The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-03-28


Mr.. p KING had been informed BY subordinate
clerk Of the House. that the journal was mulaed BY the
order OF the Speaker,
i with mutlating the journal OF the House,
i Mr.. McLANE called for an investigating committee.
Mr.. STEPHENS would call the gentleman from New
esay wherein he ou 1ss' had p BEEN mS,aisd
i After some conversation between the SPEAKER and
Mr. P. KING. the Chair called on the latter to put his
Nit p KING said he charged that the journal had
been mutated BY erasing the motion he made and in
sorting IN is stead one he had not made
i The SPEAKER. The gentleman must state the name
! OF the person against whom the charge ID made.
Mr. r KING had been about to do 50, when called to
order by the Speaker.
side in his stead; and that gentleman having assumed
Mr. STEPHENS insisted on his point Of order !,
/ The CHAIR. The gentleman from New York will
state the motion OF privilege.
M KING rs , resatsd 6s question Of privilege and
committee to investigate It might be raised
to the notice Of the House
/ Mr. STEPHENS contended that before the committee
could properly be raised the gentleman from New York
| [Mr. P. KMGl must state what motion had been made
and what motion substituted for it,
Mr. r. KING, IN reply to the gentleman from Georgia.
Nj Mr. STEPHENS. The gentleman must put his
' MI McIANE called for the reading OF the charge
when it was accordingly read by the gentleman from
New York, [Mr P. KINc.l
/ Mr. Mel remarked that he had omitted the word
"Speaker" Before the committee raised, he (Mr.
McL) required that he should "state the charge he
made it, BY writing out the same words
| The SPEAKER remarked, that il was obvious that
the House could not decide on the charge unless was
specifically made, and went to show that it had not
been thus presented in writing
Mr. MORSE lby the unanimous consent OF the House)
spoke at length to urge that the friends Of the
Speaker should interpose obstacle to the investigation
even i the charge should be obviously frivolous and in
/kaao
the democratic side, who said that such purpose
designed BY any member.
MI STEPHENS 16y the unanimous lin !s consent of the
to insist that the charge should be specific
Mr. SCHENCK (by the unanimous consent Of the
ha Ssd @
should present his charge Il he chose present il 50
appear frivolous its face, the result Of its frivoi
u would fall directly and only on himself He might be
asked whether il did not become him to make specific
charge to make but he could not be forced to
shape the charge to suit the taste OF the House. 1t
certainly due to the Speaker himself that the charge
should be made specifically. and then duly investigated
4 Mr. p. KING read the charge az follows:
81 charge that the journal the House been mua.
ted by erasng motion that did make, and substituting,
by ncrlneaon, that did not make in the journal of
the 18th instant My motion was to close debate the
California bill These words are changed and message
substituted"
/ Mr.. X. urged that the mutilaton Of which he com.
House from acting upon the bill for the admission of Cal
orna as an isolated proposition 1t was designed to get
all the slavery issues before the House together The
gentleman then demanded the production OF the journal
! OF the 18th instant
Mr. BAYLY inquired whether it was proper to pro-
duce the journal before the House or before the committee
He made no objection to its production. But there was,
in his Judgment manifest improperly in pursuing that
The SPEAKER directed the Clerk to report to the
House the journal of that day in the particular under con-
Mr. p KING demanded that il should be read first, as
he had stated his motion have been made and then
corrected by the direction Of the Speaker which having
Mr. HOLMES offered the following resolution
Resolved, That committee Of nine be appointed by the
gentleman presiding the House. 70 investigate the
charges against honorable Speaker by Hon
PREsros KING, member of this House.
| Mr.. McCLERNAND had learned from this reading of
the Journal for the first time, that made the motion
was to stop debate the bill OF the gentleman from
Wisconsin, Mr. DoTY introduced not into the House.
but in Committee OF the Whole. The resolution was
therefore clearly out of order, Mr.. McC went to
Mr. SWEETSER called the gentleman to order
latng rule Of order, he showing that the resou
ton offered the 18th by the gentleman from New
York fMr MI p KsSl WA was not IN order a., !
resolution offered the 18TH being out OF Order there
really charge to be investigated the gentleman
proposed The modification, he conended simply brought
the resolution within the rules OF the House, and thus
made il in order 1t surely involved no ground for the
charge that mutaied for the purpose of prevent
ing the conederaOn OF tue Dill eepafaeiy from the oner
propositions ag tEQt III lrfte n
Mr. SPEAKER COBB asked and obtained the unani.
consent OF the House to explain He had desire
TO nterpose any objection the raising of the committee
but il was important him that brief and simple
OF his action in the should go forth with the
charge which had been made. The resolution which he
had been charged with mutlang the journal
ordinarily offered upon grave questions so frequently
10 have occasoned the printing OF blanks 10 be filled up
for the purpose which were kept the Clerks desk
| The member from New York [Mr p. KIsGl had not
| himself reduced his motion TO writing. By his (he
Speakefs direction the clerk had done The gentle
man from New York had offered il verbally and the vote
was taken upon il before the blank had been filled up
He (he Speaker) had Immediately stated to the clerk
that il should be drawn 10 stop debate the
| sage The ournalizng clerk had not heard his direc-
tons given to the clerk drawing II up II his duty
10 correct the journal of the House the next morning
When in the reading OF the journal him for that pu
pose this occasion, this resolution read, he had
directed be changed for the that its consider
alton would not otherwise have been in order.
Mr. c. next explained, at LENGTH that but for the
alteration the resolution would probably have found
place in the journals and then went show that the
the rules OF the House imperatvely made il his duty to
the journal each morning The journal had been
read to the House, and approved according the CUSTOM
on the morning which the alteration made with
4 expression of dissent TO the proprety OF the
4 change from any quarter.
Mr. p KING did not desire now to 20 into any exam-
nation Of the facts He had every respect for the Speaker
He could vote for him. however because he believed
that his position at home would compel him uhe
Speake to violate the rules in deciding questions OF
der affecting slavery questions. There had been re-
marks about foul play intended with committees this