Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-02-01
coNGREsS--rirsts session.
F'iday, Jun. u, lSl4
Tac Senate DID not 81 Today.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
! The Journal ofyeslerday having been read and nE
proved
Nj HUNGERFoRD, from the Committee Re
trenchmen, reported the following resolution; who
adopted
Reso'red, That the Committee on Retrenchment b
empowered 70 send and examine persons and papers
Mr. c. INGERsOLL rose to a question of PRIV
lege; and referred to and read The 18Th and 10th rules
the House. IN these words
! "l5 Stenographers, wishing to take down the df
bates, may he admitted by the Speaker, who shall as
sign snch places to them the floor, or elsewhere,
effect their object shall not interfere with the conVe
nience of the House
40 No person shall be allowed the privilege ct IN
| Hail. under character of senographer, without
written permission from the Speaker, specifying IN
part of the hall assigned TO him; aud no reporter or sic
nographer shall be admitted under the rules o! IN
House. unless such reporter stenoerapher shall STATE
in writing for what paper or papers lie Is employed
report"
lie procer ded to state that he found, certain news
paper, called the United States Gazette, which ha
been sent to ham This morning, the following lase &c
count OF transaction Which occurred IN that House:
"a scene oi some ta SENSATION, as the French terri
it, occurred in the House, upon Mr.. Ad'mss presenting
some resolutions from the legislature Of Massachusetts,
similar to those he presented some time ago, anu I
those presentedby Mr.. Bates III the Senate. Objection
made TO their reception: and the usual t"SS wa
raised Mr.. Adams called for the ayes aud noes
/
were signed by the Governor, &ci during which MI
&. J. lngerso cok occasion inquire OF Mr.. Adam
! ii the resolutions we're not written by himself. MI
Adams looked al MIR l. 4 moment, without deisning Il
reply ard then, with pacnliar manner, and cain
dignity. turned 10 the Speaker, and SAID "Sr, haV
demanded The yeas aud nays This was severe re
buke 10 what Mr. Admins considered impairment ques
tion 10 which, had he chosen to answer 1t at all III
might have replied in the negative.
lie asked for special protection upon this occasion
or any ether, from The Speaker but, as one OF tina
| body,
The SPEAKER observed 10 the gentleman from
Pennsylvania, that any proposition upon this subJec
could only he entertained by general consent.
| Mr.. lNGERSOLL said, he trusted The subject as
matter of privilege, would be entertained without OBJ
acton 1t not matter which concerned parties
1t was maller which concerned every indivlduo
member OF The House Every gentleman IN tho
House was liable TO be vicd and abnsed he had hat
his share OF abuse, nor had he complained. lie hat
never w.nced under any abuse; indeed, he might say
he had never regarded ~ but, the representative o.
00D freemen, he would not suffer his conduct 10 oe
nis-epresented BY those 10 whom he contributed if
give The privileges of the oor, for the purpose Of truly
reporting what occurred in that House.
1t unnecessary for him 10 say that the whole pa
ragraph which charged n number OF gentlemen viii
having created fuss, and which imputed u nun I'm
periinsncr, had iaisied the whole transaction lie
would not submit that such statement should 10 iorti
reported by stercgra pher olher reporter The ar
ticls which he had read signed "Ohver Old
school, which, h stalled IN his representative
capacity, but the Anonymous ore OF Il man named
Sargent, To whom special place had teen assigned
By the Speaker, but who seldom in his place; but
on the contrary, roaming about The House where he
had no right He called upon tie Speaker, as the DIS
tngushed organ OF that House, 10 ascertain II the man
10 whom he alluded, the author OF the caiumny;
and If So. 10 withdraw from him the privilege winch he
had conferred upon hun Of occupying seat IN the
House; and lie did this the promptly because u
was no. nh extreme case of personal abuse. Many gen
t!enan m'rht think il slight affair. 1t was shght
affair, and therefore the more promptly and unhesla
tiEgly did he lay lis hand upon It a gentleman oil
considerable experience had well observed O he might
be nerm,rd Ia refer /, kal t1rk place in the Com
t,ee On Rrlss) that II something should not soon &c
done in relation II the admission Of letter writer's their
nutbar wou soon exceed the number OF members;
and so far from nyng like fair report being made
they were represented their constituents, aud II to
reipn countries tie black uajs IN creation
HI could t,ke upon h,msef 10 say, that more or
de,y representative body did not exs:-no even those
ol England, France or Span, which the only ones
deserving of prison; but could he blind 10
the fact That the character Of the House, and the coun
try itself had been undergoing process of deteriora
ton in consequence Of thu streams o! calumny which
were sent forth fom this llouss and which returned
II IT, after haviugsyepi the whole extent o! tie ma
ton. He called Upon Tie Speaker to take cognzance
of the motion.
The SPEAKER remarked, that the first thing which
had hsen done bv him IN coanexion with the duty I'M
n9scd upon him ~ the rule, vas IL ascertain, Is we'll
as l.a could, Whether the gentlemen applying 10 DC I'D
m.ed were OF Tar standing and Character, aud ~h"-
thrr they were regular reporters and 20 such PERSONS
az far ms the Chan could ascertain, places had been as
sirned In 10 had place been assigned t.
Litter writer; in al taey Represented themselves
as reporters.
Il, e Ih,p Sarn
seat.
The SPEAKE. replied he distinctly recoected The
o,plca,ion. and pon reference 10 memorandum, he
found that seat NJ had been assigned TO HIM as The
rerorlrr rnr ,ha Tilted States Gazette.
Mr. INGERS0i.L said he wished The tha!r TO
understand that he stated upon his responsibility
that Nathan Sarsan, vas the author OF the article III
Mir MORRIS iuni.ed whether the matter rested en-
trely with the SPEAKER aud an individual member, 10
determine upon ani II enforce the expulsion rom .nS
hall OF re porter He knew something OF MI Saf-
sant and he knes him 70 be man OF un'mpeachaDle
Mr.. ADAMS sad, as he was in some degree involved
in this controversy, ina-much as he was anna'a 70 y"
the article compiined Of by the gentleman from renh-
sylyanla he womb take The liberty 10 eau LOT ""'e
ernir, sn.cdcaaon of The charge against the reporter
,han had yet hen mlde He did nrt find, IN the rules,
.,v arbitrary pnwer given To the Speaker to disfllce
ony cf The reporters q: this House Sui less shouiu
il be done on The c:l If single memher ~"o "'sh'
h,va taken DISCLOSURE towards the reporter tie asa
al for som.;hns mere specific something which
wo,H give authority 10 the Speaker to act. WIN
rss.ect to The facts stated by the reporter thoheh
bc would say nothing Of The inference which Inc
| re,orter had drawn, ,nd in which 1t would appear
be had lsken lha liberty to state what his (hr "a. 81
rl,,c. uc,e with respect TO the facts, lie was al
ls. ,o Ino. what fats stated by the reporter tue
gentleman complained of as being untrue. as lar as
TsItsd /, him. lhlr A. they were strictly tfue; ana
be ,ok , ,- GRANTED that It must have been apparent
the time, 10 every rh4mber Of The House. that the pre-
ceedur of The osntlenan was extremely dIsnrderly =
The reporter had perhaps, m'sunders''oo ms looAs
hu, he did not consider that his looks formed part %
The procee dnrs OF the House, a Taught ne wou'u
be sorry ,hey did But with regard to the statement
:, far "a j, rlaed 10 himself, he would endorse IL as
b,inp strictly true TIE reason why he d'd not an
swer the gentleman the time, vas because he o''
consider il a piece OF inpertlnence tie tn'nea lhe'
Ias stated in the report The Speaker, SAID That ut
had called Esr the W as and nays ana mace no a'
swer 10 the gentleman Bat circumstances aceu'ie'
Which the porter hid not mentoneo' ana toa' We
tina, there was shout ofaughter IRON ali o'oes u ''
| House.
Mr. INGERSOLL NJ your expense. -.
| Mr.. ADAMS Because perhapsit was supposed IN"
he was afraid to answer The question:. lie nous
mint ampss itself al his expense. IL" had no scfe
objection. Bu. for he satisfaction oil members v"
had amused themselves at his expense ne wouu '''
state that he was mt the author OF inc tesoiu'' ~