The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1840-03-26

plated, either IN the committee or the
House, Until,h expiration Of the time allow.
Cd the parties 10 complete their evidence !;
nor are We wiling to believe that the House
would have adopted the resolution Of the
2sih Of February, if it bad known the situa
ton OF the case before the committee, or
anticipated the construction which the
committee would put on the resolution.
Nothing is more abhorrent TO a well.reg.
ulaied mind, than the appearance of decep.
tion or treachery in the administration Of
justice. We will not, for the honor of our
country, believe that the highest delibera.
tive assembly 10 the land, acting as a Judi
cial tribunal, and deciding, not only upon
the rights of individuals, but also upon the
rights of one of the sovereign States of the
| Union, will, for moment, after these par.
I ties have been sent away in confident secu.
/ rity that they we're 10 have time 10 take
/ their evidence, entertain the idea Of taking
up the case in their absence, and deciding
II without hearing, and with the proofs on
one side wholly incomplete. Such a pro.
cedure would be an example Of injustice
aud perfdy so fragrant, and establish pre-.
ceden, so pernlcious, that il would hardly
be respectful to this honorable body to give
1t further examination.
/ At this stage Of The proceedings (the par.
/ ties having returned 20 New jersey TO com.
/ pleie their testimony the subject was again
brought before the House, and strenuous
! effort made TO instruct the committee to re
port forthwith who had received a MAORI
ty OF the votes given a; the polls and on a
proposition to amend the resolution by IN.
,ertlng the word "ldpfm," so as to require
the committee to report the iGrfal votes
only, long, earnest, and 10 some extent,
40 angry debate arose and, by the casting
vote of the Speaker, the amendment was
adopted and the resolution was sen, TO the
committee in the following form
Resided, That the Committee of Elections
be authorized to report to this House such pa.
pers and such OF their proceedings as they NAV
desi.e to have printed BY order of the House, and
that they be Instructed also to report forthwith
which five Of the ten individuals claiming seats
from tie State Of New Jersey, received the great
est number of laTful votes from the whole State
for Representatives in the Congress of the Uni.
ted States. ct the election of 1888, in said State
with all the evidence of the fact in their posses
sion PrCridea, thu nothing herein contained
shall be go construed ss 10 prevent or delay the
action OF said committee in taking testimony and
deciding tho said case upon the llerts OF the cleo
tiol.a
A majority Of the Committee, paving no
regard to absolute instructions of the House,
10 report the LAWFUL rotes, decided that
the introduction OF the word "iqpful" did |
not effect the original meaning OF the pro.
position, and that the resistance il had en-, /
couutered IN the House from four OF their
own members had no objec, in it but per
verse and obstinate determination on their
par; TO oppose perfectly harmless amend
ment; and they proceeded a, once, w.ihou,
deigning 10 20 into an examination Of the !
testimony before them, 10 make a report on
the whole number Of votes given at the /.
polls, lawful and unla wful, the men and the /
boys, the alieus and the citizens, without dis !
elimination, and without stopping to lnqdire !
whether the elections we're held in the man. |
uer prescribed by law, when they knew that
allegations had been made and partially es
iab,shed that all these matters would be
proven, aud many OF them, perhaps enough,
already proven BY the testimony then be.
fore hem, TO change the result, at least in
part, i they would have opened and exam. |
med Il. But this the Committee conclude. |.
and labor throughout their report TO prove
they were not authorized 10 do, because
they were directed TO repor, farthuih On
Inc fdrtu! rotes, and lha, the effect OF that
otnnlPotent and "pHngeat rord forthwith" I
Eeuirdized and nuilied The word lauEa. /
and rendered II perfect nugatory aud lha,
being required TO report forthwith The lau.
~! rates, they we're Of necessity compelled
to regard all unlawful votes as lawful votes.
and that that was what the House intended
Wien by vote Of o. to sc they determined
10 insert IL.
Why, then, did these gentlemen them.
selves resist lis introduction Il was PIE.
clseIy what they desired 1t was exactly
"hls they had struggled for in committee,
and Why did they no, put the same cons,ruc.
non on their oSn act in committee, when
BY The casting vote Of the chairman it was
.hea decided to insert the word legal under
he same circumstances. Why did they
not then proceed to ascertain who had re
caIyed majority Of illegal as well as legal
votes, and report that fact 10 the House -
DAILY, We suppose, because that puncent
Tord forthwith was omitted.
fh.s branch of the report, we confess,
We EEL much difficulty ia preparing, from
10 IndIsPosiIlon 10 say any thing that nigh, ,
Jear The appearance Of want of a proper
Ieierelce ior The opinions Of our COLLEAGUES
md yet, We have SO little respect for the /,
easoning contained 10 that report, that We +
carcely Know how 10 charac,erze or treat .
l. We DO not mean to impeach their mo. ,
ives Or their Intelligence, but, at The same ,
lne, we are impelled TO speak Of il az the
nost extraordinary document that has ever
'one under our observation. Let US com. !
'are the resolution Of the House with the !
Report OF the Committee, and ascertain ]
whether the Instructions therein contained :