The Madisonian., 1840-01-07
SPEECH OF
MR.. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS,
N THE HOUSE OF REP


After long and somewhat stormy preliminary DIS
pue questions Of order, and the priority Of bosi-
ness
Mr. ADAMS rose and addressed the House nearly
IN the following words Il is not my intention 10 tres
pass upon the patience Of the House by occupying much
hme. The first point to which 20 is this ], is the
same IN substance which made point Of order
by the gentleman from Maryland. (Mr w Cost John
SOM namely, that this House proceed TO 10 othsr
buslneAs whatever until all its members have been
sworn beRsn by reading ont Of time. for have rs
served for another place this law Of The United States
lMr. had quoted the Of 1882 which provides
as follows:
Sec. . And Ge u further eaaeted Ths, at the FRS.
session Of Congress after every general election Of Re-
presentstves. the oath affirmation aforesaid shall be
administered by any one member Of the House Of Re-
presentstves to the Speaker. and by him 10 all Me
mehbeS present, and 10 the Clerk prerious entering
on any other basinsss. and 10 the members who shalt
afterwards appear. previous TO taking their seats
! say that this law is now binding, but. preceding
that, there provisions Of the Constitution TO
which that law applies. aud 10 which Il will be necessary
for me 10 refer The first is this
+" Representatives and direct taxes shall be apporton
ed among the several States which may be included
within this Union, according to their respective mum
bers"
Then follows the msnner in which the numbers shall
be determined.
but as presume the words OF the CONSTITUTION ~
this passage IN the minds Of all gentlemen. will
read no further but will that then declared
that New Jersey should have four Representative ~
this House that census should be taken from ten
years 10 ton years that each State should have re-
presentation according 70 its nunbsrs asceftaDed by
the census and that Immediately after the last census
Of Is3O-ihat i- on the 22d Of May, 1872 was
passed for the appononment Of Representatives among
the several States according 10 he fifth census which
provides that the House Of Representatives shall RE
COMPOSED OF one Representative to every 17,700 per
sous each State and goes TO specify that il
TO ssy'-and then follows the specific number Of Repre-
senstiyes from each State Of which declared that
New Jersey shall have Now, say that The House
OF Representatives Is not, 10 the sense Of this act,
8 -eompossd' until New Jersey" has ok Repesen-
,aives on ythis floor. ! set aside the act Of God
which has deprived my Stale Of OF it's yslua
Bile Representatives.; / set aside the act Of God by
which Of the Representatives. from New York
preyented from attending here by deep domestic az
fiction and set aside another act Of God by which
OF the members in this city has been disabled
by bodily rdisposion attend here in his place And
must set ASIDE another prvaon OF five members
excluded, BY the act Of God by the neglect Of
the People OF New Jersey bu, by the arbitrary decision
OF less than majority Of this House, that FIVE more
gentlemen who presented themselves hers FIVE out
Of the SIX Representatives, 70 which the law says that
New Jersey shall be entitled in tins House. have been
virtually shut out and excluded from it. This is the
Constitution. This is the law. have read them BOTH
The Constitution says that New Jersey always entI
tied have in this House certain number OF Repre-.
seniatlves IN proportion TO her population A law Of |
the United States unfepealcd, and therefore sI OF
bhdpg fnrce says that after the year 1892 The House
Of Representatives shall be eomposed Of gwen nun
Der Of Representatives., OF whom shall be from New
Jersey aid ! ask whether this House Of Representa-
tres il composed And, It i "a not whether ii Is
Constitutional aad legal House Of Representatives I'LL
il snail be
Bot, ~ answer 10 his question i; may be sad and |
has been sad that there others who clam be
Representatives from New Jersey Now the Corstt-
tatan that each House Of Congress shall he the
exclusive 1dge of the elections returns ard qaalIdca
uons of its members and the gentleman from /
South Carolina, (Mr PIekens) few days ago with /
er.rene ingenuity, an ingenuity which cogli rot
hello adnllrng, whatever other sentiment might have
occaatosed IA M mird,) called gs anaiyze this
provision, ahd sad that IN contained hree ds-
tnct rights first, The rlh Of Igdgng the slection
Of lts nembers secondly. of Iudglng Of the retains
or taer election and thirdly, OF pdglng of qua-
6catlons The course Of the septemaa's Argument il 4
IS not aecessary Tor follow bu, 10 ,hty 4
clause 81 The Constitution there word of yhch
ne took notice, pgt shch / ssk him 10 apalyze
aad ask taps House 10 snsyze, and that Is the ~ord
JCDGE Now IN aaayzag Iass word Ipage propose 4
ash frs,, what }. lmpors, and, secondly why
inserted AID yaa atst place say that hls word .
yudg-" employed 70 the Coastltpuon implies
tfia tmelies parties Irupies contest rnphes vi.
eenee and according Shich the gdze il 10 act
The Consutat0a ii me United States ass nat sad that
the House of Representatives. snail have arburary
power 70 src.nae % 70 expe any member from Hs
and from a, rights II member 81 gals Hopye Il Il
foes 10, ,ay aat nc House sha possess he arss,rary
power 10 DO ass bur il says la ,ais Hsgss shall have
power 70 J4ags And how N5t BY Z, mere arhsfs-
nv act aot according ae amoie iat si tie nalnrts
Wow ask, d tae SECOND piars, mas lsooeaed
mat oravs'ou msrrsed here, i instrument
winch ISundsg tae 3rnrype aiat ne e,rsi8g4-s,
,udcias aad pnwsr II ,is Government snzl
be sept separate gaat ne aglssrsvs siail
ercse 10 rld,eia laser- 'nat lie auriai
5ranca shl exercise szarIlsvs e1saJiva Issvar
and .aas ae ssecar,ve arpca saati .xe-,.Ss 70 esa
tive Or lldlrisi power Faat s great ne lsn ini
Solemn ornr,uie Carsntanun - as
Cniau and al CONSTITUTIONS ii ihs States lrs nund
ct Vow 1 n 'Hca instrument xa ipd me .z-sr- .
unu IL Vntcl sEyress tlhcla altaorfv conferred ~
The legislative 1ranca Of ne Government ! ass. shv
has .as gFaarrd " as Z aiat ,hs aGuss niunt
eEercse ianev, caorcn Is 1zr-v prejudice u
nnsfcr and aas sr9ei u fs members pleasure
No TIE Hanse musk act n 4 sdieai capacity {
must ornLsea tnal vhlca mere ara psr-les n
sAcn there evidences, and lryilneat lpna ne
svteuce
Bat .uers . another power conferred IN this House
Nv he Cansttl1nG and 'aat, nust s,imit ma con-
sdsraoie iagrer discretionary Tie 5over shsoute
a fsetf amt mis- Constitution has sad 1r vhst q
sis be exercised Bat saea ais power gwen,
Gid he uita0rs 81 las INSTRUMENT suppose would
atsedtless VITA 10 AAHGeF ~ fDN X s&an nc )fDnt
ouud sae act insfaEce, shey dis
solved iaat great l,d aiinns, luIvsrsa re-
1nrss tst iegjsatlve bodies snail seride nsnrHe-
and required Of sxo-saints before
he exsrcIsrsi--i he power Of exaai.
sou There must % one before 4ay neulher
-au be expelled rom ybis House That caution
snd .te guard under vaioa saus he Constitution
hnrzes - 10 exercise 1o'ver tremendous
Vow then. ~ as .or 4 nsmrui inquire how ihis
stands. Ia our Dr5crrsiiugS wilaiu TITS Hail when
we're ID HH iutarnal AMI lnorgaujzsd state
Fhen aot member nad'asea sRsra "a ne e4ithfll