Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-12-13
OPENING OF THE TWENTY-SIXTH
CONGRESS.

~
much interest by the politician md the
lover Of peace aud order, has passed over
with a pacific dulness, as Disappointing to
the former as it must prove gratifying to
the latter class of our fellow citizens. All
he dark forebodings and hints OF the tur
buence expected 20 mark the very first
proceedings of Congress- have happily thus
far proved groundless, and ended IN smoke
or what is about as material, in breath q,
~ the shape Of long debate. Whether
subsequent sltings will belle tho pacific
promise of today's work is uncertain, but
can hardly believe that such will be the
case
1t is seldom that such a dense lhrong is
seen crowdng to the Capitol, a. was ex.
hlblted this morning. 10 spite of the low.
erlng appearance Of the sky-overcast,
like the political horzon-a brilliant turn
out Of the softer sex was intermingIed with
The sombre groups OF creations lords that
lined !ennsy lvana Avanue while addition.
al animation was given to the scene by
the successive troops of the yeomanry
from the djacent counties, ACQUIRED
with blanket. coats and despatched with
mud, who dashed along with the fashionable
eqnipages toward the scene ofthe "tour-
nament." The scene in the House Of
Representatives, its galleries and lobbIes,
deties description. By ten O'Clock, every
particle of room in the latter was crowded
to excess. Ninetenths of the assemb' ed
multitude, am sure, expected regular
row in The Harrisburgh s'yle--for the ques
ton in every ones mouth was mostly to
that effect.
The Representatives, contrary to Gus
tom, were nearly all assembled by eleven
o'clock, which gave the floor an appear
ance of extraordinary interest. There
were old friends exchanging congra,ua-
tons on meeting once more. new members
gazing round with mute wonder at the
novelty ofevery thing, first at their fellow
members, then at the dusky semi circle OF
the mems gallery, and then at the brilliant
parlerrc of beauty in that reserved for the
ladies'. There were the noisy salute and
hearty laugh of the good fellow" and
there the significant nod and subdued whis.
per of the politician. A knot of the New
Jersey claimants were engaged IN earnest
converse here, and there. affordlng sin.
guar contrast to the busting nervous air
ofthe Wing claimants, sat the lmper'urba'
BILE Mr.lngersoll, as quiet and easy in his
seat as If 1t were his own.
a Il this anima,ng confnsio was sien-
ced at twelve o'clock by the clerk of the
last session (Mr Garland,j calling the
members, in accordance with previous
custom. When he came to New Jersey
the silence Of that Hall, so noisy a few
minutes before. was that Of the grave
He called out the name of Joseph +. Ran
dolph, and then pauslng, stated that the
seats Of the remaining members from lba,
state were contested, and as that made q
question unfit for him to decide, he won
# the House so pleased, pass over thai
state and 60 on with the roll.
At this point the progress Of the imme.
date organ cation OF the House was stop
ped. by the prolonged debates that then en-
sred upon the question of the validity o
The claims OF tie Wing members 10 thelI
seats.
Mr.. Maxwell of New Jersey, one of tbs
Wing claimants. called for the read ng o
the evidence touching the matter in The
possession Of the clerk. The certificate
Of Mr. Ayrcrigg, another Wing claimant
signed by the Governor of New Jersey, ant
Impressed with the seal of that State; was
then read. The certificates Of the other
Wing members were stated by the clerk to
be the same IN form.
Mr.. Mercer, Of Va. wished to follow
up the positive argumen. of this certificate
with the law of New Jersey touching cleo
tons. which he moved to have read
but Mr.. Vanderpoo, Of N. Y, thinking
that its unequivocal language would SOUND
with an unpleasant force, rose and moved
IN order to let the House have The GlctS o
the case before the law was read, that the
evidence of the other claimants should be
first read Mr.. Vanderpooi gave unms.
takeable signs to-day Of his being file
leader Of his party, conformity with Mr..
Thomas of Indiana. Mr. JeDlfer followed
Mr. Vanderpool by putting the significant
question. whe her The evidence on The
other side was Of The sane form as that al,
ready gwen to the House
a third proposition was now thrown be
fore the House. in the shape of q motor
by Mr.. RIves of Va. to lay the subject OF
the table. until the call of the roll wa:
completed.
The kpo,ry points Of The question now
became enlarged at each word spoken, and
the discussion irregular, when Mr. Hoffman
of New York, got the floor, and briefly
and eloqueutly con'ended that the cerr;fi
cate alone gave member perfect right
to be called.
Mr. Halsted, of New Jersey, another OF
the wing claimants, made an eloquent ex.
position OF he claims of himself and whig
colleagues to the seat. Taking the ground
assumed by Mr. Hoffman, he expressed hi.
perfect lIlngness to be passed over in the
call, did the evidence of the opposing claim
ants bear The authentic seal OF New Jersey
Otherwise he would not consent so have
her degraded from the list of other states
to have one OF the old thirteen stars blot,
ted out; but would insist upon having