Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-03-23

gentlemen who now charged the present minority with
an abuse of power did before the period arrived wne
they had to go into a minority They did what .ney
fMr Walker aud his friends) did ten days ago-they
elected Printer. Here were the proceedings on Tue
2Sth of February, 1885. And mark the date-Du' iou'
DAYS before that Senate was to expire
Mr. Preston in pursuance Of notice, moved That 'he
Senate proceed to the election OF Printer OF the Senate
10 the twenty fourth Congress.
Mr. Wright asked for the yeas and nays, which were
ordered and the question decided IN the anlma'fe
ayes %, Is. Among those voting IN Tue a,n'n
tive were Messrs. Calhoun, Clay OF Kentucky S.Sy
ton, Ewing, Mangum Pren,ss, Presson' sou'haf'' ~
Ter and Webster. ,..,;on u,s
A motion By Mr.. Benton to postpone the eiee'
negatived-Ayes Is, noes Is ,a ,f,er
The Senate then proceeded to the eiect'oh' a.u
Is balotinss Mr.. Wright moved 10 Pos'pone 'ne
loting indefinitely, which was decided u, 'ne
The Senate then proceeded again 10 oalo', ana on
tho Ia,b b,not slessrs Gales and Seaton were de-
cl,red 10 be elected Printers to the next Congress
Then The Senators who now charged on them (Mr.
Walkers side of the House, an abuse OF power, the
election of Printer on gong INTO minority, ala 'ne
very same thing themselves, and al time when they
were going into minority, by the election OF Gales
Sea,on And what did the Democratic majority 90
In 1886, having then majority IN the senate Oh .e
United States, did they come forward ana annui the
contract and the law of the land? No: they mad 100
much regard for the sancti,y of the law, to place
uuballowed hands contract which had oeeh
entered into in pursuance OF law and though lhcy au
an absolute majority they submitted as ireemen oushl
and allowed Gales and Seaton to continue as fihte,s
10 Ih. Senate and during their two years to derive all
the profits arising thereroni, which were enormous he
repeated they allowed to remain as the Printers
10 the Senate, BY majority opposed 10 them III seht-
ment. He had almost said, how dare gentlemen, IN
the face of this fact and the face OF the country
charge the Democratic members now win ah aouSe u
power:
Well. but what were the reasons wen: Here was
moton TO dismiss the Printers, and reasons were gwen
One was the infamy of the Printer. What: was tha'
Printer who was charged to be an officer OF the Senate
and whom they were asked to dismiss, on his trial =
And were The Senators his Judges: 1T so, who were
his accusers, What were the charges What was tIe
evidence which those charges were to be supported
For one he (Mr Walker) challenged gentlemen on the
other side the proof tie called for a
for proofs, aud he appealed to Them not to u
heard Infamy of character. He 5@"'sa IL ana ne again
called upon gentlemen for pools. Dio lhey not al
brow and had they not n,e year after year, and during
this very year Senators and Representatives opposed
70 ma in politics and who is now cabinet MINIS
Tor of General HARRISON social converse with, and
partakng OF the hospitality OF the man who was no"
CHARGED with nfamy of character III ne were mia
nous did that cabinet minister partake OF his infamy-
far he was an individual who had known this Printer,
and his private character WE'LL in Kentucky during the
period of his residence there and more recently IN
WASHINGTON He (Mr. WalkerJ challenged proof of
that character If he TO be turned out, let him be
beard-gve him the privilege Of an American citizen
Let him be confronted with his and let proof
be adduced Not only did the Senator who made this
charge reflect the cabinet minister who had parta-
ken Of this Printers hospitality; but, when he charged
this Printer with nfamy, did he intend TO charge ina-
my upon every Senator opposed to hun Mr. Clay,l IN
politics. who, ten days ago, voted for this man as
the Printer of the Senate Reasons must be given, and
this must be the reason. Execution must be DONE
The blood of the first Democratic VICTIM that day
TO be sprinked that altar but instead OF being rem
dered infamous he would be exalted the first martyr
ed victim under the proscrptve principles OF the new
ha n,,1l ha nxaI
on the ground of infamy Of character which he (Mr.
Walker) wholly denied, what other ground was
he 10 be removed. Why, it was plainly on political
and party grounds If he was TO be removed because
he was the head Of party press, and the head
of another party press to succeed him, 1t was
a direct attack the liberty of the press. This
man was to be punished because he had advocated
political doctrines opposed TO those OF the majority OF
this body, and system OF rewards and punshments
to be adopted to influence the press. political
editor was TO be punished and political editor whose
doctrines consonant with those Of the present ma
ory Of this Senate TO be rewarded. II was most
daring open and agraat attack the liberty of the
press Ii had but parallel, and that was the cee
brated case of William Duane, who, in $500, during
the last expiring days of the dynasty of the elder Ad
ans when carrying out the sedition law, brought
up on charge of libel on that body. That Demo
cratic editor hud opposed the administration OF John
Adams--he had opposed the violence OF many oil
its acts and proceedings and for this he brought
up before the Senate Of the United States. And
when he was called up, the counsel that he propo-
sed to advocate his cause.-the then Mr.. Dallas and
Mr.. Cooper-were refused TO be heard, and he
directed TO be prosecuted for libel on the Senate of
the United States But that, the first attack that
made the liberty o. the press in the person Of Will
liam Duane, consigned most of its actors if not 10 in
fanny, at least TO expulsion from political power: and
he (alr Walker) warned gentlemen ,it this act, that
this bringing down Of the political guilotine the
head of this indvidual-,he deprivng hun, this
mary manner, of his contract without charge, without
accuser without specification accusation and with
out being heard, might be followed by similar effects.
1t would be in vain 10 attempt TO deude the
try this subject: there not human being
that would believe that this not a political pro-
scripton-that this man not prescribed and de-
prved of his office contract because he the cd
Of free press and promug doctrines that
opposed to those Of the party in power For that, in
this summary manner, they were to violate both law
and contract and in the language of the summary
solution of the Senator from North Carolina they were
dismiss him from office. Well, let it be done aud,
though The dismissal might be summary, he (alr Walk.
cr said it might end in the dismissal of these whose
first act was prescription.
On the motion OF Mr.. HUNTINGTON
The Senate then adjourned.
Debate 10 be continued