The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-02-08


The two papers are in the words following
Mol.
In Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House Of
Representatives of the United States, Tuesday, Isl
February, 1912.
Thomas w. GILMER, a member Of the House from
Virginia and a member of this committee, having an
nounced in the House his intention to move, wthou'
instructions from the House, that this committee do
elect a chairman the present chairman inquiries whe-
Their Mr. GILMER is now ready to make that motion,
and moves that this inquiry, together WIN Mr. rL'
MERs answer, be entered the minutes oil the pro
ceedngs of the committee.
In Committee on Foreign Affairs Of the House oi
Representatives of the United States, Tuesday, fe-
bruary LIST, 1912.
Thomas W. GILMER a member of the House from
Virginia and member of this COMMITTEE, AFTER the
Hon JOHN. O. ADAMS a member OF the House IRON
Massac husetts and member OF this committee, had
called the attention of the House to what he described
as petition from citizens OF Georgia, praying Tor his
removal as charmaL of this committee, and lntima-
ted his intention OF moving It's reference TO THIS com
mtee with instructions to proceed, II the members OF
the committee thought proper to the choice OF chai-
man, did say in the House that if this committee had
the power to proceed to the choice of another chair
man, he prepared to take the responsibility on his
pant as a member Of this committee, with or without
the instruction of the House In reply 10 the inquiry
now submitted by the chairman MIR. GlLMER says,
that the chairman having brought this subject 10 the
consideration first of the House and now of The com
mittee this respondent feels relieved from whatever Of
personal delicacy he might have felt in originating
such inquiry, and that for one he Is prepared TO
vote against the honorable member from Massachu-
sets, Mr.. ADAMS, as chairman of this committee.
Mr. GILMER further states, (some conversation having
ensued between Mr. ADAMS and himself, that though
he did not say in the House that he would move ID
this matter before the committee, he is ready not only
TO vote indicated, but to submit motion which
will bring the subject before the committee for It's &C
ton.
The gentleman, (Mr. Gilmer,) continued Mr.. A.,
said he ready do this but did not make the mo-
ton, the time for the session of the committee was
near expiring He took il for granted that the gen
tleman from Virginia would make his motion at the
next session of the committee, and that they would
then decide upon it, He simply said now, from IN
formation received from his ewn colleague, Mr..
Cushing,) which was now affirmed by the statement
he had made to this House, that the gen leman Mr..
Gilmer) did tampc- with him, Mr. CD and with
other members OF this House, TO remove him Mr.. "A
om his post as chairman Of the committee, and APP
point Mr.. C.. This was enough 10 go to the House
and the country, and be judged Of by public OPT
Mon.
FRIpAY, February A, 1872
Mr.. ADAMS, being entitled to the floor, rose and
resumed his remarks at the point where they had
been discontinued yesterday, When he had been en-
deayoring to ests bsh the existence OF conspiracy
in the House and out of the House against himself,
and through him, against the right of petition and
all the rights and liberties of the free people OF tins
Union; against the right of habeas corpus against
the right of trial by jury against the freedom OF he
press against the sacred confidence OF the post OIL
flee; and he might, he said, have added, against the
peace Of this country with foreign Powers, and most
especially with Great Britain. OF this conspiracy
he said he had furnished proof of so much as had re-
ference to himself his position in this House, and ms
franchises as member of it, and his position as
chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs !
proved said MIR. A., that. before had offered the
petition, the presentation Of which is the alleged
ground of this proceeding against me, and before
under charge in reference to which IS proposed
the House shall pass vote of censure upon me- the
purpose Of removing me from the position OF char
man of the Committee on Foreign Affairs mad been
already disclosed by of the members of the House
and that that member had tempered with my col
league, MIR. Cushng,) whom | regret not to see IN
his place That gentleman himself and my colleague
appeared to be little alarmed at this disclosure and
| charged the member from Abemarle (Nlr. Gilmer)
with having equivocatcd in the answer he gave to
the charge. My colleague, not understanding the
nature of the charge, and supposing that was in
tended as applying to himself then rose and declared
it to be unfounded. Before, however, the matter
was closed, my colleague became sensible that the
facts warranted the charge, though not upon HIM
IL
colleague himself and he admitted the fact that a
proposition had been made to him that should be
removed and that he should be put in my place, and
that the matter had gone far that consultations had
been held from the result of which it was inferred
that majority of the committee would support the
proposition whenever it should be made.
Mr. GILMER here rose, and, the floor having
been Yielded to him. expressed his hope that the col
league of the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr.
CLshing) was now in the House, and if he were, MIR q
called upon him to state distinctly that with MIR. u
at least, he had had no communication whatever, .di
rect indirect, upon the subject So that, II there
had been any tampering, the gentlemans own wit
dscredited the gentleman's assertion, which he
had been referred to to prove. If the gentleman's
colleague was not in his seat Mr. q. hoped,
whenever he should enter the hall, that he would be
permitted to respond again to the inquiry which he
had just put to him, and thus to put the uniounded
aspersion of the gentleman from Massachusetts for
ever at rest
Mr.. PROFIT. hope he will admit that had
no part in This tamperng. A Taught
Mr.. ADAMS resumed What member OF the
committee it was my colleague knows; | do not. Nor
can at this time deny the statement of the gentle
man from Virginia, (Mr. Gilmer) For purposes Of
that kind, direct communications form but very
small part of the means usually employed.
Mr.. Gushing here entered the House,.
Mr.. GILMER. The gentleman's colleague is now
in his seat and call upon him here again, to say
on the subject referred to, direct or indirect
Mr.. CUSHING. None whatever
MIR. ADAMS Stop, stop; before my colleague
answers that question IL
Mr.. GILMER. He has answered it.
Mr.. ADAMS. ! wish him to state who it was
that made the communication to him. did not
charge him with having given any countenance to the
attempt to tamper with him. What my colleague
said to me was, that the proposition had been made
and thai it placed him in situation so embarrassing
that he proposed to ask the House to be discharged
from the committee. That surely was no encourage
ment Of such an attempt say again, he tam
pered with do not say that it was directly by the
gentleman from Albcmarle. If he is 10 answer that
gentleman's interrogatory, then | ask him who it
was'
Mr.. CUSHING. My colleague saw ft, gratu;.
tousy and most unjustly, to introduce the floor Of
this House reference to private and personal con-
versation between him and myself; and 1t is common
enough, when detailing private conversation, TO sub
stitute the understanding of the narrator for what