The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-03-14

ne cac,s had occurred as he q tied Them when
~ Committee had been called together, member Vi
.ne eammittee produced from his packet paper,
Inc sealed envelope, directed TO the Speaker OF
unut u,se. he had presented II to the chairman OF
M eammit,ee and demanded that II should De read.
~ ~" NJ had not said that Il was the gentle man
from New York who did 'nis' nor aaa Nc us ssa,.
y "smher had desired that paper thus enclosed
me- ',a ~ read. whether the seal must not be hrst
SIN before the contents could be read, was ques-
u"n MIR NJ should leave TO The House Inc sen.
uel s'a,an who had drawn this packet from bis
genue has nocket; but, from the argument OF ina.
breeSns aan Mr. NJ concluded that he had conceded
genainon with those who wished Il read.
III 1P'"CsIu CHAIR stated that the papers which had
Inc s..r.d 10 the committee, and which were pro-
been hs same now referred TO. had come addressed
olVty n an envelope, directed ITO the Speaker OF
70 ~ - az Representatives-to the cafe Of the
i NE, Mr. Campbell, Chairman Of The Committee Oh
El @ SMITH, OF Conn, here rose to explain
NJ or rRjKIN and Mr.. CRAIG objected
Mt rnRNE Y said, before he could consent TO
W. a.neman's proceeding, he wished TO ASK the
~. of the committee, Mr. Campoeii, ~neh
I'D where this packet had been foundi
am NJ SMITH. The gentleman will know 10 nan
Nm. II he can wait that long. Mr.. 3. wished
s - correct the statement OF the genllem 10 from
Ohio Mr.. Medill, in saying that Mr. ?. naa cal.ca
Mn 10 order when abiding to TINS circuus'anee ,
Mr -
W, 'hs gentleman was speaking Of him. the gen.
,smao was al perfect liberty TO speak OF nun nsIo
=, alsswbrre: Mr. s. cared nothing about H. ie
had II was true, interrupted the gentleman ~ us
sne,ch and had desired that the lournai Oh 'ae oo
Tillee might be brought into the House uu' .ne
asnem an or his friends had refused to consent 70
L and then Mr.. 8. had said that he Insisted ne gov"
teman should be confined to order. ,,n
With regard 10 The insnuaiion Of me eenuelnaa
from Ohio Mr.. Medil that one oil Inc memoe's -
- tssara md tmDrODer
munication with one OF the parties claiming 'nI
seats from New Jersey, though the gentleman nay
moi named him. he knew he was the person aiuueo
TO- IA laugh from some members y senasen ."'a
saw any thing 10 create meriment nc dia uo' ~"
what Il was He had known that ne was inc "e",
her Of the committee alluded TO, from what hau
taken Mace in the co nmiltee room when ne haa ac
liyered over the packet of testimony 70 me cna,l.
man. Ir gentlemen choose TO entertain 'neu'sele'
with this statement they were al oeI.y ~ ~ ~.
The gentleman from Ohio. when referring 10 'nis
correspondence, had meant TO cast an inpu'anon ON
MIR ST. bur il gentlemen supposed that there was any
thing like conscious guilt on his part, and chose 70
laugh at the idea, they could do SO. bu' II "aseey
remarkable that while the gentleman ron n,s oa
rose and cast this correspondence as an impl'a'on
on Mr. s., he had himself acknowledged, ~ .ne
same breath, similar correspondence on ms own
part The gentleman had told the House that ne
had in his pocket letters from one OF the parties ana
said that he could read letters and had facts when
he could disclose we're il In order to do 50, derived
from the pl zee where testimony was taking. Ihe
gentleman had announced il himself he had told
the House about what he could have proved, and
had referred to letters from persons on the spot
which would show what was going on there.
Mr. s. would now state, briefly, the whole OF this
wonderful matter. In the first place. he would thank
the Speaker read the superscription on the packet
The Chair had read the address TO himself, but was
there mol more
THE CHAIR here showed the envelope, and read the
words, Dispositions IN the contested election 10 New
Jersey"l
Mr. S. said that the testimony had been forwarded
under cover to Mr. Osbun; and within the envelope
there letter to himself Mr. 81 which any gen
te,nan who chose was al full liberty to read He re-
GREETED he had it no, here but it at his lodgings
and open to any gentlemans inspection. There was
very little in the trial it mostly political u
it. character IL stated that the deposlons enclosed
in reference to the illegally Of some Of the votes
given South Amboy. and Of the poll held there. Az
they were about voting in the committee room Mr.. s.
al the request Of Mr. Osburn had delivered the packet
to the chairman. He had not deemed 1t necessary as
il was testimony in the case submitted to the commit
tee, that Should first 60 to the Speaker, because the
committee had been empowered c send for persons and
pupe and on that ground he thought they might, with
out improprety, examine it, Half hour after he had
presented it, question had been raised in the commit
tee whether they could take it up.
This all he had done He had been the instru-
ment Of carrying sealed packet from his to the
comm,,ee-roon, and Of there handing over, with the
seal unbroken to the chairman Of the committee Yet
the gent. nan from Ohio with his jaundiced eyes, had
seen something terrible in this. and had openly stigma
tlzed Mr. s. as attempting dishonorable thing, while
Mr. SIS lips we're sealed, and he could not make the
least explanation in reply but by favor He
grateful that leave had now been accorded TO hun
There was nothing in the transaction to warrant the
casting a reflection any Mr. 8 had none to
cast back on the gentleman from Ohio If Of the
parties chose to hold commune with the members
OF the committee, and to request them lay them be-
fore the committee nobody had any thing to do with IT,
Mr. MEDlLL said that, far as the gentleman
from Connec,icu, stated that Mr. M had admitted, d.
recIy indirectly, publicly or privately that he held
any communication with any Of the parties claim
lag the New Jersey seats, was untrue-it was I'M
qush6edy false.
[Herc several gentlemen called Mr.. Medill to order.
and much sensation prevailed in the House.
MI MEoiLL proceeded. lie had then stated that,
from the circumstances surrounding the production Of
these papers, and The request that they might be read,
It somewhat suspicious. And he had further stated
that the suspicious II had raised were confirmed by let
tiers written to HIM, but not by any OF the parties.
With them he had had did he wish
to have. All such commune iions, be they from friend
or foe, must come TO him a member Of the CON-
ml,,ee through the House alone He vonld consider
no papers drawn from gen,iemsns breeches pocket,
and addressed to the Speaker Of the House.
Mr. SMITH wished the gentleman from Ohio to
state what the suspicious circumstances to which
he had alluded as surrounding his IN S's) act.
Mr. PETRlKIN claimed the floor but yielded it At
the request Of
Mr. CAMPBELL, chairman Of the Committee Of
Elections. Who observed he could benefit to
be derived from further proactng these explanations
and he would, with leave Of the House. submit mo-
ton that the journal Of the committee and all the other
papers before the New Jersey be printed for
the use Of the House.
Alter proceedings this motion,
Mr. FILLMORE asked II he nigh, be permitted to
say one word IN explanation
tCtles Of No, no order. Il
Mr. + said (amidsi loud cries) that he wished what
the chairman proposed to be done.