Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1843-12-22


The roll Of Representatives elected to the
XXVlIIih Congress having now been read by The
Clerk, according to usage, and quorum OF menu
5ers whose right 10 participate IN the act Ut or
ganizlng the House of Representatives, IS undI7-
puied having appeared and answered. - their
names, this body - about 10 proceed to TIE hlgh
',tuty OF electing a Speaker-to fill Office winch,
n point OF dignity and political consequence, IS
hardly second To any known to the Cons tuition,
after that OF President Of the United Safes
By fore that high duty shall 10 entered upon, the
undersigned feeling a sense Of solemn ob5gatfnn
To truth and responsibility to God Tor what they
utter and assert, are constrained TO declare that
10 their united and undoubing conviction and
Judgement, deep and Grle"ous wound, perhaps
never to be healed, will be Inflicted on the Con
slluon, and on law, order, and civil liberty, 1t
the election Of Speaker shall be conducted in
the manner IN which we have reason TO aPpre-
bend II may be.
Several persons from the State Of New Iiamp.
shire. namely, Edmund Burke, John p. Hale Mo.
ses Norris. it, and John Il. RedIng; several per-
sons, nlso, from the State OF Georgia, namelg,
Howell Cobb, Hugh A IIaralson and Absalom
A. Chappel1; one person from tho State OF Mis-
sIs,Ippi namely, Jacob Thompson; and several
persons from the State Of Missouri, namely,
James NJ Bowlin, James NJ iIughs, john Jam
eson Gustavus NJ. Bower, and James Ii. Relie,
have been called by the Clerk, are now this
Hail. aud have answered TO their names IN
manner to leave doubt that their intent and
purpose is to vote with the duly elected Repre-
senrativcs of the People here present in the cleo
ton of Speaker, aud to act and participate fully
ia The organization Of the House OF Representa-.
lives, If they were members thereof.
By the act Of Congress OF June p, 1872, "fur
The superintendent Of Representatives among tho
several States according to the SIKH census" II
was enacted s'that IN every case where IA State
Is entitled to moro than one Representative, the
number to which each State shall be entItled
der tho apporttoument shall DO elected by districts
composed Of contiguous territory, equal 10 num-
Der 10 the number of Representatives to which
said State may be entitled, no one district elect
400 moro than one Representatives"
The several States above named Ia. q refused
~ iaied TO provide hy law for the election BY
Districts of Representatives, from those States
respectively 10 the 2Sth Congress. each of them
beng entitled to more than one Representative,
md The people OF those States have failed, there.
fore, to elect Representatives by districts, the
law of Congress required.
These facts are notorious, Indispntable, md
undIsputed; they are known To all, aud admitted
by all. Failing to elect by districts, they have
failed to elect at all, for all legal aud constitu-
tioua purposes They could elect, because
there were no districts 10 those States from
which TO eject. Election by general ticket Is no
election. No existing and valid law authorized
any such election to be held; aud election,
therefore, has been held IN those States at which
Representatives for The 2sh Congress coud TO
chosen.
II is unders TODD, nevertheless, that tho persons
above named propose and lHtond to vote IN the
election for Speaker on the ground that they
hold returns, or written certificates or commits.
sious, drawn up IN regular form, purportIng To
DO the evidence Of their election as Representa-
tiyes. We hold that any returns they can have
DO not give them any title whatever, when they
are considered IN connexion with the known law
nj he lanl Il nnIDubfpd-
ly true that, by The Parliamentary law, returns
certificates in regular form, by authorized func
tionares made according TO law, are, in al, cases,
prima facie evidence OF election, and conclusive
evidence OF right to assist IN organizing the
body 10 which persons are thus returned; and IT
is under color of this Parliamentary law,
understand, that the persons above named pre-
sumo 10 call themselves members OF this body.
But provision has been made by law for
election BY districts in those States and no such
election IN fact held, how could any officer or
functionary in these States make a return of any
such electonl And as these States are not au,
thorized by law 10 hold election by general
ticket or other wise than by districts, how can
any officer functionary therein be authorized
by law TO make reruru OF any such election? We
are not prepared to admit that any person from
any of these States Can have in his possession
any legal documentary proof OF his election as
representative for the 2Sth Congress- We are
well aware, however, that an attempt, If now
MADE by motion or resolution, before the orgaui.
zaton OF the House, to exclude those persons ,
from a t4aruc1pauon IN that act, would be atten.
ded wItHEreat embarrassment and great DELAY /
and with the hazard of confusion, violence, and
anarchy IN this Hall.
We have concluded, therefore, to conten, opr.
selves IN this stage of business of The IIonse
with declaring, 10 this formal and solemn manner
our condemnation Of proceeding on the part Of
the persons we have named, which if performed
we shall hold TO be lawless and essentially revo.
iutionarv 10 lis character, subversiye Of the con
shtalon and OF all law and order, and tending
directly 10 the destruction of our free Government
we declare that we shall regard the election of
Speaker, II elected by the votes of these persons
as an Illegal election and legal fraud upon the
Nation; and We shall not fail or cease, after this