Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-12-30
CONGRESS.
A SCENE ry THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
on WEDNEsDAr, DECEMBER 27.
COMPLIED M "raE eLoBE.n

a ~ -
i Mr. SAWYER, of Ohio, rose he said, to question Q
privilege He supposed would be question of privilege
nasnuch involved the honesty the honor and the in
egry OF members of this House, and Of himself among thu
number He referred publication made in the Tribuneo
the 22d instant relative the mileage of the members of h
House. Inasmuch he thought good deal of his charac
ter honest man. he did want the gentlemen upor
this aoo especially member of this House, charge hin
with doing that which decidedly wrong in itself for
among other members, he charged with taking u
reasonable and excessive amount Of mileage member
this Houses and he understood, in dishonest and frau
duent manner. His position was probably little worse,
represented, than that Of any member on this oor He
put in contrast this publications with of his colleagues,
(Mr ScHEScK The charge against that gentleman was,
that he had taken dollars Of excess laugh and
he charged with having taken hundred and sixty
odd dollars Of excess (renewed laughte) when the facts
these he lived in the neghbohood Of his colleagues
and probably sixty seventy miles further from
of Government and the only possible way for him get
Washington city through the town where his colleague
lived The charge the bill Of Indictment preferred by the
gentleman from New York MIR. GREELEY in his paper
was that his mileage legally for four hundred and
nnetyeight miles, and his colleagues (Mr ScnEscKs)
for hundred and seyeny-seven miles, while he (Mr.
SAwrEn charged with having taken mileage eight
hundred and fifty miles, and his colleague for hundred
and eighty miles. The gentleman from New York excused
his colleague having taken but So 40 of mileage,
while he charged him with having taken S26l go
Now, Of two things must be either the gentleman
himself did not examine and make his accurately
else he had designedly placed him (Mr. SAwrEH) in
unenviable and false position.
/ Mr.. SCHENCk, of Ohio, interrupted and assured his
colleague that there had been colusion between him
ScHEScK) and the gentleman from New York. IA laugh
Mr. SAWYER said he charged no cousion, but he ask
ed his colleague to state to the House whether what he had
stated not true that he (Mr. SAwrER) lived
sxtyve seventy miles further from the seat Of Govern
meni than his colleague did and whether he did not have to
go through his colleagues place of residence going and
returning from the city Of Washington
Mr.. SCHENCK was understood to reply in the ahrma,
tive.
Mr. SAWYER repeated that the gentleman from New
York represented him having charged large excess AMI
that his colleague had charged only very small one, witt
the evident intention of placing him before his Constituents
in the light of having acted falsely and audulenty in this
matter.
Mr. PETIT Gin his seat) said the gentleman need not
be disturbed for nobody who read the paper 1.-The Trbus
believed il. NJ
Mr.. SAWYER said he had drawn the attention of tie
House this publication for this reason although he con
dered very small business make the best Of it. and
species of demagogism of which he could
be guilty while he occupied seat this foor while he
made any preenons to stand honorable among
his constituents yet this article did him gross injustice,
be presumed did to other gentlemen For what
this done in his especially He believed f0
the purpose of lowering him in the estimation Of his people,
in such manner neither the gentleman from New York
any body else could do by fair and honorable
The SPEAKER inerposed and said it be quite OBJ
vous the House that if gentlemen allowed pro-
coed this subject, question of privilege all the
bers OF the House might with the propiey, claim the
right.
[aughter, and of suspend the rules and let the
whole House make their personal explanations" "
The SPEAKER propounded the question, Whether the
House would entertain this subject question of privilege
which, being taken, decided in the affirmative.
So the House decided that it question OF privilege
and
Mr.. SAWYER proceeded He wished now to call the at
tention of the House another point in this He
would inform the gentleman from New York (Mr GREELEY)
that the Tribune, with ell its attacks upon him. past present.
prospective would deter him from the fesess dis
charge Of his duty both here and elsewhere He would call
the attention Of the House the following under
the editorial head in the article Of the Tribune in which this
statement in reference to mileage made;
"Twenty years ago the member from NORTHEASTERN Ohio
charged three hundred aud oyone miles in his dtance
Washington coming hither on horseback and hceivng
Se72 so for the His in the presn Con-
gress here much quicker, and certainly cheap
but he charges eight hundred and fifty miles, and receives
$3.50 for mileage 1t is but just add that he forty
miles further away"
He did know whether the editor Of the Tibu refer
red TO him in this paragraph, but he inclined to think he
did II he had spoken Of the member froh north
Ohio, and he from the Northwestern pat Of the
State tut he might have been mistaken this pOht He
supposed the reference him, the ntmber Of
miles for which his predecessor had charged s,aa
Mr. GREELEY (in his seat) said tha, part Of tae article
Mr. GIDDINGS, lin his seai.) claim that, Mr.. awrEa.
Mr. SAWYER accepted the correction. and recfnng TO
the contrast which be said made in the article between
himself and his colleague, (Mr scaEScK,) unavabI to
fairly in the matter why he had not taken the tBuble
ascertain the facts The publication made o such
character to affect the personal relations Of every geman
this floor and the gentleman from New York w knew
before this publication that there great excitement and
feeling this subject and had evidently desired I'd fan the
flame and add fuel TO the FIRE. In doing he had dine
nest injustice 10 him, (M :. however he might Lave af-
eced other gentlemen, and he had thought proper I'd call
tenon it that be might yindcae himself before III. House
and the country, and that neither publication which did him
gross injustice its author, should escape thu public
rebuke which they deserved
Mr.. SCHENCK said he understood his colleagues as com
planning that he had been charged with receiving greater
than he (Mr ScHEScK) had done-with receiving
upwards Of $500 excess while he (Mr. ScHEscK) was
charged to have received only s2.40.
Mr.. SAWYER assented.
| Mr.. SCHENCK. Well TO relieve my colleague from the
dilemma, ! will swap with him. [Lsughier.l
Mr.. SAWYER having concluded
The SPEAKER again propounded the question on the
motion Of Mr.. VtsTos to go into Committee Of the Whole
| on the state Of the Union.
Mr.. TURNER, Of Illinois, to question Of privilege
II related somewhat he said TO the that upon
which the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. SAwrEn) had been
addressing the House but the gentleman who wrote This
article had been exceedingly liberal with him. (Mr Tt and
had set him down receiving very respectable sum. he
disposed TO over not feeling that his constituents
would regard him any Of thief consequences Of
the gentleman from New York (Mr. GREELET) having
1.-THE SPEAKER inerposed but with what remark the
porter could not hear It's import may be inferred from what
| follows.l
| Mr.. TURNER (coninung) said he would then refer 10
the editor Of the Tribune. He Mr IT, had been charged
with grand larceny together with several but he had
risen for the purpose Of calling attention the SANDER