Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-16
Saturday, JdnuGry il.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
The SPEAKER laid before the House commun.
cation from the Secretary of the Treasury enclosing
printed copy of the receipts and expenditures of the
year 1885, which referred to the Committee on
Public Expenditures.
The SPEAKER announced the order Of the dav
which was the resolution Of the chairman of the Com
mtec on Elections Mr.. Campbell OF South Carolina
proposing that committee all the papers and
testimony relating The New Jersey disputed election
Mr.. CLIFFORD, who entitled 10 the floor, was
about resuning his remarks; when he vas interrupt
ed by
Mr. Bolts, who prevailed upon Mr. G. TO yield the
floor, TO enable him TO PROFOUND interroatory 10
Mr.. Smith Of Maine, in reference 10 his remarks OF
yesterday
MIR B. regretted that it was not in his power yes
,crday 10 get the floor 10 reply to that gentleman
His position before that House and the country now,
in consequence of those remarks, required that he
should notice them, however much he regretted to be
compelled to occupy the time of the House to reply TO
language cf persons. and offensive character In
the frs, place. he wogld be pleased to learn from the
gentleman from Maize whether he wished or intended
them to apply in personally offensive character
not: Mr.. b. said he wished him to state distinctly 10
the House whether ia The language, ~ vile and base
SANDER, used in reEy his remarks CiaraclcriZIng
and enouncirG the course Of the Democratic party in
the New Jersey DISPUTED elcctionand his language,
that history, in al time TO come, Will brand, bone
deep, the ialsehood Of that charge upon the head of
him who makes it, reply TO my remarks denorncing
General Jackson as tyran, was intended BY HIM to
have personal application to me; lie required dis
t;nct answer
Mr. SMITH said, before he should consent to com.
ply with the demandthus peremptoriiy made upon him
by the gentleman from Virginia, he must first have the
decision of the Chan, that he should be permitted to
reply any remarks III which that gentleman might be
permitted 10 indulge after Mr. s should have made the
explanation requested
The SPEAKER was understood to say that the gen
from he q
any remarks nc. il order: and that Il would depend
entirely upon tic courtesy Of the other gentleman from
Maine, Mr. CLIrrpRn. who cn,ltied TO the floor,
whether Mr. 5. would be afforded opportunity 10 re-
ply.
Mr. SMITH then appealed TO tie gentleman from
Maine VINO had Welded The floor 10 he gentleman from
Virginia whether he would extend the courtesy
to him to reply to that gentleman. To which
Mr. CLIFFORD replied, '.ccrtainly.'
Mr.. SMITH said, he had supposed that the opinions
advanced BY him yesterday, reply 10 the gentleman
from Virginia had been expressed IN language siil-
cicntly explicit not 10 be misunderstood lie had en-
dra"orcd TO avoid all ambiguity, and 10 use III" pancst
terms of speech and if !e bad failed 70 be apprecnded
BY that, any ether gentleman. because he had
not the ability to express himself with greater clear
ness. The sentiments he had uttered were hS i.oncs;
and sincere convictions, and he should not hesitate at
AL times proper occasion, 10 aTow and repeat ih"
Entertaining. IL did the most exalted 0pi:on 81
the late Prcsidcn, of the United States, and holding
his character and public services in the highest We
neraton and respect h. should never, here or else
where, permit them 10 be wantonly assaled without
rcpcllinc, the best Of hiss ability any attack which
might be made upon them. The charge made b. the
gentleman, his speech, wholly unprovokcd as it was,
in the opinion of Mr.. Smith, nerited rcbukc But il
was principle well understood, that the character OF
public is matter Of opinion, abou, which ndivdu-
/ ais had right TO differ. Whether Andrew Jackson
were as Mr. S. believed him to be, patriot or, the
gentleman from Virginia had protested to believe, ~
rant, was matter Of opinion The gentleman had. in
the strongest terms denounced him tyrant Of the
blacklist dye. Mr. had felt il his duty to say, in re-
ply what he willing 10 rcpca,that history, IN all
coming time. would pronounce that opinion erroneous
and false He had not and lie believed he could not
have been understood b; any member of the House,
charged any gentleman with ultcrng wlltu! and de-
lberate taschood He had too much respect for the
high station he occupied upon that floor to be guilty OF
SO gross violation of propriety. He had too much
regard for HIMSELF and those who sent him here thus
insult the House Of Representatives of the United
I States.
! Mr. Bolts said he understood the remarks of the
gentleman disclaimer Of any intention TO attribute
10 him any improper motive, and that his language OF
Yesterday matter of oplnlon: that history
would speak in tones Of rcprobaton of the language
he had used towards Gen. Jackson He understood
the gentleman as having dsolalmed any intention OF
having used the remarks in the slightest degree az per
sonaliy offensive to him: if not, he wished HIM DIS
! tincy 50 10 state to The House.
| Mr. SMITH was here proceeding 10 reply, by re-
! i.eIatng what he had before said but interrupt
| ed By
The CHAIR, who was Of opinion that no mpuia
ton had been cast by the gentleman from Name IN
his speech OF yesterday, the gentleman from 'ITg
MIA, or any other gentleman The Chair paid the most
careful attention to the remarks of the gentleman, and
understood his remarks to have general application.
Mr. SMITH of Maine said, that snch, he would ven
ture to assert the understanding OF every gentle
man this floor
! Di-SrAS .l.oS rf tho rpntlaina r.
entitled 10 the floor (ir Cliiord) 10 name paper he
intended TO have introduced part of HIS speech yes
terday, as he contemplated Inserting in the printed
report of that speech II nothing more than part
of the first nstalment of his speech delivered some days
ago, and which some gentleman IN the gallery had Turn
! cd into rhyme, and sent to the Globe Office.
Mr. CLIFFORD was then about to resume has ar
gument, when
Mr.. PECK observed that, before the gentleman went
on with his remarks he wished to know if the Clerk
had finished the reading of his speech The Clerk hae
skipped the title page and part of the anecdotes and a.
the House had required the whole document TO be read
| he wanted TO hear the rest of IT.
I Mr.. CLIFFORD said he did not acqncscc in tho
principle laid down by the gentleman. The House
had granted him permission to have certain document
read and he might avail himself Of the privilege 81
using the whole, part of IT, as nc pleased lie hac
not, however,, the slightest objection TO the Clerk
reading the whole of the statement
/ Mr.. GARLAND, the Clerk. then read the notes and
references appended to his statcment-the statement
itself having been read yesterday.
| Mr.. CLIFFORD then took the floor and completed
his able argument, commenced yesterday; replying
clusively TO the arguments of the several gentlemen
who sustained the claimants commissioned BY the Go
vernon Of New Jersey, and referring TO various au
thorties ard prcccdents which bore him in the po
! stons assumed
DIR. COOPER of Pennsylvania desired to say few
words on the subject then under discussion, and he
should be as brief as possible in the remarks he
about to make, pcdgng himself beforehand TO the
House that he should exc out his speech BY calling
for the reading Of insoicnt lectures from presump
uous subordinate any matter not strictly pertinent
to the subject. He should proceed a. TO the dis
cusson of the question before the House, and, with it
permission, would change his position. MIR. c. Their
took place the floor 10 the Chair than the
| one he occupied If he not mistaken, Mr.. c
said, the amendment of the gentleman from Tennessee
to the resolutions Of the gentleman from South Caro-
lima, required that the Committee OF Elections should
report upon the returns and other papers, in the
possession of the House. before proceeding full and
final investigation Of the y J. elections, By purgng the
polls; and this amendment contemplated the rendering