The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-04-25
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.


The journal having been read, Messrs. KEN
NEDY and WHITE rose for the purpose of
making personal explanations. At the same
time, Mr. WELLER moved that the House re-
solve itself into Committee of the Whole to take
up The tariff bill
Mr.. WHITE said he rose to privileged ques-
ton, and it was The first time in his life that he
had ever taxed the attention of the House in the
form in which he was about to do it, He COM
menced by asking the attention of reporters at
both desks to what he should say
The CHAIR here interposed to say that the
proposed explanation could only be allowed by
general consent.
II object" said Mr.. JOHN P. HALE, of New
Hampshire.
Mr.. WHITE urged the fact, that the privilege
he demanded had never been denied.
The SPEAKER was aware of this, but he had
stated, in the form always used by HIM, that it
could only be allowed, without suspension of
the rules, by general consent.
Mr.. WHITE did not intend, at all, to complain
of the Speaker.
Mr.. E. J. NORRIS moved suspension of the
rules to allow explanations from Messrs. KEN
NEDY, of Ia, and WHITE, of KY. The yeas
and nays were ordered, and were, ayes SO, to
noes Ga SO the rules were not suspended.
Mr. WELLER'S motion was renewed, and
the House resolved itself into Committee of the
Whole.
Had Mr.. White not been deprived Of the priv
ilege never before denied to gentleman on the
floor OF the House, we learn that without relating
a single incident which TRANSFERRED between him
self and Mr.. Rathbun in the unfortunate rencon-
tire on Tuesday, he intended to have pronounced
the account given in the Globe of that transac
ton, and the language attributed to himself and
the gentleman from N ew York. as false, totally and
unquahedly false. We have heard it so pro-
nounced by several persons who stood close by,
saw the whole transaction, and heard every word
that passed.
Mr.. HOPKINS having taken the Chair,
Mr.. BRINKERHOFF then took the floor in
defence of the British Tariff Bill. AS por-
ton Of his argument was based upon memorial
sent by Locofoco Abolitionist, Joshua r. Lea
witt, to the New York Legislature, it is fair to
presume that his deductions were of no great
consequence. @r
The next speaker was Mr. WETHERED, of
Md, who commenced his remarks with an au-
sion to the speech of Mr. Owen, of Ia, lately a
| British subject whose speech was entirely Brit
| lsh in its character. Mr. w. thought if the gem
| tleman and his speech had been landed together
upon the shore of his nativity, he would have
been restored to his allegiance. Mr.. w. next
examined the existing tariff and contrasted it
with the bill before the House He thought if
80 So''"i''"c wiz IepoiLeu the lallcT 1du Oeen
better acquainted with the trade and manuac-
lures OF their country, they would have framed
a very different bill. Those who asserted that
the existing tariff had not brought about a reduc-
! ton of prices, asserted what was not true; and
| this Mr. w. illustrated by exhibiting in contrast
great variety of samples of cloth of British and
American manufacture.
Mr.. WIS speech excited great interest and at
tention, but was too nice, in many of its details,
| to admit of report.
The floor was next assigned to Mr.. KEN
NEEDY, of Md. Mr.. OWEN desired the privi-
lege OF it for few minutes which Mr.. K was
willing to grant, provided the time occupied by
MIR. Q. was not deducted from his own. This, of
course, could not be.
| Mr.. KENNEDY reviewed the bill before the
House, and, in a mingled strain of argument and
| rldcule, showed that it had been framed upon the
most accommodating, Democratic, principles
| MIR. K, made one OF his happest efforts, and was
listened to with apparent pleasure by all sides Of
the House. He was followed by
| Mr.. E. J NORRIS, and the debate was con-
tinued until the House adjourned.