Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-12-21

! Mr.. WISE then submitted his re- o ntoi' III writing,
! in substance before stated Mr.. W sa'a ms col.
league wonid not forget, soon alter ne IA" escaped
from our chrysalis state and put our wings the
CHARGES of usurpat;on which had been made against
the gentleman who occupied the Chair for temporary
organization because he presumed to PIT propositions
to the iurse in his own form. The Char, as he had
understood him, had put the qursticn directly to
the House, but had suggested that 1t would Dc cues
| ton for the decision of the House
The CHAIR observed that he had, in the first IN
stance stated that the question, Shall the gentlemen
from New Jersey be sworn was proper question Ter
the House decide upon; hut gentlemen must not I'M
derstand him submitting that question 10 the House,
but merely indicating the which the House must
pursue unless some member submitted proPcs ton:
and as the gentleman from Virginia had submitted such
propos ton, the Chair would entertain the motion
| Mr. WISE said he Ind, then, not misunderstood the
! Char and in order 10 relieve the Chair from submit
ting this question 10 the House hc had submitted his
resolution; and unless gentlemen desired to speak
the subject he would move the previous question. He
however, Withdrew it at the request OF some gentlemen
around him.
| Mr. FRANCIS THOMAS suggested the propri"ty
of postpon;ng the further consideration OF this qu"s-
ton until the House should adopt rules of order
resolution to adopt the rules Of the last House for the
government of this body had been lard on the table by
the casting vote of the Speaker bu the House was not
then full, and it sccmrd to hin that as tbs qucs'!on
I
rules for lis guidance He would put 10 gentlemen
to saw whether this question should not be postponed
until rules were adopted for the government Of the
body.
Mr. WISE would have objection To pursue tie
course indicated by the gentleman from Maryland, IT
was not that difficulties might arise by the adoption Of
those rules before the members OF the House were all
The question may arise as I" whether we shaii
vo,, rira rare or by ballot other questions might
arise all of which should be left untouched until all The
| tbaI n
IN rules for our government he submitted whether the
rules of common not allsuiic:en until the
question with regard to the New Jersey members was
decided.
Mr. TILLINGHAST concndcd that there were ma
ural rules of order and natural prcccdcns which
mposshr for the House overlook; and these natural
rules of ORDER he maintained, wcr" aSutcicnt for the
government of the body until this question decided
He also referred to tue OF Claiborne ana Gh'on
At the extra session of 1877, exhibit precedent IN
that case applicable to the present Mr.. l. then
gave way TO
Mr.. WISE. who asked that the credentials presented
by Mcssrs Avcr;gg, Maxwell, &c. be read and the
Clerk read them to the House.
Mr. TURNEY called for the reading Of the crcden-
tails on the other side.
The SPEAKER sad that the gentleman had only
called fr The reading Of the documents on ono side.
Mr. TlLLINGHAST continued his remarks, and
concudrd that IN" resolution OF Mr. Nisr should nc
the first Ting acted on.
Mr. SERGEANT heartily approved of The conrSc
atopicd by the Char Ill referring The subject - r
House for is cons crAt.on but as to the med" IN winch
il IS 70 he presented he did not understand the Char
to ccidc hnt that h. left it entirely The House. The
gentleman from Nirrin;a Mr. Wise was right, under
these circumstances, in Offering resolution winch '
considered to BE- in strict conformity to the spirit and
provisions of the Constitution of the ntrd States nc
very first question which presents scfl.rc is no less
than this IF gentlemen present themselves here with
re cnar credentials offering In be sworn are they I"
be excluded by less than majority Of the House:
Did il not, in other words, require majority 10
! brinr them IN or did it not require majority to
cycIuGc them: Those who maintain that re-
Gurcs a ina oritv 10 bring them III, maintain what
appeared To him to BE- unconstitutional doctrine, be-
/ cause il seemed that, To cntt" a gentleman to be
sworn, he must have something more than regular
credentials Of his State: that is, ne must have the ad OF
a naiorty OF this House H., considered the decision
that was made hv tins House days ago, To hc ot
very doubtful character, 10 say the least of II nay, i"
could moi say that decision was coa:"rnabe {" Tie
Constitution, either in lis terms It's spirit. Now,
sir (said Mr. 81 is this the law OF the land: If there
be choice in tho modes 81 putting the question, Is
il not plainly within the spirit OF the Constitution to
give that form and that direction which shall give to
ihr voice of sovereign State the greatest power: Or
shall we (sad le) regard tE1t voice nothing, and in
ss upon il that those gentlemen cannot BE- introduced
unless majority of this House declared them entitled
I to come in Lei Us see. said Mr. S. what called
upon to decide, and what to decide. This
was not We; a House of Representatives of the United
States he meant III lis perfect and organized form and
for that reason h. held the House OF Representatives.
in all its stages of existence, 10 representation
from all the States OF the Union proportion that
allowed l,v the laws. The first provision of the Con-
sttuton relating this subject that in every stage
Of the existence OF the HOUSE, every Stale snail be
reprcscntcd-that State shall stand mnrepresened.
If State has not sufficient population 10 entit!e her
to one Representative, according to the apportionmcn
laws, she must according to the Constitution, have
Mr. s here referred to the third clause Of the second
section of the first tcle of the Constitution in sup
port of his argument, follows: ''he number OF Re-
representatives. shall not exceed one for every thirty
thousand but each State shall have ut least one Re-
prcst nat.vc, and until such enumeration shall Ec
! made The State ci New Hampshire shall BE- entitled TO
choose three; Massachusetts eight Rhode Island ana
. Providence Plantations Connecticut five: Ncw
York six: New Jersey four; PcnnSy ivania eight De-
lawarc orc: MARYLAND SIX; Virginia ten; North Caro-
lana FIVE South Carolina five; and Georg.a three"
Now tsa:d Mr.. 81 what do you purpose to do:-
Why to constitute Congress without representa-
ton from the State of ~ Jersey BY members from the
other States of THIS Un.on voting against them The
Constitution says that every State shall have Repre-
sentative here, and yet you have deprived sovereign
State of vc.s!xths of her representations Under the
Constitution and laws, they axe. the State IS moi
otherwise known than an organc body, and We nav"
no rInt in the present stage of our proceedings. to
look at the Sat, of " Jersey but organic body
as an independent power coming here, Gcnanu.ig to
take her shar, in the legislation n Congress. Has y.
Jersey failed 10 do her duty under the Constitutions IL
is admitted that she has done it, that she is here BY her
Representatives who have been here from the begin
ming claiming to be admitted. She has tivcsiNhs OF
her Representatives here, who have been excluded
/ Can you constitute Congress without them: The
State having elected her Representatives, when they
have been here, and offered TO participate IN the
business of the nation your excluding them affects all
the States of the Union, New Jersey as well as the
rest Where is your authority for this Mr. S here
went on TO comment on the commissions presented By
the five New Jersey claimants and contended that they
were regular, and such bore their face nothing to
raise doubt. No such question, he said was ever
raised in regard 10 Mr. Moores credentials, and the
Mississippi members. From the commissions them
selves no gentleman could find in them single par
tcular in which they we're not IN precise conformity