Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-12-26

All dgcs, useu 10 gun TIE peOP'c. ~ was
the language OF Cromwell when he
graspcd ut supreme power Of Robe
spierre, when he drenched France with
blood Of the Northern fanatics, when
they attempt TO excite insurrec;ion amorg
our slaves and of gentlemen in this
House, who seek to trample on tho vio-
lated rights Of sovereign State. The
law, and the forms Of law, could not be
thus set aside by mis-, rable slang. To
the laws we owed our personal liberty
and security, and society could not be
kept together, nor a deliberatiye body
exist for a day, without them. What
was more arbitrary than our rules Of
order, and yet are they not as potent as
though backed by military force p
The powers with which, by your forms,
you invest your sergeant arms, make
him as mighty as an army with banners
Should this precedent be established,
it would put this House under the con-
troll of an arbitrary and unprncip pied ma
jority. Establish this precedent, and
violence and force must supply the place
OF the "torms and technic alities OF law"
Members must come here with com.
mission in one hand and sword in the
o,her,-for they must fight their way to
their seats, or tamely submit 10 the ty
ranny Of majority. But suppose the
majority Of seats on this floor to be con
tested ; quorum could never be obtain
ed there would be no tribunal to Judge
upon the contested claims; and Congress
must be broken up.
4 1t was said that, in this case, the fraud
was so manifest, as 10 require US TO go
beyond the return but granting the
fraud, il does not follow that we should
dIslranchiso New Jersey on that account.
We were not now competent TO try that
fraud. We must Grst complete Organi-
zation ; and, in the mean time, instead
of prejudglng the case, it was our duty
to respect and recognize that evidence
Of the election which the people Of New
Jersey had chosen TO establish by law.
H Mr.. II. having concludcd-moved to
lay the resolution on tho table.
i Mr.. Charles Shepard appealed TO Mr.
II Vanderpoel TO withdraw the motion
II Two questions Of order here arose ::
the first Of which involved no essential
point, and fell through, after brief con-
versation, sustained by Messrs. Wise,
| Vandcrpoel, and w. G. Johnson.
/ Alter which, Mr. Vanderpoel insisting
on his motion, and question arising
whether it was debateable motion, and
debate arising on that question Of order,
Mr.. Wise inquired of the Speaker
what would be the effect Of decision
to lay the resolution on the table.
i The Speaker stated that, inasmuch as
the resolution contained a negative
proposition, he should regard decision
to lay it upon the table as decision ai
firping the reverse of that proposition,
and as intending that the members
claiming seats from New Jersey should
be sworn.
Il Whereupon, after some farther expla-
nations, Mr.. Vandcrpoel, with this ex-
plana,ion Of the Speakers view Of the
subject, withdrew his motion to lay Mr..
Wise's resolution upon the table.
The motion to lay on the table with
drawn, MIR. Shepard, of North Carolina,
spoke at some length on the subject
Il The debate was farther continued by
Mr.. Thompson, of South Carolina, in
speeches of considerable length.
Mr.. Turney then moved that the cre-
dentials, papers, and every thing relating
to the contested election of New Jersey,
be referred to a committee Of elections
II Mr.. Stunly, amid much confusion and
noise, was understood to raise IA question
Of order as to the motion which had been
made, whether it could be entertained,
when no such committee was in existence
To which it was proposed to refer the
: papers, SC.
III Pending which question of order, the
House, on motion, adj ourned ill IL o.
clock to morrow.
II THURSDAY, Dec. l9th.-The Senate
was principally occupied in Executive
! Session.
/ In the House.. The question pending
was on MIR. Turney's resolution to refer
the entire subject, with the evidence, to
!, the committee on elections, and nop that
; proposition is so modified as to instruct
that committee TO report who are the
legal representatives from New Jersey,
/. and until then neither set Of claimants
nre TO take their seats or be sworn.
ri Mr.. Wise was allowed the floor, by
= Mr. Turney, who withdrew his resolu-
ton for that purpose, on condition that
!, Mr.. Wise would re offer il aiterward.
0 MIR. Wise, having agreed to this, pro-
ceeded to make one Of the most masterly
speeches he has ever made. Nobly did
I he vindIcate the constitution and advo.
, cate the claims Of Aycrigg and his as
/, sociates. AS keenly too did he rcprove
E Messrs. Rhctt and Shepard for their
contradictory course on this question,
and expose the absurdi'y Of their rea-
soning that, because an accidental ma
jority Of the House had excluded the
certified members and thereby violated
the constitution, they were not ut liberty
to reverse that righteous decision -
This part Of his speech was very enec-
tive, and characterized with all that
mingled reproof, sarcasm, aud appeal to
high feeling, Mr.. Wiso can 70 well make
use Of.
i Ilo threw smile over tho severe