Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-01-12
rEAs GENE.4,
Consrcss---2d sess
Saturday, January 5, 1899.
IN SENATE
ADMISSION OF REPORTERS.

referred the petition of the reporters Of distant papers,
asking that accommodations might be provided i" them
either within the chamber in the galleries OF the Sc
nate; the report concluding with resolution providing
that the front seals of The eastern gallery be set apart
for reporters
The report and resolution having been read,
Mr. King wished 10 know whether i, was the object
of the committee who presented the report that the rule
heretofore adopted by the Senate should be changeh,
and that the reporters who were admitted by that rule
to tie floor of The Senate should also be sent to
the gallery. We have already six or seven gentlemen
engaged in reporting The proceedings for the newspa-
pers of The District, whether correctly otherwise he
would not say; but he not disposed 10 extend
this privilege give reporters the whole front Of the
gallery. This would exclude many honest and respect
able citizens who DESTROYS of witnessing our pro
ceedngs They might, to be sure, pu, up box OF two
for those eller-wTers as he supposed them 10 be- who
representa- things in their way; but he objected to
appoprlang large space for their accommodations
He hoped the resolution would be suffered 10 lie the
table
Mr.. Knight explained the grounds which the COM
miItee induced to make this report; but he spoke
in low tone that it impossible for the reporters
10 hear him.
Mr.. Niles moved that the resolution be postponed in
definitely He somewhat surprised at proposition
that that body should sanction, and in manner
doise The vile ISLANDERS that issued daily from these letter.
writers, by signing them seats within the chamber.
Who were those persons who styled themselves report
ers' Why miserable slanderers, hirelngs hanging
the skirts of literature, earning miserable subsistence
from their vile and dirty misrepresentation Of the pro-
ceedngs here and many Of Them writing for both sides
As his nf service about 10 pire, he could
speak dlslnteres,edly the subject Perhaps
Der Of that body had been msre and
caurcd Than himself by those vena and prOfgate scrib
blers, who sent on here 10 disrcpunbe living
by catering for the depraved appetite Of the papers they
wrote for Shall we, said Mr. n sanction such misera
bic cacatureS OF the proceedings OF this body,
daily sent abroad by these helings, and thus give
rency tn thrm?-tnr, their vile trash goes out 10 the
world in advance of the reports Of the regular reporrs
No Was he not unwilling 10 do any that igh, be
supposed to interfere in the slightest degree with the
freedom of the press, he would move resolution 10
prevent their coming within the walls of the body ALL
As 1t was let them take their seats In the galleries. and
write what they pleased without asking for the
Of the Senate; for lie would consent for their
modalon to exclude The honest and respectable citizens
who came there spectators
Mr. Preston said we had already admitted reporters
under rule Of the Senate, but this monopoly Of
the local presses; and he knew reason why they
should have special right Of admission. He in
favor OF the adoption of this resolution, and opposed
any monopoly in the matter. He that high.
y coored, and in many instances yiiuperatve letters
had gone forth from this city, and published and
circulated by the party presses OF the country We may,
perhaps, all feel that we have less oil
complaint against these leterwritrrs; and he thought
that the conduct OF member Of the Senate had been
more frequently greatly represented than his own;
yet this was one OF the evils o! free, aud cen
ous press; and he for bearing the ills Inflicted
personally, Tor what he deemed greater public good
We have reporters hee for papers Of both parties and
among them the reporters for paper that would be the
last To say any thing 10 the disadvantage Of the Senator
from Connecticut give him the least cause of com.
plant Since the adoption OF the rule by the Senate,
he had bat single editor Of of the city papers
the tnor, and he had yet 10 learn what right he
had to be admitted. He thought that the resolution
would do than justice TO the gentlemen
necled with the press Of the country, of whom may be
said that II IL better have their favorable report while
living, than good epitaph when dead lie did not ina
CINE that Il would require much room TO acc0mmC
date them, as to exclude 10 any great extent, that re-
spectacle portion OF citizens who do the honor Of
pernending, and TO some extent supervising do
ings in this chamber.
Mr.. Norvel observed that he had presented The pc
tlnn Of The reporters, whose accommodation pro
posed TO be provided for in the report under cons
deration Having done so, he l. bound 10 say that he
viewed the proposition made by the Committee the
Contingent Fund to be proper and correct IL the
pories for distant papers could be placed in positions
from which they could take Of what passed in the
Senate, without any great Inconvenience to other
zens he thought That this privilege ought 10 be extended
to them 1t would enable them to perform, with greater
facility and accuracy their engagements TO the newspa
per press and the reading public He should exceeding
y regret that because members of the Senate had SUI
Tered under the caumnes of OF the letter writer's
perhaps Of these very reporters should be excluded
from the accommodation within the gallery which they
had solicited Their exclusion from the hall Of the
Senate rendered il difficult if impossible, for them
to take notes of our proceedings and debaes Perhaps
much of The misrepresentation of which complaint had
been fee!ngy made occurred in consequence Of this
very exclusion He was moi Of the opinion that
paper abuse inflicted any great degree Of injury upon
any public man. He repeated what he had frequently
else where sud that far as he had been the humble
object of attack these newspaper ISLANDERS had done him
more good than HARM and, with the Senator from Sruih
Carolina, he would oil occasions, 60 the whole
length not only for the freedom, but for the license
the cenousness Of the press rather than seem to put
The free exercise Of its liberty under any restraint He
would inerpose obstacle to The unlimited publication
of whatever the leerwrlers reporters nigh, choose
10 say Of He would do nothing 10 prevent them
from giving full aud fair reports. IL we cannot sustain
ourselves here, with constituents, against their
caunines, we must be unworthy Of seats in this
hall He did hope, for these and other reasons that the
Senate would adopt The report under consideration and
grant the accommodations which had been ,qnesled
Mr. Niles observed, that he much obliged TO the
honorable Senator from Sou'h Carolina for his phllan
thropca system He would only say to him that, hav-
ing no interest in it, his did not require II. The Sc
nato spoke Of the exclusive accommodations allowed 10
the reporters Tor the city papers as monopoly and
therefore unjust; TO which he would reply, that from The
very nature of things il must be monopoly; they could
not extend their accommodations TO all line newspapers
of the country, without excluding spectators altogether
II was necessary to fix limit; ard il had been
decidrd that TO extend accommodations to the papers OF
the District going far enough The reporters OF the
city papers gave the earliest aud fullest intelligence OF
the proceedings of the body; but these petitioners
not here for the object that the regular reporters
They not sent here 10 report the proceed
ings they ashe understood sent here
TO give such false coorng TO what said and done in
that hail. would answer The purposes of their employ
ers. lie would not, however, Interfere with them any
more than would the Senator from South Carolina
He had right interfere bu al the same time, he
would not, by providing accommodations for them have
their reports out under the sanction OF the House
VIVA, these persons sent here for: Was It not
known that the regular reporters here gave full and
faithful reports of their proceedings and though they
were some what partial yet, in this particular, the two po
,ical parties equaizPd? He could say, with the Sc
major from Michigan he had no right TO complain Of any
injury dane him by newspaper SANDERS He had at all
events acquired small share Of notoTeIy in conse'
quence of the abuse that had been heaped him. But
The question was, shall we give our sanction |" Tue
pervetsons and receptions OF parcel Of hirrng serb
Lles abroad In pervet nlsead and corrupt public
l.. nj thnr nLhnld