Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-01-30
CONGRESSIONAL.
ofEECH OF MR.. DUNCAN, or Quo,

:
ska congress, assembled in this hail. and at the usua
loas cock) the Clerk of the House of Represent
~ rs '"f NC previous Congress- in conformity with hi
'hc' auty rs established by custom existing from th
oi'.t'"h Oh our Gov"rnmcnt, and under the solemn
~ OF The oath lie had taken at the threshold of his du
ties, commenced making out and coIlin,r the roll .
ncWpcrs wio he hod been informed and belle we'd wcr
eecteo 20 tae wensy Congress As has been tn,
CUSTOM he commenced, geographically, the call o
members rom Inc State Of Maine and proceedct
through n Hampshire, Connecticut Vermont. Massa
Ghusetts H. Island ~ York, aud to the name Of JOSEPH
handolph Representative from the S,o,e nj Srw
Jersey Here the Clerk was arrested WIKI tho cry Al
ass orsf y. JrSey lie stated that the election 0;
~ "e ..cW jersey members having certificates oil
lfS,ion and claiming seats thereby were Confessed
and there were no.in aces III ms possession,
and submitted 10 the House whether he should pass the
State OF New Jersey Here the Gas @asi bf ehr
eF The proceedings TO organization were arrested he
the controversy commenced, all thar simple and re-
Spcctiul statement and submission of the Clerk Those
opposed to The Democratic party and the Administration
insisted that The OF the certificate members from
New Jersey should be called. The friends of the
Administrations were in favor Of the Clerks sugges.
ton, to the end that tie conflicting claims might be
examined, and justice be done The result has been
many days OF moderate, warm, angry, violent and tenn
pestuous debate, at immense expense to the Amer-
can people, when there was really question involved
except as to the proprety of posponng the call of New
Jersey until the other States should be called TO the
can be The motive which has supcrnduced this unex
ampcd array of hostility to respectful and rational
proposition made By the Clerk. have before limited
al reason; others will be developed as the history of
this contest is unfolded But word in defence Of The
course oithc Clerk III tins cun,roycr" and tie reasons
winch governed hun. have sad that il part OF
the official duty ofthe Clerk to make out roll and
call the names Of the mrmbcrS of the Twcny-sx Con-
gross. This he perform under the solclnity of
an oath. for the faithful performance of which lie is an
swcrabc At the bar of his country, and at the throne of
eternal Justice and Divine accountability. What was
his duty under this solemn responsibility Was it any
part OF his duty to enrol and call the of who
were not members Of the Twenty sixth Congress. He
stated at the outset and lie continues To state that there
arc conflicting evidences in his possession the men,
b"fs from New jersey and that he does not feel war
ranted in taking the responsibility himself of calling
and enrolling the names OF men-which call may ent-
tie them to seats IN this hall-wom he has good reason
to believe have not been returned by the people. Sir,
his course has been conformity with the duties Of his
station, his obligation TO his conscience his God and his
country; and any other course would have been vio
aton Of his oath, and his religious, moral and political
duty. His course has been last, manly and dIgned,
and will meet the appreciation and support ofevcry
III the community untaintcd and interrupted by par
ty poison. But what has been his reward herc:-
Day after duy conumely, abuse and dcrison have
been poured upon him in an uncrasing torrent. No
names have been tro degrading 10 upon HIM;
motives too corrupt 10 attribute TO him. He has been
10 the stand he has taken the reward he is
ccive in the renewal of his station. Sir, have
ccnvcrsed with the clerk upon the subject, but take
the responsibility upon myself to deny, in unqualified
terms, tina: he has been iatercd, drvcn brbed
or hired - the he has taken throw back ihs
charsc- those vino .rstn7i'S Tf570I New Jersey
Here IT is. ask that IL may be read from the Clerk
table, together with all documents his table going
show that McsSrs. DIckcrson, Erocm, ke, Rya,
Cooper, and Randol ph, were the six candidates who
received the greatest number of votes for the Twenty
sixth Congress Of the L. S. in the State of New Jer-
scy and are, and of right ought 10 be- the members
turncd-all of which intend to incorporate WITH and
make part of my speech
The Clerk read as follows:
STATE oF Nrw jersey
James D. Wcscnit Secretary Of state Of the State of New
Jersey do hereby certify, that upon careful examination Of all
made clerks Of tile respective counties
said state and filed in my Office and also Of returns Of votes
the townships South Amboy, county Middle
and Of Mlrle in the county II Cnmbcriand verified BY
the adav Of the several township officers oil election III said
townships respectively W! township returns !ucudcd
Tie etnn. Of the CLERKS Of sad counties Of MddleseN and
and file office Of the election for members
ysist Congress OF the United States, held the ninth and
days October Ammo Domn thousand eg. hundred
vs Whining F"cc @ ro,es Peter s vroom
voIc b. Ryn as Ill votes William H. Cooper .s4.5
John r B. Naswcli as5sa votes William iastd ao395 voes
Joseph + nto = ~ voEs Charles G. stfal,"n e 1896
pears that, said election Philemon pckerson Peter p vroOn
Daniel B. Eyn William T. c"%psr Joseph Kill, and Joseph
vcs in the St II New Jersey for Representatives OF ald state
III. House Of RepEc Natives OF the Twenty sixth Congress of
The United STATES.
testimony whercnr have hereanto my hand an! afx
e, my seal office the city Trenton STATE
s. L. twenty ih day Of October in the year Of Lord
one thousand EIGHT hundred and thirty ninc s3e) and
Of the Independence Of tie '%sd s'is' W vi i;
This, sir, sad Mr. d. is he certificate of the Sec
rotary of State, Office old as the Stale itself
Created by It's Constitution its responsibility is of the
highest chnractcr its duties Of the most sacred nature
and its importance not inferior to that Of the Governor
This officer is elected by the Legislature, the CO.
vernon is and rrspons bic both to the Legislature and
to the people. His duty involves the of the ar
chivcs Of the Stac-thc of the files and the re-
cords Here is official document given from under
his hand with bis seal of Office affixed, and under the
re- responsibility and soemnty of oath which he took
at the entrance upon his official duties. Here, sir you
have pria ;cic crd6ace of the fact that the cert feQe
members are not entitled to seats IN this hall
Before proceed, give me your attention for q few
moments while rive short HISTORY OF Tho 1855
.;sa .s hose who n''y no same
and thc State Legislature is helu a. w te Pc
oxron, when Electors of President anu 1sJ, of
s,dent are chosen The time IS ''t One no is held in
octo".l' L;n The election is by ballot; anu -.
rr ali the candidates are put III l,ie or
townships. The assessor ana 'n co h mr.
10 township with judge OF election over and
10 - the annual township meeting -; ,d the
pose d. pd ;nspcctors Of the cicctioh, az" ".
act % lrl oGiciates rs the clerk OF INC 'a
TEa np Of opening and closing the pGs 1, ,e The
in ali The townships and is nans.ed IN ths several
candidates 10 frst Monday of September The coun
so"n.rk transmit the of the persons
the Governor of the State The GoEGsho Dominated
81 transmits a true list OF all the pefs'nI - ,h Lntv
ana af zach county in the State. II IS the uut
the The county clerk Of county to transmit e t Gaiy
VI w ,o,rnship clerk in each county ;. 10 ny
- I'll ,o,nship clerk to put up copies ioi 40 nor
nation ion Of all, and the election IS "au' '''"' :
thus tho hsory now for the law The Iw
vde ss that after the polls closed it inp Of Of the
ot't the Judge and inspectors, and the clerk o ~
ton, to proceed immediately o,e. given for each
take an acspa Of The same which list they souy
y sea up and ri ~, 10 ' county saturday
aI @ day ; the Ps2e FIVE O'clock Al
list shall s Which said na pTSass voted
u make one M number votes received ,o s,i
alo an si transmit same al Tue Gnvernment With