The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-03-12

South Amboy, il required proof Of only 80
illegal votes to eniitle Mr.. Stratton to his seat
over Mr.. Kille, and of only SO TO establish
Mr.. Maxwell in his seat. and there ,ras proof
already before he committee showing more
than sufficient illegal votes, and yet the msjo
rity, both in the committee and in the House,
refused 10 consider Il
The committee, therefore, only reported
what the House sent to them months ago, and
upon the same papers which at first they ac-
knowledged TO be insufficient they voted the
administration members to their seats But
If they deemed these papers even good pre-
sumptlve evidence against the Governors
commission, is il just to decide erparie, and
refuse 10 hear the evidence on the other side !!
Is il good faith, after sending the Wings hone
TO complete their proofs, Nth The assurance
that The case should not be taken up until he
I'd Monday IN april, to take advantage Of
their absence, and smuggle their adversaries
into the House In our opinion it is the basest
treache,y.
But this is not ALL The majority did not
treat the minority Of the committee with COM
mon decency. The minority honestly and
widely differed from the majority, but that ma
jority refused to grant time to the minority for
the preparation Of a counter-report, and re-
fused to modify their own report so that it
might appear that there were members Of the
committee who could not agree with the ma
jority. They told the minority in committee
that their proper course to make the report APP
pear as the report Of mere majority, would
be to make that modification in the House, and
when the report was brought into the House,
they refused to permit the proposed modifica.
ton, which, in our opinion, was adding mean
ness and tyranny, 10 treachery. The report,
therefore, as it stands, purporting to be re-
port OF the Committee of Elections, is not
what it purports to be, but merely report of
five of the nine members of that committee.
When the report came into the Hoase, Mr.
Fillmore, who had five times been assaied
with attempts to gag, moved to recommit 1t,
to the end that there might be proper investi-
CATION, when Mr.. Petrikin, the illusttious
leader of the Administration party, moved an
amendment, assigning the seats forthwith to
The Administration contestants, and forthwith
sprung the previous question, and cut off all
debate
1t has been the jus, and invariable practice
of all decent parliamentary bodies, in cases OF
contested elections, to have an investigation,
and TO print the evidence and put it into the
hands Of the members before calling upon
them 10 act. But on this memorable occa-
sion the final vote was taken. without reading
or examining even the evidence which was
annexed TO the report, without suffering it to
be publicly read or printed, and without giving
those who were called upon to judge and to
vote any opportunity TO examine the evidence
to enable them TO determine what course was
proper for them further to pursue in this mo-
men,ous question Of the rghtlul representa-
ton Of sovereign State
The report was read once it is true, but
amidst more noise and confusion than we
have known to have occurred at any time du-
ring this disordery session, which rendered
it absolutely impossible for the most attentive
listener TO gather its contents, or apprehend
the views and arguments of the writers.
The MINORITY Of The Committee tcere not
permitted TO BRING INTO THE HOUSE their
counter-report, much less make 1t the subject
of examination and discussion. Their report,
which was prepared hastily, and under cir
cumstances of great difficulty and embarrass-
ment, will be found in our columns to-day.
Whenever one of that minority opened his
mouth to show up to the House and the coun-
lry the partial and we hesitate not to add the
iniqutous proceedings of the majority, there
was always some brawlng Loco-foco set on,
to silence him with a question Of order, and
when the Speaker decided the member was
in order, the Administration party marched up
regularly in solid column and reversed his de-
cision
AFTER the deed was done-atter the non
commissioned pretenders had been voted into
the vacant seats, which ought 10 have been fill
ed a, the opening ofthe session, and ought now
to be occupied by the members who possess
the highest kind of evidence known to the
Constitution and laws Of any nation pretend
ing to free or rational government-aiter the
case was decided, in violation of all law, pre-
cedent, and common rightvTHEN, leading
Administration Western member proposed
that the evidence before the committee should
be printed !!
The Administration party first declare that