Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-08-23
rwRSrY-sEvsNTH CONGRESS-.
TnvRsDAr. Angus, IS, 1914
uorTsE OF REpREsENTArIv

Mr. WISE called for the order OF the day, whis
was his motion 20 reconsider the vote upon the X
solution concluding the report from the Commits
Of Thirteen.
Mr. wrsE then resumed his speech, which ",
partially delivered yesterday. lie more partIeula
~ read and commented on the following passage
the msjori1ys report;
They peseeive that the whole legislative pow,
&C the Union has been for the last hflcen month
with regard to tho scion Of Congeess upon measure
of vital Importance, in state OF suspended aniuI
ton, strangled by the i've times repeated sirictul
OF the Executive cord. They observe that und,
these unexanhpled distractions TO the exercise
their high and legitimate duties, they have hither,
preserved the most respectful forbesranee toward
the Executive Chief; that while he has, time sits
time, annullcj, Ivy the mere &C, Of his will, the
commission from the people to enact laws for tn
common welfare, they have forbornc even the ex
preston Of their resentment for these multiple
irsults and injuries; they believe they had hig
destiny to fulfil, by administering TO the people,
the form OF law, remedies for tho sulerings thel
had too long endured. The will Of one man ha
frustrated all their labors and Frustrated all then
powers. The majority OF the committee oehess
that the case has occurred in the annals OF oui
Union, contemplated by the founders 3 0, ,he Sonsu
sutton by the grant the House OF Representative
OF the power to impeach the President OF the Uni
ted States but they aware that the resort to tina
expedient might, in the present condition OF public
affairs, prove abcrtve. They see that the irrceon
rllabie difference OF opintOu anu OF dCtOn DetWecr
the Legislative and Executive Departments of tn,
Government is bat sympathetic with the same dis
cordant views and feeling among the people. To
them alone the final issue Of the struggle must be
LEFT. In the sorrow and modification under the
failure Of all their labours to redeem the honor and
prosperity Of their country, is cheering consoa'
ton TO them that the termination OF their Off
oial existence is at hand; that they are even now
about to return to receive the sentence Of their
stituents upon themselves that tho legislative pow
CT Of the Union, crippled and disabled MS It my
now be, is about TO pass, renovated and revivihed
by the will Of the people, into other hands, upon
whom will devolve the task Of providing that re
NEEDY for the public distempers which their owl
honest and agonizing energies have in vain endea
vored to supply"
The report went on to say: "rhe power Of ih,
present Congress to enact laws essential 10 the wei
fare OF the people has been struck with apoplexI
10y the executive hand" Whence, he Inquired
came that cry7 From the same source Mr. Adams
whence came the doctrine that the representative
ought not to DO palsied by the will OF tho people
The report, in the extract which he had read, said
"The majority Of the committee believe that tn
case has occurred in the annals OF our Union, con
templated by the founders Of the Constitution, by
the grant 10 the House of Representatives of IN,
power to impeach the President OF the u. States
They had a majority of partisans in the Senate
and why not then, prefer their articles Of impeach
ment. He challenged his colleague mir Bo;tsl &c
do so.
Mr. Bolts said he should do so in his own gooC
time; but he gave notice TO the gentleman that ht
had not abandoned his intention to impeach tn,
President; and he should prosecute il at the mex
session of Congress. GOh Oh! and nush,er.l
Mr. WISE asked his colleague if better time
could be found than the present. and he called upon
hun TO redeem his pledge TO impeach. The gentle.
man MIR Bottsl had with him committee Of ter
three to cry out that the President guilty Of
impeachable offences, and 100 to so in this House;
but, instead of putting the President his trial. by
preferring articles OF impeachment, they skulked-
ANONYMOUSLY skulked-irom their duty, and turned
their wrath and fury on the sacred insirument-ihe
Constitution. What was their excused Why, "in
the present condition Of affairs, might prove abor
tive :" "They the irreconcileable difference Of
opinion and Of action between the legislative and
Executive Departments OF the Government is but
sympathetic with the same discordant views and
feeling among the people" They were palsitd by
the will OF their constituents Brave and noble &C
ton! After ell the impotence and vulgarity with
which the charges were made-afier the double de.
claration OF a committee of ten TO three, and q
House Of 100 TO S0-they retired fom tho issue
when brought to the test. As friend to the Pre-
sldent, knowing there was ma 0rity in the Senate
against him, he Mr. w. dared them to the trial
he challenged them to the issue whether the Presi
dent had usurred the power-designedly and will
fully usurped the power 10 collect duties. He chal.
enged them 10 60 10 the Senate for trial. for they
had no right TO submit the President to any other
tribunal. They could not try him here. Let II &c
10 the Senate, the disposition Of which was known;
its feelings, whether friendly or unfriendy, were
well known; and there were men there who be
lieved the President to be no better than he ough
10 he. lie asserted that there was law for the col
lection OF imports; and for this he had the authority
Of the great and distng ushed, and illusrIous Chan
ceIor Kent He called upon them, then to go DC
fore the Supreme Court on that question; and not
Ivy the Introduction Of retroactive bills, and by de
claTatlons on this floor hold out nvocations to
~
pay even the small duties which could now be col.
lected for the support OF the Government.
tie would submit IL 10 The people OF the u s.
10 the constituents or those who would return 10
receive their sentence-whether the course of the
majority here was patriotic. Even If there was
doubt IN relation TO the course 10 be pursued was
II not the duty CT the officers of the Government TO
take such course as would prevent the Govern
ment from starving? Such, however, was the des-
irncve spirit Of tho majority, that for the purpose
of heading Capt Tyler, they were not only willing
10 condemn the President, but aso TO prevent the
collection Of revenue. The whole question resolved
itself into this: should the Constitution be torn in
tatters, merely because these gentlemen are disap
pointed in their sehemesl Here Mr. Wise's hoa
{ Xpired.l
MIR RAYNER next obtained the floor. Several
gentlemen [Messrs. Granger, Gidiings and Bolts
sshed to make explanations, but he declined yield
ing. He had patiently listened 10 the speech oil the
gentleman from Virginia, (Mr Wse) and though
that gentleman had commenced with grand -four
ish Of tfumpets, he had heard nothing in the way Of
argument, which was entitled TO a reply. Instead
Of attacking the mpregnable positions of tho report
ol the gentleman from Mass, the gentleman had
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. skuked"-the issues en-
hiaced IN that report and had, with degree OF
''vugarity" for which he remarkable, assailed
the individual members OF the committee. He (Mr
R.) replied IN the language applied by the gentle
man 10 the members Of the committee. lie would
now give the gentleman on opportunity to say how
he intended il.
Mr. WISE said that, inasmuch as the gentleman
from North Carolina had given him an opportunity
10 say in what sense he had used his language. he
would declare that no referred 10 the action u the
and the House Itself He had said that
The majority Of the committee, and the House, ig-
sku'ked from their duty in their public
and collective capacity. He had spoke Of the mem
bers not in their individual but in their responsible
representative character He had reflected upon no
member personay-not even his colleague, MIR
Bolts 70 whom alone he had referred individually,
and who did not take exception 10 whal he said. IL
was his Intention, however, 20 array the conduct OF
the committee and the House. in their collective c.
plciiy, before the people, and he now repeated the
declaration, that their conduct was marked by inn
pudent vulgarty, without the courage Of imponch
msni.
MIR RAYNER said that, inasmuch MS Ire gentle.
man from Vnginia had disclaimed anything personal
TO himself he would accept the explanation.
Mr. WISE took occasion to pronounce the same
language no had formerly used towards the course
Of the committee in the House.
Mr. RAYNER continued. He was Willing 10
retrnc, the remarks he had made in relation to the
gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Wise,l inasmuch a,
nothing personal was intended towards himself
But. inasmueh as the gentleman had made his re
marks to apply 10 the whole Wing party he would
cay that the genteman's party was subject 10 the
same charges lie hurled back the language in tbe
l4rc of the Adn1iniafra finn Tvlrr