The Madisonian., 1840-02-08

pondence would be read
Mr.. LEWIS WILLIAMS inquired Of The Char
whether The question n,reauon 10 the presentation -
the resolutions BY the gentleman from New Jersey,
| tNr. Randolph) was the only question psio'e "'0
/ House,
The SPEAKER said il was.
Mr.. l. WILLIAMS said he hoped then The ques-
! ton would be at taken.
i Mr. DROMGOOLE inquired OF tho Speaker ~helh-
er the same resolutions had been sent to hun win
request that he would present hem7 II so, before no
would proceed step, land gentlemen might conslrue
il into what ndignlly they pleased he had rst 10
resist the introduction Of the resolutions from
another quarter, until the Speaker had explained why he
declined to introduce them He called upon the
Speaker give that explanation orally, else that
the correspondence itself should be read
! Mr. LINCOLN said there was no occasion for ex-
| citernent
Mr.. DROMGOOLE. No excitement, sir, none.
Mr. LINCOLN said it seemed to him that any gentle
man might respond to the nterrogatoy OF the gentleman
| IRON Virginia. The gentleman was begging the ques-
ton, How the House TO know whether the reso
! utions were the same mott In the first place, the
gentleman from New Jersey should be permitted TO read
the resolutions, in order that the Speaker might deter
mine whether they the those sent 10 him
He, aud no other person, had the power TO determine
| this point
| MIR. DROMGOOLE inquired Of the Chair. whether
the resolutions from the Legislature Of the State OF New
Jersey, referred 10 by the gentleman, (Mr Randolph
were not the same which the Speaker had declined
!
formed him that they were He, Mr.. d., was not,
/ therefore. begging the question.
| Mr.. PErkIKlN submitted that, under the rule
these rcsoutions giving rise to debate must lie over
The SPEAKER said that question similar to this
had arisen before. A debate had sprung up on lhn
question of the reception Of abolition petition, and
the Speaker had decided that that question must not
| lie
! Mr. LINCOLN said it seemed there was but one
question, and that to the order Of proceeding
\ he NIL from Mex RauuuDhl
the floor No doubted that The State OF New
Jersey had been called for petitions IN her order The
gentleman got up aud offered TO present paper or me-
mortal from the Legislative Council of Ne" Jersey
The Speaker decided that 10 be in order The gentle
man presented the paper, and motion had then been
made by the gentleman from Virginia, that the Speaker
have leave to assign his reasons why he had not pre-
senled transcript OF the paper. Mr L.. was OF
opinion in the frs, place that the gentleman from Var
elna could take the floor from The gentleman from
| New Jersey to propose question Of this kind. II oh
Jecton made to The reception, let the question be
put upon the reception
WI WISE said that fact would arrest all this
debate. The gentleman from New Jersey, (Mr Ran
doph) when he first rose asked the Speaker Il he would
present-[cres of % had presented-yes-no' 1-would
present this paper from the State OF New jersey The
Speaker said he would not-[cries of " had not-had
not --yes-no would not present i, that he decln-
ed to present it Now he (Mr. w y and Others wished
TO know why the Speaker had declined present these
resolutions from sovereign State, IN opposition to all
That had been customary. Knowing that there had
been a correspondence this subject, he (Mr W)
desired that the Speaker nigh, submit it.
Mr. LINCOLN said he had no objection to hear the
excuse Of the peaker (f there one) the proper
time. Bot this the proper time He not
willing ha, should be given by the Speaker
or any other member in relation TO paper memorial
before the paper memorial itself had been received
The SPEAKER was understood to say he had not
desired TO offer any excuse He did not acknowledge
that any excuse was required from him. He was re-
sponsible TO himself and TO his constituents.
Mr. EINCOLN said he hoped the Chair would
ders'and him. lie did not intend to intimate that the
Speaker had not acted in us,iabe and proper
ner But he contended that the question upon
the motion Of the gentleman from New Jersey tina, this
memorial or paper be read and after had been read,
any gentleman chose to question the proprcty of the
Speakers conduct in not presenting it, it would be for
the House to determine whether it was, or was not,
such paper ought to be presented by the Speaker
But until it was read, and the House knew what was
its character II not proper TO inquire why had not
been presented by any member who did not choose TO
presen, it, He did not hold himself responsible for de-
cning to present memorial other paper neither
was the Speaker accountable, merely as member
This was altogether work OF supererogatlon. II was
proceeding upon wrong presumption that was to say
that The Speaker bad done wrong in declining to pre-
sent the communication The proper way was Tor the
gentleman from New Jersey to have the paper read
Mr. L. objected to the position of the gentleman from
Virginia Mr. Dromgoole) that the Speaker be permit
tea oI 10 give MS reasons LOT ~
beiofe the paper itself before the House Let us
have that first, and then if any gentleman requires that
the Speaker should assign his reasons let tho matter
be decided by the House.
4 Mr. DROMGOOLE said he did not make an uncon
dtonal objection the reception of the paper What
he SAID was, that he should object the reception until
ne knew why the same paper Cor Transcript addressed
TO the Speaker had not been presented by him to the
/ House
Mr. BRIGGS The gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
lnA hp
solutions until he knows the why they, being the
same as were addressed to the Speaker and which the
Speaker declined to present, were not presented Now,
put question to the Char, which, think, Will ter.
inmate all controversy, such the gentleman from
Virginia raises for will put end to his assumed
state OF facts. Has the Speaker refused present any
resolutions from the State Of New Jersey ,ha, were pre-
sen,ed to hun as the Speaker OF this House!
The SPEAKER said he had not.
Mr.. BRIGGS. Then | submit tina, the controversy
is at end
Mr.. +. THOMAS said he knew nothing Of the CON
tents OF the paper did he know any thing Of the cha
racer oil the proceedings Of the Speaker Of the mo-
tves whctFhad governed those proceedings In sup
porting therefore the objection which had been raised
by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr Dromgooe his
(Mr. ~ mind was entirely unprecedented one way or
the other; and yet he clearly why there was a
strong proprety, growing out OF the circumstances Of
the case, IN demanding that the Speaker should in the
hrst place, assign his for refusing present the
communication to this body. After the experience which
members had had, 1t too late deny the power of
the majority OF the House refuse receive paper
which might be insulting to the majority Of the body
II It be that the Governor Of New Jersey in the pre-
sent case, (Which he did assert for he knew nothing
| Of the facts) had clothed his communication in Ian.
guage unfit to be heard in this Hail. addressed to ma
Joty, they owed TO themselves, and to the body of
which they were MEMBERS not passively submit 10
such an insult. And if the Governor had couched his
communication in language which the House would not
have received from OF its own members-lanyuage
not within the rules Of order, in accordance with