Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-04-02
SPEECH CT MR.. PICKENS.

7esentatires. Dec. 10, lS39-On the sab
ject of the Ne,o Jersey disputed election.
Mr.. Pickens presented the following
resolution. which was read, and whicl, he
said, he offered as an amendment TO the
resolution Of his colleague, Mr.. Waddy
Thompson.
..Resolred, Tha, the committee 10 be
raised on the New Jersey election, he con-
fined to the question who is entitled To the
"re,urns" of elecliuu fur the Twenty. sixth
Congress"
MIR. Pickens said he desired to state very
simply the pnsi,iuu he occupied. II the
House, in its wisdom. chUUse 10 raise Sc
lect committee on this New Jersey elec-
tioa, he desired that il should be confined
To some definite mode of action, and To
distinct question sub,,itte, by This House.
He desired it should he confined To the qu"s
uan, whu are entitled To the returns oi e.
lectiun as members from the State OF New
Jersey TO The Twenty sixth Congress =
He concurred in the remarks which had
beeu made by his colleague MIR. Thomp-
son] in regard to the difficult position III
which the liuuse was now placed. lie
tMr. Pickrns) had understood that the
House would be thus involved, aud there
f,re he had ynled agains, the resolution of
the. gentleman from Virginia, MIR. Wise.
lie had voted against the resolution of his
colleague Mr.. Rhe,t. which WAS adoP.
ted az The order of this House. He (Alr.
~ foresaw, or lllouellr he fHresaw. the
very difficulty with which they were now
about to CONTEND; and he would here take
OCCASION to say. that he had voted against
the resolution Of The gentleman from VIr
ginia, because no MIR. p. desired differ
ent mode of action. 1.-The had heeu called
upon 10 vote on that resolution Oh the first,
second, ur third dav Of The session, he
would have voted in the affirmative. lie
did NOT think, when he came here. that the
certificate. Of The Governor ought Ia entltle
e,e members, holding ii to- I've called, so Us
To- be enr"Iled for organizations. lie ttr,'t
so before this discussion had prosresSetl.-
He desired that course of proceeding, sim
ply thar efficiency might be given To The
organization Of this House. The House
huwever, ,choose to pur>ue.a difleren, cnurse
This was his open sentiment, aud he had
never disguised it. He thought il was due
TO the country-,nat il was due to order.
that the House, should have pursued thai
course He though, il was, due To the
country that that triumphant party, de-
nominated the Republican parry, flushed
as it was with victory, should have taken
that course. lie repeated this was his
sentiment, and he had dnever changed it,
But the House thought proper To take a
different course; and il had been involved
day after day, in scenes which, tu say the
least, were of very little credit 10 the A
mericau Congress. Ii was TO avoid these
scenes thar he desired the course hr had
spokeu of should he taken. But the House
Thought proper TO allow testimony 10 he
brought forward. True. it was testimo-
ny. not exactly formal, but such as emil
tie him, being a. judge under the Consliiu-
ton, 10 decide the simple question who
were entitled TO the returns. This was Il
question made under the Constitution
itself, and he contended that this House
had right To decide that question. aud
could. haze decitIedi the very inst day. if
they had thought proper I" do 50.
Mr.. =. here read the following clause
from the Constitution of the U. States:
Zach House shall he the judge Of the
elections, returns, and qualifications Of its
own members"
1t will thus be seen (conIinued MIR. P,)
thnt.the Constitution itself makes three
distinct subjects upon which this House
canjudseund decide, namely. the elections
returns. and qualifications ofi's members.
I.'coniend thar these are, in their nature,
hstinen question. You may decide'that a
member, returned by the majority Of votes
is.eutitled tn the returns; and vet YOU NAV
decide, that he is totally unqualified under
The Constitution. Suppose, for instance,
that majority of votes should return here
& man under'rwenty-Gve years of uge, or
III alica. This goes to the qualification Of