The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-05-07
pEsERrioa FROM THE ARMY.

the said DILL which has been ordered 70 DC Pnea by the
House
pEsERrioA FROM THE ARMY.
Mr.. J. q. ADAMS asked leave TO offer a series
Of resolutions; which were read for information, as
follows:
Rsogsd That the President Of the United States be re
questsd communicate th.s House the o. each
and every soldier the army Of the United States who
the Of the present session OF Congress
also the each and every psnon belonging 10 the
army Of the United states whether oesr or soldier BY
whom or by whose order such military execution has been
RssiVss That the President Of tie United States be re-
9uestsd TO cause to be arrested and tired by count martial
for murder each and every person belonging 10 the army Of
the United states whether ocer soldier by whom or
y whose order soldier Of the said army has been pat TO
Rs,Oirsd That the COMMITTEES on Military Anairs Of this
House be Instructed to inquire into the causes Of The recent
and report WHITTIER any further legislation by Congress
be nsesssary sxPedsni on that subject
Mr.. ISAAC Z. HOLMES objected to the recep-
ton Of the resolutions. He was willing, he said TO
investigate the matter after the war with Mexico
should have closed.
Mr.. ADAMS moved that the rules be suspended
to enable him to offer the resolutions; and that
motion he asked the yeas and Nays which were or
derod.
Mr.. GRAHAM asked that the resolutions might
be again read.
Mr.. COBB objected.
The question, "Shall the rules be suspended" was
! then taken, and decided fellows
YEAs-Messr. Abbott, John Quincy Adams Carroll,
John q. Chapman, Cnnston Culver. DaTrsgh, John II
N HSn ss' samuel s. maSSard HUDSON. eSass 1 In
genol, Joseph lngersoll Daniel p King Leib, Lewis,
soe I RnssT Root sos%%. seSsnsI
Truman smith, Caleb B. smith stanton, starkwestheT
stewart, sIehn ThbodsspA ThOmSs'on' Thden' TrdmbO'
EATs-ais... s''gsrq Adams, , sssHiagsT Ssyly.
Btoekslbrougb BrOdhesd Burt. Cathest Reuben Chap
man, Chase, Clarke, Cobb, Cocke Collin, Crotisr Gu
Douglass, Dromgoole, Dunlap, Erdnsn FekIin, Darwin
Gentry, GoodJesr GordSn; Graham; Grover Hamn,
| ". Houston, Edmund W. Hubbard, 'HungsrfOrd. James
0. Hunt, George W. Jones. sssborn ZONES, Kennedy
sSTs SsT jo tG msD ao MS%
Moulon Nven. Norris, owen. Parish, Payne, Price. Reid
ssr sS. Rn.Z s ssSdCS A as s, D.
Jacob Thompson, Tbhatts TOOmbs Towns, wentwort
Wheaton, Wick, Wood, woodward, Yaneey, Yell and
| YoSt-s6
So the rules were not suspended, and the resolu.
| lions not received
| Mr.. GlDDlNGS now rose, and moved TO recon-
slider the vote by which the House had yesterday
ordered to be printed the communication from the
President, covering report f.om the War De-
partment in relation TO the shooting Of certain de-
serters from the American army opposite Matamo-
The SPEAKER. Did the gentleman vote with
/ the majority
| Mr.. GIDDINGS said he had done so.
| The SPEAKER. The gentleman will proceed.
| Mr.. GIDDINGS. My object is to call the atlen-
| uon Of the House, and through the House, the at
ention Of the country to the nature and character
Of that transaction. And myself anticipated by the
veserable gentleman from Massach usetts [Nir. AD-
| ANS by tho introduction Of his resolutions this
morning, so far as his views are there expressed.
The light in which view this transacton-
| Mr.. TlBBATTS rose to a question Of order. The
motion submitted yesterday had been simply mo-
| uon TO lay on the table and print No division had
been called for. The motion now was to reconsider
the motion to print Could that motion be debated
| The SPEAKER said, the chair was under the
impression that the motion TO reconsider so far as
/ the motion 10 print was concerned, tcas debatable
| A brief conversation followed.
MIR. GlDDlNGS resumed. My sole object in
moving reconsideration Of the vote is to call the
attention Of the House and the country to the char
acter Of that transaction. When this motion shall
have been disposed Of the path will be open to move
reconsideration Of the vote by which the papers
were laid on the table, in order to substitute mo-
ton for another disposition of them-their reference
TO the Committee on Military Affairs
IL understand the facts OF the case as they have
been transmitted in this report, Gen. Taylor, whilst
occupying position opposite Matamoras-within the
proper bounds, suppose Of Mexico--as much be-
yond the bounds intendency Of Texas as if he
had been in South Carolina, or in the city Of Mexi-
co itself-Gen. Taylor, say, as the Executive in.
forms US, in perfect peace and amity with Mexico,
i
serted by some of his'troops. The soldiers who de-
serted from the camp were pursued by sergeant's
guard-or by picket Of recolect the words of
the report,) and whilst attempting to swim across
the Rio del Nore, were shot by order of the officer
in the command of the guard Thus were the lives
Of Americans sacrificed by the tyrannica order Of
single sergeant, without arrest trial, without hav
ing been pronounced guilty ofany misdemeanor, and
without having been arraigned. do not hesitate to
| characterize the transaction a foul murder as
much as if that officer had come into this hall
and shot down any two or three Of the members of
this body. BY the laws of this land, by the rules
and articles Of war; by the genius of institutions
| the act unauthorized it would have been
to have shot down in cold blood member Of this
| House
| have not entered upon this matter without hav-
ing consulted former precedents to which it is my
design to ask the attention Of the House. have
before a perfectly in point, which abundant.
/ y demonstrates what the feeling of this House
formerly was when transactions Of this character
took place under military power. l will ask the at
tention of the House TO this authority because il
will show the spirit that prevailed in this House in
former PERIOD in the purer and better days of this
republic, when there was love Of liberty here
| when the rights Of man were regarded, when the
institutions of our country were revered, when the
laws were upheld, and when the honor of the coun-
try sustained
And now to the facts In the month of August
1918, when Colonel William King, commanding
the forces in Florida
Mr.. G. w. JONES. rise to a question of or.
der. f..
The SPEAKER. The gentleman will state hi.
point of order The gentleman from Ohio will tax,
his scat W '" ." '-..'..#'.. '' ..,
Mr.. JONES. | submit that il is not in order, OF
motion to reconsider motion to print, to 60 int
the merits of the subject natter that the gentleman
must confne his remarks to the reasons why tn,
document should be printed, and must not 20 int
the general merits of the question. '"t
The SPEAKER. On a motion to reconsider
motion to print, the remarks Of the gentleman mus
be confined to the propriety or improperly Of tn
printing I--l - ..1H' Il ,aau"
Mr.. JONES. Then is not the gentleman out
= ORDER
The SPEAKER. The gentleman must confn
himself solely to the question Of printing.
Mr.. J. q. ADAMS. But, as a debatabe mat
ter, are not the character and nature Of the docu
to be printed matter of legitimate observation
Are not such remarks perfectly relevant
The SPEAKER. So far as the question Of print
ing is concerned, the proprety or IMPROPERLY o
prip m mat ho