Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-06

oFEECH OF MR. DROMGOOLE-OF FIRGIHiA.
III Lht House II Representatives, december "a, 1872
YIN the New Jersey disputed election, in reply to
Mr. Sergeant Of Pennsylvania.
Mr. DROMGOOLE observed THAT he had not al
any preliminary s;age of the proceedings the sub
lect OF The New Jersey election, gone into the merits
OF the controversy because he believed that the whole
discussion heretofore had been premature and could
nave no other effect than to PREJUDICE the matter in dis
Pe, and TO iurcst, the opinions Of the House and OF
the public, before The vence Submitted 20 regu-
lar and impartial examinations HIS opinion had been,
from the first that they onght to 30 into invesga
tlon OF this question Of disputed right 10 seats in THIS
Hall b. committee, who should make report Of
the facts and the evidence addnccd in support Of
them. That then both parties-both sets of claim
ants should be permitted TO appear at the bar,
should be heard in defence and vndicatiun of their
respective clains-uccnrding to the language used
in the British House of Commons, should deliver
their cases fcnaS: after which this House shond
soen.ny a:d itnparaliy exercise the power conferred
by the Constitution OF Judging of he eicton$ returns,
and qualifications. But gentlemen on the other side
seemed DESTROYS jump all inquiry, reject from
their view and their consideration all conflicting and
adversary testimony and arbitrarily restricting them
selves TO the commissions THE Governor Of Nrw Jcr.
scy to decide that those who held them should take their
seats rs matter OF course, and without question They
called upon TO decide tia, these commissions were
r0ncuSre To the right OF the gentlemen 10 take their
seats and that, therefore, the right quaiiy and take
seats cannot be controversial And gentlemen had also
urged in all the previous discussions the imperfect state
othc organization of the House, as reason why il could
not enter INTO any examination affecting the VALIDITY
Of these commissions II boldly assumed that al.
though assembled here in ourappropriar place of meet.
ing At the time prescribed by the Constitution and the
law and that although he House is 10 be composed OF
members chosen by the pecpe of the several States
yet that any person holding commission or return in
the form prescribed By the law cf the State to be- rvcn
10 those elected by the people may, Of right conclusive
ana urGuestonabe, tdhe his seat, md participate in
the organizations and that after and not before the or.
gani2ation, may not inquire how this certificate or
commission obtained, and whether it has been truly
given according ia the result Of the election.
But gentlemen iangec avail themselves OF the
difficulty arising from want Of organization We are,
said DIR -, organized; have Speaker 10 pres de
deliberations: have taken the cath prcscr:h-
cd L. S ~ the Constitution; and surely there would
TO he obstacle 20 prevent from making full
examination Of all the evidence, and Of deciding the
case upon its merits. Although fully convinced that it
competent for the House to decide Immediately,
dispensing with the intervention ni committee :c he
believed that such conssc woaid 90 premature and
50 well calculated 10 promote fairness and impartia,ty
rs 10 await examination into all Tho facIs and cv
drncc by committee, and their report thcrrupon--
With such Impressions Of the proper ode oiacl:nn lir
ID. SAID he would not then g. into examination Q"
the whole question; bu some Of the prnpostr rs Of
The learned gentleman from fcunay iYania, Mir. Ser
rcant las ,I.n aioTr. the prnci, pies
of the Constitution, and contrary, the current Of
presidents that liz fer constrained I, them tie
threshold lie understood that gentleman maintain
that he could only look to the State Of New Jersey in
this Instance, acting II lis corporate organic capa-
city. Now he utterly denied that The doctrines Of tii.
gentleman we're in accordance with the Constitutions
and he called upon him to look lnio thai instrument
itself 10 what authority it gave FOR that assump
ton
Before, however, going into examination of this
part of The .cntcnan's argument, he would premise
n reIE1rhS order that the; mint 2 bel
ter understanding OF the suncut we o.., s.,J
D., avoid much confusion, and reason with more pre-
cision, when understand alike the terms winch we
use, and, IN the of debate, attach to them the
same meaning. j. was known 10 tho Speaker whu
from his infancy had been educated in the political
school OF the State Rights party, ::ho had ever, with
them maintained that the Suites parties the Fc
ieral compact that this term Estate is used in three
diirren, He would respectfully refer gentlemen
In tn, celebrated Report ct Mr.. Madison, mad" 10 the
Legislature Of Virginia IL explanation and r:adca
ton of line Resolutions which iaG, at the previous
session, been offered ny John Taylor Of Caroline
The term Estate, sad Mr. Dromgoole, sometimes
meant the territory comprahcnded within .l:n
geographical limits. We speak Of the hound ties
Of State, and speak Of going into Virginia or
Maryllnd. II sometimes meant the whole machinery
Of the State Governments, th-clgh Tie agency o
which the affairs Of tie State, or political community
.ius C:gan 2ed, were conducted and administered. II
also meant Tie people composing H." political commit
mites within their respectively defined limits. The
ptapc, within their crtara! liii;ts, respectively con-
s:i,ute Independents: political community. In this
sense, this political community is sovereign State,
and in this sense, each sovereign State IS party
10 the Federal compact The term :. State, there
fore was sometimes applied t. territory sometimes
10 the Organized State Government, (and then wr
view il acting IN lis organic iorm,l and GONE tines
10 the people, IN their nigh and sovereign ciiarac-
ter. The State Governments, as scc!., the States
in their or"anc lois, wiatcvrr they might have been
pt 'pulp To the
compact from which derived all the powers o the
Federal G0,cfan:cnl. Tie States ci New Jcrsry, 'ir-
gina and the other members Of this Confectionery, III
their sovereign capacity the people who inilbit c'3-
tain defined territories, who compose free and ncc-
pendent communities. parties 10 the Federal com
pact which. i,cv in the of their sovereignty,
aJootcd and ratified d. not lcii me-, then, (sa! y
u that We are opposed TO State Rights, when
tend that The organic form of State shall not be sub
stutcd for its real sovereignty; when we maintain that
the operations of the machinery OF the State Govern
ment shall not be employed to defeat msrepresrnt
the will of the sovereign people, in in hch this
House By solemn compact between all The parties, Is
constituted sole Judge.
With these distinctions i'll rev, he wonid respect.
fully invite the attention Of the distinguished gentle
man from Pennsylvania to the Identical language en-
ployed BIZ the Constitution: "Tie House of Repre-
sentaves shall he composed ofmca:hrrs chosen every
second year By whom, sir: isy The States, acting
as organic bodcs-known to US only in In" cafacIty
at organic DuucS NO. SiT Dut 10y iHc feOPtC o
several States" And now, sir, take has provision
OF the Constitution in connection with the passage
read by the gentleman, MIR sergsani:l "The nam
Der Of Representatives, shall not exceed one for every
thirty thousand bal each &ate shall have at least one
Representative: and, mil such enumeration shall be
made the S,otc of New hampshire shall be cnt!tlc TO
choose three, Massachusetts eight, &c Here then It
is said that the ESTATES shall choose Representatives,
ard in The passage which he MIR. D. had previously
cited it is declared that the members STALL be ch"seM
hy The 7coc Of The several States. The term estate
therefore nat used is conenied by the gentleman
to denote mere organic body bat tie terra ''S:a:e
lin speaking Of the representation to which II is emit
ted means he people composing the political socIcty
in their highest sovereign caPacy-ln that capacity II
which the Estate hccainc member Of the Compact
and az member Of the compact, under its terms ana
provisions became entitled to it, aPpor'onment ct re-
presentation With respect to the Senate, the ConStl
tuition says ie Senate Of the L. ) shall be compose
Of two Senators from each State, chosen BY the Le
sislahtre thereof sc. Here (sald Mr. d. is shown
If been