The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-08

cation.
The SPEAKER stated that the whole question
was disposed of by the action of the House yester
day, and that, in the opinion OF the Chair the aues
loh was not presented in IA new light; and there
| fore the motion was out of order.
Mr. BAKER appealed from the decision of the
| Chair
MIR. RICHARDSON Yesterday, the only ques
ton was whether 1t was one of privilege, which the
| House decided adversely. The proposition this
morning presents itself IN new aspect
The SPEAKER. The Chair has decided that it
does not
Mr.. RICHARDSON. appeal from the decision
| Of the Chair sE
M Mr. lNGE; Is not an appeal pending
The SPEAKER. There is. The question is not
debatable. The Chair is of opinion the question
was disposed fly the action OF the House yestcr
| day, and 1t was 80 viewed by the House. From
| this decision the gentleman from Illinois tai an
appeal; and the question is, Shall the decsi6h of
| the Chair stand as the judgment of the House?
MIR. CONGER moved to lay the appeal on the
table; and the question being taken, it was decided
| in the negatve--yeas 81, nays IS.
| The decision of the Chair then reversed by
| the House.
Mr.. BAKER offered resolution that select
committee of five members be appointed by the
Speaker to investigate the charges against the Hon.
JosHuA X. GIDplNGs, Of having improperly alb
sracted certain papers from the files OF the Post
| Office Department, and that they be authorized to
send for persons and papers.
Under the operation OF the previous question the
resolution was adopted.
THE GALPHIN CLAIM.
The House resumed the consideration of the
| port Of the select committee appointed to nvesti
gate the connection and relation of the Secretary of
War to the claim of the representatives of George
| Galphn.
MIR. STANLY vindicated Mr.. Crawford from the
attacks made upon HIM II General Glass; he said
while Secretary OF War, did not get certain money
out of the treasury, he had it all secured and took
| it soon after going out OF office The conduct Of
Mr. Crawford, if as bad as was represented, was no
| worse than that; his conduct was worse than the
speculations of General CAss in western country
lands; and yet General CAss, i'll lS4S, received al
| most the unanimous vote Of the Democracy OF the
country Mr.. $. then referred to the various deal-
| cations under the late Democratic Administration,
offset to the charge of phinsm;" and he
alluded the fact that the editor of the Union had
during this session, charged S 81 900 for printing
| a document which only worth five or six hum
| dred dollars, two thousand, under the several
tariffs OF prices, and for which he was allowed
! $4,000
He referred to other instances, where money had
been allowed to Democratic iavorites and said that
the Democratic party regarded the public exche-
| quer as belonging to them. They we're like those
who maintained that the Lord had given the Indian
lands to the saints, and then resolved that they
were the saints. They take AS much out of the
treasury as they can, and think that the Wings arc
| impairment for intermedding with the subject.
| Mr.. CLARKE gave history of the claim, and,
III the course OF his relnarks justified the payment
of the principal and interest. He justified the con
| duct of Mcssrs. Crawford, johnson, and Meredith,
and expressed the hope that all Executive officers
will always be prepared to do their duty, prospect
i've of party clanior. Let justice be done, though
| the pillars of heaven fall
| Mr.. seldom gave notice of an amendment.
Mr.. JONES likewise gave similar notice-that
the interest be refunded by the persons to whom it
| was paid.
| Mr.. RICHARDSON said that the queston had
| been discussed for week, and as gentlemen could
express their views by their votes he wished to send
them to the country the record and he moved
he. syln nln WI cd veg
| SO, noes iG
| A motion was made and disagreed to, that the
! House adjourn.
MIR. BURT who submitted the report, was enti-
tled by the rules, TO make the closing speech. lie
7now rose for the purpose OF demonstrating the
| rectnes. OF the positions taken by him III the re-
port namely: that the claim of George Gaphin
was just; that the act of Congress made it the
duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to pay the
principal of the said claim, and il was therefore
paid Gin conformity with law" and precedent"
and that the act did not authorize the Secretary Of
the Treasury to pay interest on the claim, and its
payment was not sin conformity with law" or
''prccedent"
| The House proceeded to vote, preliminary to
| which the pending propositions were read, and
questions were asked and answered by the
! Chair, &c.
The select committee had reported the following
| resolutions, viz;
l. Resolved That the claim of the representatives
of George Galphin was not just demand against
| the United States.
2. That the act of Congress made it the duty Of
the Secretary OF the Treasury TO pay the principal
of said claim, and it therefore paid in :" con-
| formity with law and precedent"
| g. That the act aforesaid did not authorize the
Secretary of the Treasury to pay interest on said
| claim, and its payment was not " in conformity
| with law" or precedent"
This Mr.. TOoMBs had moved to amend as fol-
lows, viz:
| Resolved That there is evidence submitted by
the committee TO which was referred the letter of
the Hon. George w. Crawford, asking can inves-
tigation into hrs conduct in reference 20 the claim
| OF the representatives OF George Galphin, which
impugns his personal official conduct in relation
T. the settlement of the said claim by the proper Of
fcers of the Government"
And Mr.. SCHENCk had moved to amend this as
follows
Provided, ho,oeper, That this House ia not to be
understood as approving his relation TO that claim
in continuing TO be interested in the prosecution Of
| IL when it vas TO be examined, adjusted, and paid
| by one Of the departments OF the Government, he
himself being at the same time at the head Of an
other of those departments; but this House con-
sders that such connexion and interest Of a mem
Der Of the Cabinet with a claim pending and prose.
cutcd before another department would be danger
Gus a precedent, and ought not TO be sanctioned
The question fret taken the amendment
Of Mr.. scHESoK, and IL was decided in the afiirma-
tive-yeas 1853, nays IS.
[Those who voted in the negative src-Messrs
! Allen, Aston, Bokee, Bowdon, Breck, Burt Cabell
Clingman, Deberry, HARRISON, billiard, jackson Of
! Georgia, King Of New Jersey, McGaughcy, Nc
Kissock, Morton, Orr, Owen, Seldom, Stevens Of
Pennsylvania, Stephens 81 Georgia, Toombs, Van
| Dyke, Wellborn, and Williams
motion was made TO adjourn, and disagreed to.
The question was then taken agreeing 10 the
amendment Of Mr.. TooMBs, amended by Mr.
scHKScK, and II was decided in the negative-yeas
81, nays ~, as follows:
| YEAS.-Messrs. Alexander, Andrews, Ashe, Ba-
ker, Bennett, Bocock, Bokee, Brock, Briggs
Brooks, Burrows, Chester Butler Thomas r. But
Ter, Cabell, Joseph y. Caldwell Calvin Chandler
Clark, Clingman, Conger, Conrad, Corwin, Crow
ell, Dcberry, Dickoy, Dixon, Duncan, Nathan
Evans, Fowler, Freddy, Gentry, Gott, Grinnell
| Holloway, Raymond, Hebard, Henry, Holmes
Howe, Hubbard, Hunter, Joseph w. jackson, Will
liam r. jackson, James l.. Johnson, Robert w
Johnson, Kerr, Daniel p. King, George e.. King
John A. King, Horace Mann, Marshall, Mattcson,
McGsugbey, Mckissook, FINS r. Mclean, Morse
Morton, Nelson, Ogle, Outlaw, Pitman. Putnam,
Reed, Reynolds, Rsley, Rockwell, Rose, Rumsey,
Sackett. Schcnck, Schermerhorn, Schoocrait,
shepherd, Sylvester, spalding, Sprague, Frederick
p Stanton, Thaddeus Steycns, Thurman, Under
dcrbill, White, and Winthrop-S2
| NAYs.-Mcssrs. Alberts-,n A Allen, Aston Averett
Bay, Bissell, Booth, Bowdon, Bowlin, Boyd, WIN. j.
! Brown, Buel, Burt, Cable, George A. Caldwell,
Campbell Carter, Cleveland, w r. W Cobb Col.
- l. I'll. - IN.