Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-12-14

TO but six Representatives under the laws appotoning
Representatives. and ne held that it would be mon
strons innovation for the House to permit eleven men,
beers from that State vote. That State was entitled
to six Representatives. and she entitled to no more
and the question here was, who those six Representa-
tyes should be; This question was settled by the Con-
stitution Of the United States and the laws of New Jer
sew and it was incompetent for this House to take any
question upon that until 1t was hrst organized and gen.
tlemen had taken the oath of office
Mr.. FRANCIS THOMAS rose to ask the gentle
man from North Carolina (Mr. Mckay to withdraw
his proposition, in order that another effort might be
made to settle this question. Mr. T. said he had moved
preliminary proposition, he had offered no amend
ments propositions which had been before the House,
not because he had not felt deeply interested in the
qucsons--not because he did not feel deep anxiety
to the House organized in an orderly manner, and
early day, but because he believed that all the pre-
lmnary questions had tendency TO postpone the orga
nization Of the body. He believed that large majority
Of the members of the House had made up their minds
as to how they would vote this question: any shape
which ght assume. Then let it be the effort of eve
ry gentleman to bring the House to action. What was
the course best calculated TO do 80 Was il best for
TO be chasing shadows and discussing questions which
may never arise: We would have difficulties enough,
by pursuing straight -torward course without step
ping aside to raise difficulties which were not IN our
way. He knew that there were members here who held
the opinion that four of these New Jersey members
could vote upon the right Of the fifth take his seat
possible, that and other such questions, because if we
went on to discuss them, we had DONE We might be
discussing here till doomsday without arriving at any
practical result The then, which he intended
10 pursue was not to moot preliminary questions unne
cessurily. Let the vote be taken 1t possible,
when il was taken, that the would stand as it stood
to-day may be that the votes of the five disputed
members from New Jersey would not change the result
whether counted or not. When the vote was taken
this morning, it appeared that four Of the disputed
New Jersey members had voted, but their votes could
not change the result, therefore objection had been
made from any quarter to their voting BY this course,
the House may avoid deciding on these sexcd premi-
nary questions and he thought every gentleman ought
to endeavor TO avoid them if possible; the public ne
required this but if they were to be decided on,
let them be decided when the necessity Tor it arises
Ii will be time enough, then, to decide on them.
With regard to the proposition of the gentleman from
North Carolina, it, in bis opinion, decided nothing
That proposition stated verbally, is in effect, that
the members from New Jersey shall not vote until the
House decides that they shall vote WE'LL suppose this
proposition should be adopted by the House, it would
be mere abstraction The House must then go step
further, and say whether they shall vote or not It will