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

tc-sd ~ entitled 10 the io"r
Il Mr. Duncan had risen, when
Mr.. WISE, of N!rg ma, asked ms permission 70 sub
nit proposition which, he hoped and believed.
would, adopted relieve the House from lis cmharTass-
ment.
Mr.. Duncan was understood TO assent, conditonalIy,
tina, when Mr. Wise should have concluded, Mr. ID.
should still be considered lavlnga claim 10 the floor
/ 10 which condition Mr.. w. asscntcd.
;, Mr. Wise then observed that the proposition he had
to offer not fins own drawing up, but that he
presented al the suggestion Of colleague of his who
sits his right (Air ottS who would have offered II
himself had he been present
The proposition offered by hir. Wise then read
al the Clerk : table rs follows:
R.aoisri Thai III Representative Of the Congress OF IN" INIT
I'd assembled, !" relieve themselves fri The "'""F
rssm"G aud dI, ulcs wh' al present ohntt The "ehl-
OF gsnea.n whose rights DISPUTED Or
c"nt"-t-d aud after III" Of such members all call d.
Organize they shall provided there be quorum
OF such present. hear d,'r upon all credentials ccitca
isons claiming the Iio.se Of R"p"
Sent ~ - t Cont tuition OF the United states ana me
| Mr.. WISE sad TINT this p'cdge all which he
desired If th. proposition should he adopted,
he had not the slightest hesitation IN trusting tic
honor of gentlemen thai lhr pledge would be conscjcn
touSlv observed Withou' such pledge, should the
one side Of the House yield 10 the proposal to defer the
ease Of the Ncw Jersey members TIL thcrc should b"
quorum without item, there could br no security that
they would not thereby be thrown ont of fair volr for
| Speaker; unless indeed the Clerk should himself uu-
drrtakc decide the question. winch Mr. \" believed
a; gentleman could not, under his views Of the mat
:, ter, b. expected 10 do.
Mr.. DhOMGOOI.E hoped it would BE- The general
disposition of III" members 10 adopt the proposition Of
has colleague (Alr WiSc) lie glad that II had
been submitted 1t appeared TO him 10 the very
ground maintained by himself and others from the be-
ginning Of tn discussion, that ii competent for the
House TO decide the matter in dispute at the threshold
He understood that it had been contemplated TO dec de
this contest forthwith: that the Clerk had
called and enrolled the members whose seats we're ni!
disputed, they would proceed immediately, before III"
transaction oi an, other business, {" the my sgatlcn
and decision Of the c"ul cinr claims t. seats s'Gc
had been hs understanding. and t1r himself, i" had
been ready - givr p!,gn that l." would ANTE III ct
'rrtuH,t NJ s purpose before he would JOIN IN any at
! tempt 10 elect the Sp".k"r or other officers.
THIS resolution 81 his colleague VIII effect this object
! The spu'cd seats mus. be- decided bY those whose
claims arr unc"ntrovrrrd Their right and power to do
this complete before after the clrct' Il :" peak
rr. " b. nccnv"n cnt and difficult la act thout
a complete organ zat on, but tbs Inconvenience and
difficulty does destroy impair the const iutnnal
right Of the House II Judge of the election quail iica
tom and returns Of members. The power of 'nd@ no
* conferred hy tn" Con*t tuition, and il 1t does no, "y
III N the first instance surely the election ni Speaker
and other officers cannot confer additional powcr3.-
The election -" these officers is only fer the purpose of
promoting The convenience and order of action and
for .ac;lta ny the despatch o! bus lie repeated
tln he hoped. for tt. sake -" obval'ng all diCgltr, III"
rrop0S on # rs honorable colleague (Slr WISE
! Mr. JOHNSON o: Tennessee SAID that the rcsolu-
ton introduced l.. the gentleman from Virginia, with
slight modification, accorded entirely with his views
and wishes and with the Of his friends, iaT
/ he had convcrsrd with them upon the subject The
resolution proposed 10 progress with the call of the
MIXERS whose seats ind sputcd until the stairs
were called through, and them without further or
ganzaion OF the House, IL decide tie rights Of the
several claimants: TINT in tho rIrc'rn OF the officers
of the House each Stat" might bc fully represented.
/ This IN his opinion, was all right: but how this
trial 10 he made. We have officers pfrstir
the deliberations Of tho House have rules or re-
/ ruIa.ions by %hch the debate is to BE- conducted; ""
have no means Of ending debate and h" apprchrnGcd,
# the resolution adopted, tha, enter
ed upon The examination Of the from New Jersey,
an ntcrminah" debate Of some kind would arse. and
weeks would cIaps'. when should find ourselves no
nearer the birc all desire than nj present.
He therefore suggested 10 the member from rgn'a
the propric;y of 50 amending the resolution 10 make
the rules and regulations which have heretofore cen
trcll.d til" action Of Congress- the law ui tins House
until il wds organ Lri.
! Mr. ! wi he had bat object III vcw" have
these disputed questions fairy decjdd by maiorty
of the members Of the House, and he was perfectly
willing thai ii might be done before the election OF tn"
officers III this House
| Mr. WISE hoped that the gentleman from Tcnnrs
see would take this resolution il stood, and then h"
could move 10 adopt rules afterwards
Mr. HUNT then submitted The following, sub
stiiulr for the resolution submitted BY Mr.. Wise
Ecord That ousc II proceed 10 elect mporary
Srakrr allowing the members from New Jcc; tpoincing the
or",n Ta The Spakr thus chosen >a appoint n"ne ii he
Committees OF the House. That the Commit If Elections shall
seats shall have settled t The Il"u., will then proceed
| 10 choose a Speaker for III" 10Th Congress.
Cries. Of "No no, rcSoundcd from all quarters, anu
Mr. Hunt did not press his motion.
Mr.. c. JOHNSON again urged the p:oprlcy Of add
np the provision he had p. posed,
Mr. WISE replied that Tie rules could well be
adopted hereafter Is separate resolution.
al t,aS p,, and
MIR JOHNSON did moi further nsst Oh his amend
mont.
Mr. RiyES of Virginia, said he delighted that
his rrsacccd colleague t1ir. Wsr had nr as ir had
il had been Mr. K : intention from the first, though
the pledge was MT formally expressed in his mot on,
tina. as soon as a quorum should be obta ned by call
me- The unconirsd members, they should return ana
take up the consideration of the case OF those whose
seats were disputed and 50 he had expressed himself
when address nr the House. But he felt some Little
hesitation with regard The last clause Of the rcson-
ton and should hr clad 10 hear ii read again was
read Accordingly
He presumed ha colleague and himself agreed III thciF
views rs 10 what il wcrd L proper 10 do: bat the pro-
sfln was :" y:nrlcd that difficulty might pnssI-
b,y arts. o,:l of IT, The House 10 int.r .! ifr
CREDENTIALS certificates, or coming on "i persons
claiming ara,s" Now il might 50 turn out that they
would b. under the ncccs + Of referring the case 10
committee Of elections. Now Mr.. X. would BE- ~ favor
of The House determining forth with, soon as II went
into the subcct-not IL, trr,oy 81 tho returns,
but on the final question, which of the claimants were
entitled to their seats.
Mr. Wise about 10 reply, but yielded 10
Mr.. HOFFMAN. Of New York, who said that he en-
trcly agreed with the gentleman from Virginia; he, too
feared as much the gentleman DID, and predicted as
confidently the gentleman could, that 1t w"nn oe
necessary send the to committee 81 cccu"hS
and that before the election of Speaker Tor II would
he as necessary then as it now what had they
been contcndi,g for during the last two da:s Was
no. fr the rights of nrn who hrnngh III h"ir !iai"s
those, at -
who undertook H. Judge Of them Was MT that the
Constitution ;!a: usage, that all precedent, gave them
HE same right 70 stas any others had.-tha none had
nht nnIty the Ola sovereign Sta" -tial IN"
Constrt on provided for members clcc; az well IN
stoc of transition from the sovereignty Of State TO the
Consolidation of House Of Representatives, as alter
they we're sworn into office that was the ght OF
sovereign State TO declare who were chosen as her