Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1839-01-24

reason 10 d,ssa.. ID, fcstsd N n, thcu eseri,ons TO
nrs..nt the appointment ri a I, ommiitee, having up
pn II a maionty OF the Trends oi inquiry, and oppo-
nents Of corruption and abuse, the tram bands have
eompeileJ those friends OF The Administrations who
WIRE appointed. TO decline. and came iuto the House
this morning, deie rmIDed, some Of them upon one.
the rest upon the other Of Two things. Some Of
them were FOR requiring. under party orders and dis.
c,pllne. all the friends Of the AJministra alton TO de-
cline serving upon the Committee. The object Of
these was 10 force the appointment ofa Committee
composed entirely OF opposition men and then get
up a cry about " Wing fabrications" and :. eAparte
statements against whatever disclosures they might
make. Others were for compelling the declinaiurrs
OF Administration men only until the choice should
fall uuon the Executives selected servants.
Nj. ELMoRE, OF South Carolina, was The first 10
ask 10 be excused. j except him from the applica.
ton OF the remarks ! have made. | do NOT belise he
had any concert or communion with the friends Of
The Administration in Then designs and 1t IS certain
that as soon as le was announced last night as one Of
the Committee, he expressed bis determination TO
ask 10 be excused at the proper time.
il IS remarkable, that the opponents Of invesiiga-
lion, 10 a man, went for e1cnsing Mr.. ELMoRE.-
WHY 7 What was his case! lie represented him
sell as a fair mdn-not y thorough going supporter
OF the Admlnistfation-not a follower through thick
and thin. He was known In be II conscientious,
honorable, upright gentleman. And The loco iocos
the spoilsInen-tbe opponents OF inquiry-lnstant-
ly agreed TO excuse him. lie was TOO honcst-too
independent ior their purposes. lie was u far man D.!
That was enough, 10 condemn him in the estimation
OF :" the party"
The debate on his request, To be excused deserves
particular notice.
Mr.. ELmoRr SAID the appointment placed him in
a position, so far as the House and The Adminislra-
ton were concerned, which he did not occupy. lie
had been selected as a friend Of The administration
To represent lis interests in the COMMITTEE. Now.
though he gave his support To some of the leading
measures Of the Administration. and would continue
that support whenever he could do so consistently
with ms principles, yet lie was not by any means an
administration man Ia the general sense OF the term.
He was no party man and thinking II but Just TO the
Administrator IN lie constitution of the Committee,
10 place there men Tho would feel themselves cna-
bled truly to represent It's lnterests-he appealed to
the couttcsy of the House TO excuse him. .
Mr.. WISE objected TO the request. lie thought
Mr.. ELMonf had given very good reasons why lac
should be called upon to serve. That member is en-
phatically a far man. Ills independent position
enabled him TO support the administration when he
thought 1t riehi-and he had not the pre- judice which
might be supposed to attach to some members of
the opposition. Mr.. WISE expressed his conviction,
however, that the committee would do their duty
without reference 10 party. lie was with the oppo-
sition heart and soul. Yet he would scorn The i'm
pulation OF gong on a committee rs u tool to do the
work OF the opposition. No! Though he entered
on the Investigation with strong convictions, as to
49, - '''' '''''''|t ~, "'t'h Nv 4"
nong the first TO exculpate them if found free from
the faults he believed TO exist.
Mr.. GILMORE having sug scsicd, that he was alrea-
dy Oh several committees, winch would give him bu-
siuess enough 10 do
Nj. WISE replied that al the members Of the rom.
miltee might pun in similar excuses. They all might
think they had Too much business TO carry on an IN
vesiigauon with the mountain high, ocean deep de-
falcatlons that have astonislied the country. But as
10 the gentlemdn's argument, that he is OF no party,
hot -. a aha, -TD- IT.. go
sen,
MIR. PETRIKEN next rose and urged that ELMoRE
be excused, aud expressed the hope hat no " demo-
craft would serve on the committee He looked
upon II as STOCKED, for accomplishing the purposes
OLA parry !!
Mr.. PIckENs reminded the House that his col
leauge had a right to be excused if he choose to a.
vail himself OF II.
Mr.. GRENSEL con:cndcd that the independent no.
sltlon Mr.. ELMoRE occupied, was "a strong reason
why the house should not be deprived of his services
ON the committee.
Hr. DAWSON, OF Ga., said as one of the committee
he wished to repei the Imputation which it appeared
to be the desIgn OF some persons 10 fasten on the
mmit OF It's beng STOCKED. lie did moi 60 in
to The inquiry as the representative OF a party TO gain
party advantages, but as a representative oflhe nation
D. do justice-to expose fraud and corruption, and
also TO exhibit ev,r ny thing of n mitigating character.
This was his position, aud his friends occupied the
same.
BooS Of Indiana, repeated the stuff which his
brother collar-man PETRIKEN, had fist thrown out
about the committee beng 4 stocked pack. He no
ped too, that no democrat would consent to serve
on IL.
MIR. WISE immcdiately rose, and exclaimed, a. il
this committee is a stacked pack, it is, at all events,
composed of neir c~ards-clean cards. Ii is not III
continued, turning round 10 BooN, and with
his extended arm and pointed finger. making the
aim and the direction sure J a dirty, greasy, marked
pack-not "a book of kings, nor a kings pack which
has been used by gamblers. and black-legs for
The last few yeas TO cheat the country oat OF It's best
stakes!
This pointed aud opposite ,etort completely Turn
ed the tables aud the laugh against BooN and Pr
rRiKIN, was loud, long aud universal.
Mr.. GILMORE again rose, and after disclaiming all
design Of imputlng TO any member of the committee
the charge that he would be actuated by party mo-
lives, again declared, that he did not wish the ad.
ministration to regard him as a blind foiloper; nor
the House TO consider him a party man-and,
therefore, he hoped they would not place him in a
false position.
Mr.. PRENrIss, of Miss, called on the House 10
reflect before they excused Mr.. ELMoRE, whether
they could select any man TO fill his place.
The cry had been raised from several quarters
thatno democrat should serve ON the COMMITTEE.
Mr.. MENErEE commented with great spirit and
force, on the attempts made TO impugn the conduct
of the House in this proceeding. He reminded
them that the appointment Of the Committee by bal
lot, was the action ofthe representatives of the peo-
pie. There had been a contest between the House
and the Executive and the House bad sienalIy
riumphed. This body had wrcnched from the
Executive through the Chair, the power which
the Executive had endeavored 20 fitch FROM the
House.