Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-03-20

ltb IlOtlH WV SVIINuS vi " cSThSo
party majority. After the Committee
had made considerable progress in their
investigation, It was found that the princi-
pal objection to the evidence adduccd in
behalf of the several claimants, was that
the testimony had all been taken ca partc
To obviatc this difficulty and by mutual
agreement, the Wing and Van Buren,
claimants returned to New Jersey, divi-
dcd the State into five Districts, assigned
one Wing and one Van Buren, man to each
district, and thus in good faith and with
an undoubtcd desire to obtain all the
facts bearing upon the question, they pro-
ceedcd to a scrutiny of the polls. Here
then was an opportunity for having all the
evidence in regard to this election fairly
taken and fully spread before the Com
mittcc, the House and the People. But
such a scrutiny was the last thing desired
by the Van Buren, majority. They kncw
that their party friends had not received
a majority of the legal votes, and fearful
that the Peoplcof the Union would know
this fact too, if the investigation were all
lowed to proceed, they determined to ar
rest the proceedings of the Committee
and Claimants, and to accomplish by force
what their candidates had failed to effect
by faud. Accordingly, a resolution was
abruptly passed, directing the Committee
to report forthwith to the House the names
of the five members, who, in their OPT
Mon, received a majority of the lawful
votes. And although this resolution was
accompanied by a proviso declaring that
it should not be SO construed as to preUent
or dciay the actiOn Of the committee IN
taking testimony or deciding the case
UPON ITS MERIrs-although it was per-
fectly we'll known that the several claim
ants were then busy in taking testimony
to be submitted to the committee-altho'
it was universally conceded that the case
could not be decided upon its merits I'M
til this testimony was obtained-a major
ity of the committee reported in favor of
the Van Buren, Prctcnders and a majority
of the House, before this report had been
printcd-bcfore it had even been read by
some ofthe membcrs-and after refusing
to %recciuc the report Of the Minority
confirmed the decision of the committee
and cOnsummatcd this atrOcious outrage.
There is nothing in the history of tins
country which bctrays SO desperate and
reckless a a spirit as this last worst act of
the Van Buren, Nulliiers. The Ameri-
can annals do not contain a crime ofdeep-
err dye than now stands recorded on the
pages of our Congressional history as
having been committed by the friends OF
the present Federal Administration.
In defiance of all precedent-in viola
ton of every principle ofjusticc--incon-
tempt ofevery rule of Parliamentary ac-
tion-in mockery of the provisions which
guard the purity of the elective franchise,
and of the rules which protect the rights
of the minority, they have conceived and
successfully carried out a scheme of palm
ing off upon the Union five Congression-
al P%retenders. They have in this wick.
ed deed outraged the People of New
Jersey, insulted the Sovereignty of the
the States, violated the provisions of tho
Constitution and trihed with the interest,
of the Union.-AU. Dai. Aduertiser.