The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-05-19
Srpf11 &ydsGiusfon.
99fh Congress---Est Session.
THURSDAY, May Z, 1916.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

Mr.. Mchay moved lhat the rules ioI
the order of business be suspended, and
that the House 90 into Committee of the
Whole or the state Of The Union.
Mr.. ]. Q. Adams asked leave to sub
nit a series of resolutions.
The Speaker said the motion to sus-
pend the rules to go into Committee of
the Whole on the state of the Union was
a privileged question, and must be put.
MIR. Adams said he hoped the gentle
man would waive the motion for a mo-
ment, TO afford him an opportunity to take
the sense of the House on the several
propositions he wished to submit. They
were of importance.
Mr.. Mckay declined.
And the question was taken on going
into Committee on the state of the Union,
and lost.
SHOOTING DESERTERS.
Dir. ]. @: Adams then asked leave to
introduce the following series of resolu-
tions:
Resolved. That the President Of the
United States be requested to communi-
cate to the House the name of each and
every soldier in the army of the United
States who, since the commencement of
the present session of Congress, has been
put 10 death by military execution with
out trial; also, the name of each and eve
rv person belonging TO the army of the
United States, whether officer or soldier,
by whom. or by whose order, such mill
tary execution has been perpetratcd.
Resolved, That the President of the
United States be requested to cause to be
arrested and tried by court martial for
murder, each and every person belonging
to the army Of the United States, wheth-
er officer or soldier, by whom, or by
whose order, any soldier Of the said army
has been put to death without trial.
! Resolved, That tho Committee on
Military Affairs of this House be instruc-
ted TO inquire into the causes Of the re-
cent increase of desertions from the army
of the United States, and to report whethl
er any further legislation by Congress be
necessary or expedient on that subject.
The resolutions having been read by
the Clerk for information
Mr.. Holmes, of South Carolina. lob
iect; I'll vote for then when the war
with Mexico is over.
Mr.. Adams then moved to suspend the
| rules, to enable him to introduce the res
oiutions, and asked for the yeas and nays
on the motion.
The yeas and nays, being taken, were
as follows: Yeas 45, nays 80.
And so the rules were not suspended,
and the resolutions were not received.
Mr.. Giddings said he rose to privile-
ged question. He moved to reconsider
the vote taken yesterday by which the
report Of the Secretary of War, commu-
nicated by the President of the House,
was ordered to be printed. He said he
desired the House to understand distinct
ly that he made the motion solely to in
form the House, and, through the House,
the country. of the real character of the
transaction He found that he had been
somewhat anticipated in the view he had
taken of the subject by his venerable
friend from Massachusetts. But, as the |
House had refused to adopt his resolu-
tions. and as the facts involved in the !
transaction were important, he now mo-
we'd to reconsider the vote mentioned, and |
when the House should fully be inform
ed, they could then reconsider the vote !
laying the report Oh the table, and refer
it to the Committee on Military Affairs
for investigation.
He then stated the substance Of the re-
ports as follows; Gen. Taylor, with his
brigade, was lying opposite Matamoras,
in the Territory Of Mexico, and as much
without the boundaries of Texas as they
were without the territory Of South Car
olina, or any other State.
Mr.. Holmes, of South Carolina, said
the army were in Texas.
Mr.. Giddings said no; they were ii, the
State of Tamaulipas, one of the conleder-
ated States of Mexico, and as perfectly
within the Mexican dominions as they
would have been in the city of Mexico |
itself. While thas situated, Gen. Tay-
lor says great efforts were used TO induce
his men TO desert, and that many had de-
serted; that a picker guard, while pur-
suing party Of dcserters, came in sight
of them while they were attempting TO
swim the river "Del Norte." While
the men were in the river the guard fired
upon and killed two of them" This
was done by direction of the non-com-
missioned officer in command of the
guard, without any other orders from the
General than the ordinary command to
arrest and bring back the deserters. This
he believed was the substance of the re-
port. The transaction has not been pub
lished in either of the papers Of the city
nor was the subjectpermitted to go to a.
committee in order that the country should
be informed.
NJ. II,.l,L..t.= c..ll.,I NJ q: L.