The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-04-09

!, 10 hear that this proposition, for wbic
: ''one we had contended in the House
; shu 'he defeat of which had caused
! sovereign State in this Union TO b
deprived OF fiye-sixths of her repre-
sentation on the floor of Connress
ana had excited the public mind il
, every part OF the contederacv. me
with the unanimous sanction Of th
committee. "
The resolutions, as adopted, wer,
communicated to all the parties on
gagged in the contest under the follow
ing resolution:
" Resolved, That the foregoing re
solutions be communicated to each O
the Claimants to the vacant seats from
the State of New Jersey, and tina
this committee will hear them at thei
jGommlttee room on the 29th day 0
January, instant, at 10 O'Clock in the
forenoon, on the subject of the meas
lures which should be adopted to OBJ
tam the evidence applicable to in
curry before the committee"
According y, on the 29th of Janu.
airy, the parties appeared before the
committee, and there was a likelihood
that alter fifteen days of time and la
Dor spent by the committee before
they could arrive at any conclusion.
we should at once proceed, in Dur.
suance OF these resolutions, to ascer.
tam which five of the ten individuals
claiming seats had now majority
ioi legal votes, land were therefore
duly elected members of Congress,
when, very unexpectedly to the I'M
dersIgned, the chairman of the com
mittee moved a reconsideration of
these resolutions, with view to offer
substitutes. They were reconsider.
ed accordingly, again discussed, and
laid on the table. and the chairman in
troduced substitutes which were a.
mended, modified, and discussed, and
were finally adopted, after two DAYS
OF additional labor, and are as fol.
lows:
. Resolved, That the credentials
OF the Governor of New Jersey are
prlma iacIe evidence that thew who
hold them are entitled to seats, but
beng questioned on the ground that
all the votes polled were not count.
ed, this committee will now proceed
to enquire and ascertain who of the
ten claimants for the five contested
seats, received the greatest number
OF votes polled in conformity with
the laws of New Jersey, at the late
election Tor members OF Congress in
the State.
Resolved, That all votes receiv.
ed by authorized officers acting in
conformity with the laws, are prina
facie legal : but it being alleged, and
offered to be sustained by evidence,
that pluralites were obtained by
means of illegal votes and frauds perpe-
trated on the ballot-box, this committee
will admit evidence as to the truth Of
these allegations, and enquire who OF
the claimants received the greatest
number of legal votes in conformity
with the Constitution of the United
States and the laws Of New Jersey,
and therefore are entitled to occupy,
as members of the 26th Congress, the
five contested seats from that State.
$ Resolved, That the adoption of
the above resolutions does not pre-
clude this committee from refuting
the facts and testimony, with it's opin-
ions thereon, for the consideration
of the House, at any stage of its pro-
ceedings that it may deem it expedi-
ent to do SO.
Resolved, That copy Of the
foregoing resolutions be communica-
ted to each of the claimants to the
vacant seats from New Jersey, and
that they be informed that the COM
mittee has reconsidered and indeh-
nitely postponed the resolutions fur
Inished them on the 28th instant. and
that this committee will hear them at
their committee room on Saturday,
the list February, proximo, at ten
O'Clock in the forenoon, on the SUBJ
Iiect of the measures which should be
adopted to obtain the evidence appli-
cable to the enquiry before the com
Emittee."
The parties accordingly met again
in the committee room, and, after
they were severalIy heard, the com
mittee adopted the following resolu-
ton
8 Resolved, That We will now take
up the testimony which has been re-
lierred to this committee in the New
Jersey case; and if, during the hives
tigation of the subject, it shall be de.
sired by either party to furnish addi.
tionaI testimony, that then the par.
ties be allowed such reasonable time
Jas may be determined by the com
Imittee, to take such additional testi
1mony, in the manner prescribed BY
THE laws OF New Jersey, relating te
contested elections, unless the parties
agree upon some other mode which
y