Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-01-27
THE GAZETTE.
M OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES VA,
correspondent Of the Gazette.


4 HhNt JUST tNAGtbtG " NhU Solftt ~ nv
south end of which I Witnessed one Of those dis
graceful sessions that mark the popular branch Of
Congress, The Representatives Hall. to-day,
was a scene Of disoi der, which | would fain believe
exceeded tho discussion Of the New Jersey fraud
case. As well as I could CLEAN, in the confusion,
the difficulty arose upon the reception Of a report
recommending the repeal Of he Bankrupt Law. 1t
appears that the House had Instructed The Judi.
ciary Committee to report q bill for its repesl-bui
that the chairman Of That COMMITTEES had refused to
do so; and, thereupon, a member of that commit
tee prepared a report and laid it on The Speakers
table; and the question wns, whether the report
was regularly brought before the House. One Por-
ton of the House held that the report could not be
presented, until the Judiciary Committee was call.
ed on, according to rule; and the other portion
agreed that the vote of the House, instructing the
committee to report. was a virtual suspension of
the rule, and hat il ives in order to receive the re-
port.
The confusion Of the House was disgreceful to
the last degree; and | almost wished that the pow
er rested somewhere to turn the members out, an
tremendously. and lock up the House-as was
done to an essemblage OF men, sitting as the Par
Lament of England, during the time Of Cromwell.
When Cromwells subsliern asked The speaker,
" What they were doing there y he answered,
" They were seeking the Lord" "Then," replied
the worthy, yos may 60 lsewhere; for to my
certain knowledge. the Lord has not been here these
many days."-And he turned them out, locking up
the parliament house! Were the same question
asked Of our House Of Representatives, none, | am
sure, would snswer n. did the E~nglishman; and
few could say that " they we're seeking the welfare,
or the honor OF their country" So Gar as depends
on the action Of the House, its speedy adjournment
would enure TO the honor of the country-and ! re-
peat It, | am sorry that there is no Cromwell TO
produce that most desirable contamination!
Cries Of order, order"-"g go on" Mr..
Speaker"-"I rise''-''si sit down. move an
adjournment''-,' withdraw the notion" | call
for the ayes and noe.'-and many similar exelama-
tons were heard from various parts of the House.
Sometimes eight or ten men were on their feet
crying out MIR. Spesker'-and twenty or Thirty
we're crowding towards the clerks desk, Every
member seemed TO be excited, and wa, calling TO
the Speaker, or to another member who was at
tempting to address the Speaker! One was at
tempting TO make a speech, when Mr.. WISE cried
out in a loud tone, 81 call The gentleman 10 order"
-" and | call you to ORDER" roarsd out another in
a sientorian voice, which met its response in a burst
of uproa,ious laughter on the floor, and in the gale
ries. Every few minutes. the Speaker was raPping
on his desk, and begging the House to keep order.
After an appeal from the Speaker, and another from
Mr.. FILLMORE, | thought the House would remen-
Der itself so far as to preserve order, and for two or
three minutes it was %calm-but it was only mo-
mentary. -Four times, in the course of half an
hour, | heard the ayes and noes called: and in the
midst Of a scene OF confusion | left.
In the Rotundo, there has lately been placed an
additional painting, The Btptism Of Poeahontas,
by Chapman, which is much more admired than
the statue of Washington; though | heard an ac-
quaintance of mine, Gone in whose judgment OF
such matters | have every confdence,) criiicise 1t
rather severely. The coloring is considered TOO
high and the pastures Of Rolf, and Nantequas,
(ths brother of Pocahontas.) we're unnatural and
distorted. That of OpeeAancanongh, q believe |
have the correct orihogrsphy,) is said 10 be a po-
sition in which an Indian never sits. The Indian
maid kneeIs before the priest-and her face is
very pretty one-far hnndsomer, | an sure. than
that of Powhatan's daughter! By the way, | un-
derstand that a certain fair one, in the neighbour
hood Of the Capitol, who is soon to be the bride OF
a certain Senator from a Southern State. is the
person who sat for Pocahontas. If the picture be
not a Hattering one, the Senator viii be the pos
SCISSOR of a pretty bride-snd | hope she may be a
happy one!
II my historical reading is retained correetly-U
have no books before me to correct e~Irors)-Ope-
chancanough was the brother of Powhatsn, and was
the chief who headed a conspiracy tina, nearly de-
stroyed the infan, colony of Virginia, in one day.
He was a chief who was famed for his cunning,
and blsod- thirsty disrosition-and the artist has
been successful in expressing his character in his
face, although he may have done violence TO Indian
habits, in making him sit as he does in the picture.
Nan,equas was much more friendly TO the whites
and, Think. was the chief who succeeded his uncle
in the rule of the Powhs,ans.
These objections to the picture, with that of
c,owding together, too much. the characters of the
piece are considered glaring: and the critic, to
whom | have referred, think. that the painter does
not add laurels to his chaplet, By the Baptism Of
Pocshontas."
There yet remain three pannels ofthe Ro,undo to
be filed up; and The battle of Ner Orleans is a
scene which will be presented on canvass in one of
them. The artists name l have forgotten, but If
he does justice to his subject, the American people
will not forget him.
The chaplain 10 the House, the Rev. JONI NEW
LAND MAFriT, seems to attract a great deal Of OBJ
servation in the religious portion Of the community,
and has been quite an object of comment in the pa.
pers-especisll, the New York Herald, the editor
Of which appears determined TO abuse the reverend
gentleman into notice. The no%toriety which at.
taches to his name grows out OF some little pecu-
Iiarities Of the man-innocent in themselves, and
such as would hardly deserve attention-but which
his enemies catch e, to found objections upon.
have heard persons cavilling at him FOR small mat
tiers, that I should not consider as confined 10 him,
or as worthy of objection: and yet the catalogue is
filling up fast. Notwithstanding all this, Mr.. Maj
fits friends look upon him as one who will render
essential service in the cause Of religion.
In these hasty sketches, il win be perceived tnsi
| do not refer particularly 10 the proceedings u
he Housas If Conyesa avoid this Tor tbe res