Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-05-06

IInderwo God then obtained the floor but yielded 10
motion for adjournment, and at half past hive oc:ocS
The House adjourned.
Monday, May 9.
SENATE.
Mr. WILLIAMS, from the Committee on Naval Az
fairs TO which had been referred the bill 10 regulate
the pay and emoluments Of the pursers and warrant
officers of the navy, reported the same oacf, with
amendments 81,
hill tn establish and regulate the naval rations
Mr. BENTON called the attention OF the Semitic 10 o
smn matter which concerned himself personally, as
well as the administration OF The Government, ano
which would hereafter command large portion OF the
Ssn.,e's attention. Senator from Illinois bis lett
rAlr McRohcrlsl had received letter from the post-
master General (Mr. Wickhfe) which concerned an
act of his (Mr Benton 81 and in which an answcr was
requested al IN early hour of this day The letter is as
follows: :, 800
PosT Orr1cE DEPARTMENT, May 2, 1912.
Sir: On the Both of March last received from you
written communication, in which you requested me,
ION behalf of the Senate Committee on Post Ohces.)
to send The papers on file recommending Samuel b.
Churchill to be appointed postmaster at ST. Louis
With this request promptly complied
These papers, bearing upon the nomination OF pub.
lie officer the propriety of whose confirmation had
been referred 10 the appropriate committee l hao
thou rht were TO be regarded, when committed 10 the
S. nate or commi tee thereof, with the same conhden-
al observance as other papers bearing this or any
other nomination. =,
Among the papers sent you two letters from Mr.
Wash to The President Of the u S. which had been, by
nv predecessor, received and placed among me ar
cbives of the Department. These letters have recent
| " been published by one of the newspapers OF 81
| Louis The President has called upon me 10 INFORM
him how copies Of these letters have been obtained
Upon inquiry, find that copies were not FURNISHED al
this Office and not knowing whether you or Inc com
m,tee furnished copies, or permitted them 10 De
taken, to enable me comply with the Presidents re-
quest have deemed it proper respectfully TO inquire
whether you gave authorized copies OF these letters
to he taken, and By whom they were taken
Your answer at early an hour to-day as Will SUIT
your convenience, is respectfully desired.
Your obedent servant,
C. A. WlCKLIFFE.
Hon. Mr.. McRoBERTs.
This letter mir B. sadly relates to four letters which
he MY ssfat !e r., e hans t wne .
what they sent. The four letters contained
un,ruhs in relation TO himself and of his consti-
ueHts, and also solicited change in the ST. Louis
post Office, for unworthy party purposes. Mr.. b. read
The parts Of The letters which he alleged contained
truths in relation to himself and Of his constituents,
he present Postmasler and also the part which related
10 the imposition which had been practised upon the
President, and which had led him to do act which
lated his inaugural address in relation TO removals from
office, violated the Presidential order against official in
reference in politics, and prosttuted the post Office TO
the purposes of faction and party Having read these
parts of the letters, MIR b. said that the Postmas
ter 1enerdl HaQ nxe0 nlmSe WIN tntS business, anu
had called upon Senator for early answer he would
90 say what he had said before; and that was
that the Postmaster General himself was of those
who had led the President to violate his inaugural I'D.
Dress TO violate the circular against official interference
in politics. and to prostitute the post Office 10 the base
purposes of party and that he had done this for the base
purpose ofturnng good man out of Office and pd,ting
one Of his connexions into it,
Mr. Is. said this the answer which he gave TO the
litter of the Postmaster General and he gave it at
early hour possible in the day-or it not yet
one o'clock-ns time and opportunity would permit
He gave early, and he gave it publicly, and from his
in the Senate for the inquiry related TO things de-
pending in the Senate, and which would find proper
time for discussion, and for ample communication TO
the public. lie had much to show and 10 prove on
this subject; and it should all be forthcoming at the
proper time. At present, he would only say that he
had answered the inquiry addressed the Senator from
Illinois, and should send to the press, part Of these
remarks, the four letters in question: md his own
slosng them, to the editor of the Reporter in ST. Louis
THE letters alluded to will be found in another
lumn.- Globe.
The difficulties in Rhode Isand-Three companies of
u S troops marching into that State, by order Of the
President, put doom The Suffrage party and Con-
stitution.
MIR. ALLEN remarked that he had heretofore intro
dnced resolution calling the President Of the u
for information of The of facts touching The diff
culles in Rhode Island, and on which lie founded his
letter TO the Governor Of that State. The several mo-
tons he had submitted heretofore TO take this esouron
from the table, and to have il adopted voted down
In order to show the propriey of action that
solution-the peculiar proprety of IFS adoption-he
would state to the Senate what he had understood to be
the fact, from various sources which could be relied on
and which he bel Ieved was true.
MIR. PRESTON here rose TO question of order, whe-
Their the Senator could make aluson to the affairs in
Rhode Island on motion TO take resolution from the
table, which motion itself was not debatable
Mr. ALLEN did not wish 10 debate the condition of
affairs in Rhode Island, but merely wished 10 state
fact, derived from uDquesonable source as add
tona reason why The resolution should be taken up and
adopted.
Mr.. PRESTON persisted in his point of order
Mr.. ALLEN then submitted his motion 10 Take the
resolution up from the table, and demanded the yeas and
nays on it; which were ordered.
The Clerk proceeded to call the ROLL and when the
name o. Mr.. Allen called
MIR. ALLEN rose, and, without responding TO the
CALL wished 10 test the of The Senate whether il
not in order for him TO state fact which came 10
his knowledge within the last thirty six hours (which,
if true, and Of which he had doubt would shake |
this country 10 its foundaton and which would 90 to
show. concusvely, that the motion to take the resolu
ton from the table ought to be adopted He submitted
this point Of order, founded the objection of the Sc
nator from South Carolina Mr Pres,on] for the deci-
sion of the Chair.
The CHAIR decided that the yeas and nays having
been ordered the motion to take the resolution from
the table, the Senator could not to the point of or
der raised By The Senator from s. Carolina Mr. Pres
on and demand decision of the Chair on tina, ques-
ton; that should have been done before the yeas and
nays were ordered.
Mr.. WRIGHT took an appeal from the decision Of
the Chair This appeal was argued great length by
Messrs. WRIGHT, ALLEN, KING, and WOOD
BURY, who contcnded that there was no rule Of The
Senate 10 sustain such decision of the Chair but that
the courtesy of the Senate had always gone farther
that it had gone far TO permit Senators 10 debate
a question after response had been made to the
call of the Secretary taking The yeas and nays
They maintained That The practice of the Senate had in
variably been to permit Senator to give his reasons
before response TO the call of the Secretary.
Mr. PRESTON maintained that the decision Of the |
Chair was correct.