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

7esentatires. Dec. 10, lo39-On The sab
jec. of the Ne,u Jersey disputed etection.
Mr.. Pickens presented the following
resolution. which was read, and which he
sald, he offered as an amendment 10 the
resolution Of hts colleague, Mr.. Waddy
Thompson.
"Resolred, That the committee TO be
raised Oh The New Jersey election, be con-
fined to the question who is entitled tot,
..relurns" Of election for the rweutysixllI
Congress"
Mr.. Pickens said he desired to state very
simply the position he occupied. IT lhr
House, in its wisdom. choOse To raise a Sc
lect committee on this New.Jersey eIec-
sico, he desired that it should be confined
to some definite mode of action, and To d
distinct question submitted by this HoltSe.
lie desired it should he confined tn the qucs
uan, who arc entitled To the returns oi e.
lection as members from the State CT New
Jersey to The Twenty sixth Congress =
He comcurred in The remarks which had
beeu made by his colleague MIR. Thomp.
son in regard to the difficult position III
winch the lInuse was now placed. lie
,slr. Pckens) had understood that the
House would be thus involved, and there
fore he had voted against the resolution ot
the gentleman from Virginia, MIR. Wise.
lie had voted against the resolution of his
colleague Mr.. Rhelt. which WAS adop-
ted as The order Of this House. He MIR.
Y.i foresaw, or thought he f"resaw. The
very difficulty with which they were nnw
about to conlend; and he would here take
OCCASION to say, that he had voted against
the resolution of The gentleman from Vir
siuia. because he MIR. z. desired a differ
ent mode Of action. 1.-The had beeu called
upon 10 vote OH that resolution Oh the first,
second, ur lhir, day Of the session, he
would have voted in the affirmative. tie
did not think, when he came here. that the
certificate of The Governor ought In entitle
a,e members, hulding it to- I've called, so is
To- be enrolled for organizations. lie tt''t
so before this discussion had prosressed.-
He desired that course of proceeding, SIM
ply that efficiency might be given To the
organization Of this House. The House
howpver, choose To pursue.a different course
This was his open senlinIenI, aud he had
never disguised it. He thought it was due
10 the country-lnat il was due to order.
,hat the House should have pursued thai
course. He though, il was, due To. the
country tina, that triumphant party. de-
nominated the Republican parry, flushed
as it was with victory, should have taken
It. IL k
sentiment. and he had never changed it,
But The House thought proper To take q
different course; and il had heen involved
day after day, in scenes which, tu say the
least, were of very lillle credit 10 The A
merican Congress. 1t was TO avoid these
scenes that he desired the course hr had
spukeu 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 enli-
,le him, being judge under the C0nstitu-
ton, TO decide the simple question who
were entitled TO the returns. This was a
question made under the Constitution
itself, and he contended that this House
had right to decide that question. aud
could hnre decided il The very tirst day. il
they had thought proper to 'lo so.
Mr.. p. here read the following clause
from the Constitution of the U. Srales:
"Each House shall he the judge of the
elections. returns, and qualifications of it,
own members"
1t will thus be seen (conlinued MIR. P,)
thaethe Constitution itself makes three
distinc, subjects upon which this House
catjudseun,l decide, namely. the'electiur.
returns. and qualifications Of its members
I.'coriend thar these are, in their naturc
Gstinehqaestiou: You may decide that &
member, returned by the majority of vote;
is,eutitled to the returns; and yet YOU ma.
decide, that he is totally unqualified under
lbe Constitution. Suppose, for instance
that majority Of votes should return here
& man under'twenty-five years Of age, OF
an alica. This goes to the qualification q