The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1844-01-26
SENATE,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
SECOND SESSION.
FRIDAY, January &c, 1914.


Prayer by the Rev. Mr. Tinsky
The CLERK then read the Journal OF yesterday.
! After whch,
! Mr.. HUNGERFORD offered resolution asking
the consent of the House to authorize the Commit
tee on Retrenchment to send for persons and papers,
which was agreed to.
! Mr.. c. J. INGERSOLL rose to privileged ques-
ton, and read the rules in relation 10 stenographers,
and explained the power authorized thereby TO the
Speaker under the n in admitting stenograPhers on
the floor of the House for the purpose OF reporting
the proceeding of that body. lie said he had This
morning seeD in the United States Gazette, letter,
purporting to be report which was false in its
cepIion relating TO himself and the gentleman from
Massachusetts on the presentation of the resolutions
Of the Legislature Of Massachusetts in relation to an
amendment of the Constitution so to allow Fede-
raj representation on this floor only the free ct-
| zens OF the country, which signed OLIVER OLD
SCHOOL, whom, report says, is one NATHAN SAR-
GENT. In mentioning this subject, he asked no indI-
vidual right, because he was always ready and vii
ling to maintain those rights, but representative
right. He knew that every public man was liable 10
| abuse; but he, representatiy of seventy
| thousand virtuous 1reemen was not disposed 10
be falsely and maiici0usty reported by those to
whom he had extended, by his vote, the privilege OF
desk on the floor of the House under the color Of
! reporting its proceedings. He not disposed 10
let such misstaements pas, unnoticed, represen-
tative of the people The author Of this perversion
of facts signs himself 6" OLIVER OLpscHooL," and nc
had been credlby informed it was one NATHAN SAR-
GENT and he called upon the Speaker, repre-
sentative OF the people, TO ascertain if he is the au
thor, and deprive him of the right of desk a
porter which had been assigned him in virtue of the
authority Of one Of the rules OF this House, and
which, as the presiding officer Of the House, he
bound to enforse. and deprive him of the privilege,
for an abuse of 4. Here Mr. lngerso asked if any
member wisaed to amend his proposition-to which
no reply was MADE. He 81 this Jet h I'D been
! introduced in the Committee the Rules aud the
gentleman from North Carolina MIR. Saunders) and
himself had said If something not done the
subject the letter writers would outnumber the
| members. If something was not done on the sub
! cct, the honor and dignity Of the House was gone,
because they are reported by those letter-wrers
| falsely
Mr.. TILDEN asked Mr. Ingersoll to what part Of
| the letter he objected.
| Mr.. INGERSOlL The whole; but he did not
wish any personal controversy; however, if ii was
necessary, he should not shrink from his duty.
The SPEAKER explained, and said that the rules
only allowed Reporters on the floor, and not letter
writers, and when an application was made to him
for the privilege, he always made the proper inquiries
as TO character, SC.
Mr.. INGERSOLL asked the Speaker if he reco!-
lec'ed such name among the applicants Nathan
Sargent;
The SPEAKER said he had some recollection Of
The name.
| Here the Doorkeeper, Mr.. Dow, gave the Speak
err the order which had been issued admitting Nathan
! Sergeant on the floor OF the House a Reporter,
not as letter writer prevaricaor OF facts, stated
! 10y Mr.. lngersoll1
! The SPEAKER read the order of admission
| Mr.. E. JOY NORRIS rose and youched for the
! character Of Nathan Sargent, whom he knew to be
man of standing and character, but ne would not
youch for the truth of his report He said he did not
/ think he Nathan Sargent) would willingly misrep-
resent any one and inquired if the power Of dsms-
sal rested with the Speaker
Several gentlemen said it did.
Mr. ADAMS rose and asked the gentleman from
Pennsy Iyania what part of the letter untrue =!
He had read it, and il represented the facts they
actually occurred. Personal allusious had been made
! TO hin. and his son by the gentlemen from Pa (Mr.
! lngersoll, and by the gentleman ION n. Carolina
MR. Saunders and he here endorsed the statements
made by 90 Oliver Old School" as a true represen-
taton of the facts they occurred II Hoped that,
! in thus endorsing the statements made his looks or
/ gr inning would not be taken for mpe rtinence al
though he considered the questions propounded TO him
by Doth the gentleman from pennsy ania and the gem
tIeman from North Carolina, 81 the time as impeti-
! neEt and had declined answering them. As ih,
question had now been brought before the House,
ne would STATE that neither his son nor hm elf were
the authors OF the resolutions OF the Legislature of
the State of " Massachusetts, and he hoped if the re-
porter is TO be rjeced from his privilege, it would
not be done by ne arbitrary decision of the Speaker
! If he might be permitted, he would take upon HIM
self the truth OF what had been stated in the letter
alluded 10 by The gentleman from r. nnsy lya ia and
if the Speaker had discharged his duty, as he should
have done at the time, he would have called both the
gentleman from Pennsy lvana and the gentleman from
! North Carolina to order for imperlinence. In the
course Of his remarks he had made no aluson TO the
! gentleman from No tn Carolina, who had made an
alluson 10 him. inerring that he had belonged TO the
! Hartford Convention. He never belonged TO Il c
Hartford Convention and the House and the country
knew what part he had taken in relation TO that Con-
! venton.
! Mr.. SAUNDERS and xplained, and said
that he had only alluded TO the Hartford Convention
10 show that the resolution presented a the last s.
sion Of Congress- by the gentleman from Massachu-
setts was but revival of resolution of that Con-
yenion, which the same in its character and
which he did not al does not consider "imprrtinenir
but 'psrtinent" to the question. He had not stated
that the gentleman from Massschuset belonged to
the Hartford Convention, asserted by him.
| Mr.. ADAMS said he had not stated hat the ques-
ton asked by the gentleman from North Caro- ina on
that subject was impairment, but irrelevant to the
question then before the House. 1t had nothing
whatever 10 do with either the 2lst or the 25th rule
which was The question then pending but ha did say
that the auson intended to cast odium upon
him and his son, which impairment Ii appear
ed to him that, on various occasions whenever he
arose TO discharge his duty to the country these per-
sonaties were leyelled at him. which he did consider
impairment, and he appealed TO the House if such
not the fact and nc did candidy confess to the
House and the country that his feelings were hurt the
time. The questions asked him were both irrel-
eyant and impairment, and no had right to ask
another whether he is the author of this paper or
that as had been stated by the gentleman from Penn
sylyania (N'r lngersolD 1t is true he could not saw
had been asserted on this floor that he was born
"isiDont t5Gr,' bit he not afraid TO ackow ledge
his acts doae hefD the discharge of his official duty
to his constituents and the country. lie sa that he
not the author Of the resolutions of the episla
ture of the State of Massachusetts, as had been inn
piled and he further stated for the information of
the House AMI the country, hat the petitioners on
that subject had placed their petition in the hands of
his son, who was at the time, Representative from
the city Of Boston, and he had presented il TO the Le-
gislature. II was referred to select committee
and he was made the chairman of that committee
and wrote the report, Of which he was not ashamed