The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-25
THE NATIONAL ERA WASHINGTON, D. c., APRIL 25, 1850.

to suspend their remarks until order is re stored
Senator'S are requested to be seated.
Mr.. Clay. Mr. President
The Vice President. Business cannot proceed
until order is restored.
Mr.. Hale | hope order will be kept in the
galleries.
The Vice President. There is too much noise
in the galleries. Quiet and order must be re-
stored
Mr.. Foote May proceed in order7
Mr.. Benton. | demand that the Senate shall
take immediate cogpzance of the fact OF this pls-
toll having been brought here to assassinate me,
under the villanous pretext that was armed-the
pretext of every assassin who undertakes to con-
stitute case of self-defence when laying out the
death of his victim. Will the Senate notice 1t,
or shall myself, for il shall not pass. will not
be satisfied here
Mr.. Foote. IL my presenting pistol here has
been Understood as anything except the necessary
means Of selfdefence, after threats of personal
chsstisement it is doing me wrong. ! saw him
| advancing towards me, and took il for granted
he was armed for had thought otherwise
should have stopped to meet him in that narrow
alley. But supposed that he was armed, and
therefore determined to take ground where
could meet him more fairly, and drew out the
pistol and was ready to fire it in self-defence
have never sought any mans life, nor gone in
|
No, sir, never. My life has been defensive one
from my boyhood | mention it, not from the i'm
puations that have been thrown out here, but that
all the Senators present sp5 the American I'D hlic
who may hear Of this thing, may be witnesses of
the fact, that whilst was making perfectly
parliamentary speech, threatening language was
used menacing gestures INDUCED in, and an adj
7 vance made b .arus me VITA sae rier az so1F.
posed, of putting violent designs into effect
therefore retreated few steps, with view to
/ get elbow room to act in my own defence, and not
to shoot him. So help me God, such alone was
my intention.
Mr.. President, suppose may now proceed in
order.
The Vice President The Senator will sus-
pend his remarks for moment
Mr.. Hale. ] have sat here supposing that
some older Senator than myself
! Mr.. Foote. have the floor.
Mr.. Hale rise to privileged question; not to
make motion, but to ask the Senate whether it
is not due to itself that this subject should be in
vestigated7
Mr. Foote ] court it,
Mr.. Hale. | have merely suggested that some
such action should be taken. God knows that il
is the last duty desire to perform-among, as
| am, the very youngest men on this foor-to make
any motion but should feel that was unwor-
thy of seat on this floor if | tacitly allowed a
transaction of this kind to occur here, and 90
without the investigation Of committee of this
body and think the Seuate owes it to itself to
proceed jnstanter toyayds such step. Having
made the suggestion, leave it to older, wiser,
and sager heads than my own to make the motion,
though if nobody else does, will do it myself
Mr. Dodge moved committee of investigation,
adopting the following form suggested by Mr..
Mangum, which was unanimously adopted
ReSolUed, That committee of seven be ap-
pointed to investigate the disorder of to-day in
the Senate, and that they report to the Senate
what BELTS the occasion, and have power TO ex-
anime witnesses and take testimony in the case.
The question recurring on the appeal Mr..
Clay withdrew it, and proposed to submit his
amendment, already adopted, as an amendment
to those offered by the Senator from Missouri.
Pending this, the Senate adjourned.