The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-27

VIII not attempt TO avoid lnvestlsatlon. L. w no
does?" ssWho dreamed of such thing!" ooh no''l
hope that they will not attempt TO avoid the APP
pointment of committee. 1t is said the charge is
not sufficiently distinct but 1t Is enough for me
that gentleman representing seventy thousand
persons has made it against the Speaker of this
House.
Mr.. STEPHENS. My own self respect, as
member Of the House, induces me to require that
the charge be specific, and we ought not to raise
committee until we know the precise facts.
Mr.. SCHENCK. shall vote for committee of
inquiry. AT the same time, hold that the House
has power TO ask for the charges. II any gen.
tleman makes .harges. he does 50 on his own re-
sponsiblity. IL they be frivolous no notice should
be taken Of them In this case the House owes it
to its own honor to make an investigation.
Mr.. KING. The Speaker erased the motion
did make. My motion was to close the debate on
the California bill, and he substituted the Presi-
dents California message. ! ask that the Journal
The CLERK proceeded to read, when
MIR. BAYLY wished to know whether the Jour
nal should be produced to the House or to the COM
mittee.
The Journal, however, was read as originally
written, from which it appeared that Mr.. KNo's
resolution to stop debate had reference to the bill
for the admission of California and the Presidents
message on the subject of California; and that, as
changed, the resolution was made to refer to the
message alone.
MIR: HOLMES. 1t is perfectly obvious that the
question must go to committee of investigation.
move that one of five be appointed.
Mr.. RICHARDSON Say nine.
And the resolution was then read, as follows,
viz:
Resoloed, That committee of nine be appointed
by the gentleman now presiding over the House,
to investigate the charges made against the honor
able SPEAKER by the Hon. Preston KING, a mem
Der of this House.
Mr.. McCLERNAND rose to make an inquiry,
which he deemed pertinent to the merits of the
question 1t was an inquiry which arose upon the
facts OF the case. During the progress Of the de-
bate on the message of the President relating to
OF the Union, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.
DoTY) had given notice of his intention, upon the
close OF the debate, to move the adoption by the
committee of bill to admit the State Of California
into the Union, to be reported by the committee to
the House for their consideration. Under these
circumstances, the gentleman from New York
(Mr. KING) had, on former day, moved res
oluton to stop debate the bill, which resolution
was laid on the table.
Now Mr.. Nice. put the question whether the reso-
luton was in order? whether, under the rules, it
could have been received? He insisted that it could
not have been received; and because the bill was
not within the control Of the House, the House
could not know any thing of tin fact, it not
even in possession Of the committee as no vote had
been taken upon it, and as it was entirely compe-
tent for the gentleman from Wisconsin to with
draw it. In short, it was matter of which the
House could take cognizance, or upon which it was
authorized to act; and hence was not matter upon
which the gentleman from New York could rest his
charge against the Speaker.
The gentleman, however, said that his resolution
shows that it was to stop debate on the message
Suppose this to be 80, and what followed. Nothing
more than that the Speaker caused the resolution
to be made to conform to the rules of the Houscto
be shaped in a manner which made it admissible
But, after all, what is the difference between what
the gentleman claims and what the Journal shows?
Nothing! Nothing!
The precise and only effect which could have
attended resolution to stop debate on the bill
that is. to bring the committee to vote on the BILL
and, II adopted, to report the same to the House
would have been the precise and only effect of the
resolution to stop debate on the message, if it had
been adopted, which was the avowed and only OBJ
ject of the gentleman from New York. Why,
then, this grave and unjust charge? 1t did not
merit the consideration of the House, and should
be dismissed in the most summary manner. II did
not deserve to be dignifed by reference.
Mr.. COBB, (the Spcaker.) ask leave to make
an explanation.
There were cries all over the hall for gentlemen
to take their seats. When order was restored
Mr.. COBB spoke as follows:
do not desire to be understood as interposing
any objection to the resolution which has been
moved; but it is important, as conceive, that a
simple statement of what has occurred should GO
before the public in connexion with the charge
which has been made by the gentleman from New
York. On the day indicated the gentleman rose
to privileged question, under the rules of the
House, to offer the usual resolution to stop the de-
bate on the question pending before the Committee
aware, il is a resolution very frequently offered;
and printed resolutions to terminate debate, in
blank, are always kept ON hand
When the gentleman from New York arose, and
offered the resolution, he bad not reduced it to
writing, but requested the Clerk TO do directed
that it should be done by the Clerk. The gentle
man Immediately made a motion to lay the resolu-
ton on the table, and the vote was taken, and
passed on by the House before the blank had been
filled up by the Clerk at the table. subsequently,
sent word to one of the clerks that the resolution
must read to stop debate on the California mes
sage, and SO directed it. The journalizing Clerk
did not hear the direction given - the reading
clerk, and the blank in the resolution filled up
by him. You and the House know that it is my
duty. as Speaker, TO correct the Journal Of the
House. 1t is read to me the morning after the adj
jour nment.
When the Journal was read on the succeeding
morning, discovered that the resolution read TO
stop the debate on the Presidents message and the
California BILL then pending before the Committee
of the Whole on the state of the Union. in
sructed the clerk to- rike out bill giving him my
reason, the that stated by me this morning,
for not entertaining the motion TO include the BILL
namely: That IL was privileged question 10 move
TO stop debate on the message because II had been
referred to the committee by the House; but the
bill had not been before the House, and the House
had no parliamentary knowledge of the tendency
OF the bill, 1t could not entertain as privileged
motion a resolution to terminate the debate on il.
This correction made in my room, and the
Journal as corrected was read the next morning to
the House. The circumstances occurred Just as !
have narrated them. have nothing more TO sa y.
MIR. KING. do not desire TO go into an exami-
Speaker have very high respect His opinions
were such, however, that could not vote to put
him in that chair; for, on certain questions, he
could control the decisions of the House tCries Of
"0rder," "order."l
MIR. RICHARDSON called the gentleman to or
der.
Mr.. KING. heard a rumor that there was an
intention to smother the California bill in commit
tee, and another substituted; and for the purpose
OF getting the bill before the House, offered my
resolution. had two objects in view; first, to in
dicate my readiness 10 vote for tho admittance Of
California without reference 10 any other matter;
and secondly, TO ascertain whether the Speaker
would entertain the proposition.
Mr.. STEPHENS. 1 would inquire whether the
gentleman drew up the resolution
Mr.. KING. did not; the Clerk did; he was di-
rected by the Chair TO fill up the blank. ! have no
doubt that my motion wa entered as made IT. IL
the resolution could not be entertained as il was
offered, IL ought 70 have been corrected at the time
am unwilling TO be deprived, in indirect way,
Of getting at the question. large majority of The
House have repeatedly declared that they will vote
for the admission Of California apart from other
questions.
Mr.. HOLMES. II is perfectly obvious, after the
statement Of the Speaker that there il no founda-
ton for the charge, and therefore withdraw my
resolution.