN" cas-" itv u
the prnr pie i: involved and The coa rqu"nc"s TO win c
il ,;rh, lead And snpp"s ne 10" IT pos tIcn .!
the. gentleman from Nirn MIA should be adopted, "hat
yould frny?. Al whose seats were contested were
10 he excluded from voting Well: supp"s" set OF
iusn!cnt loarrs should get NJ paper certifying 'nat
1nr Virginia Delegation in this nus" were not entitled
To their seats matter who they were or how atsc or
absurd tn. GROUND they took-then Nrg ma was de-
privcd OF her vocr--thc seats were c""'"'-d-fha
was enough; her men could not vote Any oony co",u
contest sent But how would tbs work in regard TO
those SIX grca, States which voted by general hckc'
1T one claimant rise in each Of those States ana con-
les, the right Of the members elect on the ground o.
an alleged irrcruiarity in Their election. WHAT must
foIlo, The States could not vontLry were dtstran-
c!scd :yso nco: TIE HonS" could no, be o.gan1ra,
a,r! there was an end 81 your Government Wy
hL ;i,oIvrl such ,noIs,rcrs guenccs, Tie put
tn. case 10 the gentleman from South carolina. ana
called on Ii II - reply II" again addressed me eIcrh,
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