The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-01-05

tention TO call IN question the qualifications III NJ
Aitree an Reporter, tht accuracy of Nh HILL
but he had on The pefusal of his report II Nj Iac
rays speech on the necessity al M n,fr,L,n,s II
| New York employing an agent "A Nashin,,,n 49,
LED al once to conclude that il must have Boon : mr.
lesque of The speech actually delivered ar H.. r,nlJ
not believe that any one who wished as NJ, Ldr,y
ana 70 prevent the passage ofa law III Congress could
ever be so blind 10 his Interests as 10 ak snrb
speech as that given his in the Now York H.
| raid. N -
But further MIR. Jahay had himself published IN
that very paper, letter Or cant positively DENYING the
correctness of the report and r,fe,eitng il ~ earl
cature OF his remarks which card had b.rn ntblishcd
IA The Herald, without editorial comment 81 remark
to his knowledge, Hence MIR M concluded Of
course, as any man would naturally conclude that the
report was admitted by the editor 10 have been As IL
was charged TO be, mere playful burlesque MIR M
said he was not there TO defend Mr. Jafray nor was
he there to assail any When the report OF Mr.
Jaiiray had been read h. perceived that il had
more eject lnihe House than he could have though
II nj all likely 10 have and experimenting that the cha
racter OF the great body of The merchants Of New
York might possibly be njurousy affected by the i'm
preston u produced, and from the comments OF the
gentleman iron Massachusetts Mr. Adamsl on the
proceedings OF the meeting which had been delv
cred, Mr.. NJ. in duty bound had risen ia their de-
fence, and had endeayored 10 show that they in
no wise justly implicated. As TO this MIR Attroe,
Mr. M had no doubt he Of the best reporters
in this country. He had said nothing against his ca
pacy or character hut he had honestly supposed the
report a burlesque. lie repeated thai he had
risen to defend Mr.. Jafray 10 attack the editor
reporter of the Herald, but merely to perform duty
his constituents, by preventing nisapprehenson
this floor. As an evidence Of the total contempt in
which this whole matter was regarded in New York,
IN all the letters he had received from that city not
word was said in any one of them about H. In fact It
was too ridiculous an affair for Mr.. M 10 have any
thing further to do with, and he washed his hands
OF IL.
Mr. ADAMS said that If the gentleman from New
York, Mr.. Monroe, had alluded to him intending
in any remarks, he had submitted, to injure the cha
racter Of the merchants of New York
Mr. MONROE promptly nterposed TO disayow any
such idea he was fully aware that the honorable gen
tleman from Massachusetts would be one of the very
last men unustly 10 assa the reputation of respect
able body of men, of any other class of citizens
throughou this country
Mr. ADAMS said this sufficient for him No
man cherished higher respect for the merchants Of
New York than he did those, especially who were,
in proper sense, American merchants But the
meeting calling itself meeting Of the merchants of
New York, consisted of very different description of
persons being composed, chiefly, Of Scotchmen and
Yorkshire clothlers the very against whose frauds
the dill he had introduced was aimed. As TO the
mark Of Mr. Jaffray on himself lie should say nothing
to that portion of them which charged him with
having been closcted for two hours with the Collector
of New York when Mr. A. coming an to Con
gress-to which he plead guilty; he had been coscted
with that officer though not quite for hours He
had gone the request of the Collector, who hearing
Of his being in the city had him see
him at the cusom-housc and in that conversation
the Collector had expressed very strong desire that
that portion Of the bill to prevent frauds the
nue., which Mr. A. had formerly reported to this
House, should be reported again. With Mr. Hoyt
or with Mr., Benjamin f. Butler, Mr. A, could claim
little political sympathy; but he had gone lie
requested and there il stated 10 him that the
frauds complained of were going st and that the
bill was necessary now il had ever been and
the Collector had observed that his successor whoever
IL. la 10. E.,.l a..
Treasury entertained the desire foi the passage
of the bill And Mr. "A. would do both these officers
of Government the justice to say that he believed
this matter, they disposed TO discharge their pub
lie duty with fidelity and he was willing in this thing
to give TO the proper wishes ofthe Treasury Depart
ment all the support in that House he able.
Mr.. WADDY THOMPSON moved that so much
of the Presidents message relates TO military affairs
| be referred to the Committee on Military Hairs
Mr.. ADAMS objected He said that tie practice
for several years had been for the House 90 into
| Committee of the Whole the state of the Union,
and for friend Of the President then TO potion
out the p esidents age among the appropriate
committees, by which the whole of the docu-
ment came under the consideration Of the House IL
was good practice, and presented the only mode by
which the House could get full possession of every
part of the message But within the last few years
examples had crept in which he hoped fol all future
| times would stand warnings and not as admonl-
tons, of not considering the message IN Committee OF
the Whole, but Of indy idual gentlemen picking out
r IL
their committees. This practice not only
irregular, but highly ner pcdent and Injurious pro-
ducng utter confusion in the legislation of the House
1t prevented the House from getting the whole mes
sage under its discussion and that which it did dis
cuss was discussed under exposure, every moment 10
the previous question, by which free discussion and
| full and ripe consideration prevented Here
gentleman wanted one particular portion of the mes
sage referred to the Committee on Military Affairs
but Mr.. A. considered the portions Of the message
on that subject as highly important, he desired the
whole message should first be considered in Committee
of the whole the state of the Union and he felt
the rather anxious this point because the gentle
man at the head of the military committee at the last
session had proposed to add some 800 to 900 men
TO the standing army of the United States II the
| House did 90 into Committee of the Whole Mr. A
should very probably deliver sentiments on several Of
the subjects IT contained very different from those
pressed by the President. He hoped The gentleman
would change his motion.
Mr. THOMPSON consented in pursuance of
this suggestion, 10 change his motion for one To 20
| into Committee of the Whole the Presidents
message, and make it the special order on Monday
next, He denied expressly that the bill 10 which
the honorable gentleman had alluded introduced
last session did propose to augment, by single officer
or man, the standing army of the United Stntcs hut
its object 10 protect frontier exposed 10 the ut
most dangers from savage depreciation and massacre
The motion, requiring two-thirds, was not agreed
Whereupon Mr. THOMPSON gave notice that
he should renew his motion Monday next
TUE NEW JERSEY ELECTION.
| While petitions were being presented to-day, Mr.
| GARRET DAVIS, of Kentucky, asked leave to
move the following resolution, which was read and
objected to:
Whereas the majority Of this House, about the close
of the last session OF Congress- did decide that Potter
ID. Vroom, Philemon Dckerson, William r Cooper
Daniel b Ryal, and Joseph Killc, were entitled 10
occupy members Of the House Of Representatives
the five contested seats from the State of New Jersey
and said majority, with the exception Of the members
on the Committee of Elections, had had oppoItu-
/ nity Of examining the testimony relating to said con