New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-06-16
Thirty Third Congress-First Session

Thirty Third Congress-First Session.
On the 8th inst the following amusing debate
occurred in the House:
Mr.. Gid1ings rose to call the attention Of the
House to the conduct of one of its officers He
referred to A. O. P Nicholson, the printer q
this body. He would read an article which ap
peared in the Washington Union of this morn
ing. 1t was in perfect accordance with what
had been published in that paper for the last
ten days, assailing members of the Senate by
name, and by implication members of this body
The extract from the article is as follows
f'In one word, protection and obedience are
reciprocal and inseparable; and those who, like
the abolition incendiaries Parker, Phillips
Giddipgs and others-are necessarily proclaim.
ing their hostility to the laws and the constitu-
ton, and stimulating men, women and children
to violate them as sacred duty, in my opinion
have no claim to the protection of those laws or
that constitution. They are the apostles Of
sedition, violence and murder. They are feral
nature, wild beasts of the forest, knowing nc
law and no restraint but their wild, uneoyern.
able instincts; and, like dastardly midnight
providers, after firing the train, sneak TO their
holes, leaving their wretched dupes to become
the victims of those acts which they themselves
have stimulated. Is there no law that can
reach these cowardly incendiaries, who, after
throwing the fire. brand, skulk away in dark.
ness to enjoy the blaze' And are those who ON
the floor of both Houses of Congress, openly de-
claring their dsaffection to that constitution
they have sworn to support and maintain
worthy of a seat in the sacred halls of legs.
lation, when any act should emanate from that
source: These are questions that must be
answered sooner or later, and the sooner the
better"
Mr. Bocock (Dem) of Virginia, wished t.
know how this subject came before the House
The Speaker replied. The gentleman from
Ohio presented it as a question of privilege
Mr.. Parker (Whig), of Indiana, not having
read the article, wished to know whether it
mentioned the names of the members Of this
House
Mr.. Giddings knew it mentioned his name.
The declaration comes from an officer of this
House, that its members are beyond the pale Of
protection. This is an implication that persons
may assassinate them and use violence. He had
prepared resolution, but preferred to leave the
subject to ma jority of the House.
Mr.. Olds Dem }, of Ohio-I want the resolu-
tion read perhaps may offer an amendment
Mr.. Jones CDem J, of Tennessee without in
tending to take part in the controversy-I sub
NIT there is nothing in the matter which the
practice of the House would authorize as ques-
tion of privilege, if the editor of a newspaper
has assailed a member of this House, that is, in
a capacity different from an officer of this
House, and in that of private individual
The Speaker sustained that view, but never
theless thought Mr., Giddings had right to
present the question of privilege in form of q
resolution.
After conversation on this point Mr.. Giddings
submitted the following:
n
this body, and editor and proprietor of the
Washington Union, has, in his paper of this
morning, published an article most evidently
designed to excite unlawful violence on the
members of this body; Therefore,
Resolved, That said Nicholson, and all others
connected with the Washington Union, be ex-
PEELED from this hall.
Mr.. 0lds-I understand my colleague to ask
the protection of this House, from the fact that
he is threatened personally with violence. Per
haps the members of this House may have seer
the speench of my colleague made in Boston
| am unable to say whether or not it was
delivered in Faneuil Hall; but in it he clearly
intimates that he is afraid of being assassinated
for the course of policy he has pursued relative
to certain measures before this House. Bu
when he comes here to claim protection, for feal
of being assassnated for what he has thought
fit to do in the course of his official duty, he
ought sto come with clean hands and pure
heart, If recollect right, in his Boston speech
he charges his colleagues with having cast their
votes for the Nebraska bill under brihe.
Mr. Houston Dem of Ala. {risiug hastily)--
| ask whether the Chair entertains this as
question of privilege: If not, l object to it
and the deb;t6t
Mr.. Giddings-I don't yield the floor for that
purpose, but to my colleague.
The Speaker said the House would determine
the question.
MIR. Giddings-I supposed 1 had q right.
Mr.. Stanton Dem.) of ky.-I don't under
stand Mr.. Nicholson as standing in a position
which gives him the privilege of this floor.
don't understand that the rules admit him He
is a mere contractor
The Speaker-As printer to the House, he il
entitled to tho privilege of the floor,
Mr.. Haven want to say, in rearrangins
the furniture of the hall, the stand is so affected
that is impossible to learn what the question is
1t seems some means ought to be adopted te
remedy this defect.
Mr.. Stanton, of kentucky--The article is q
mere communication to that paper, and is not
written by the editor
pen of the editor. Note-the article is headed
"Obsolete Ideas, by an Old Fogy.
Mr.. Clingman [Dem J, of North Carolina
wish to call attention to the precise point.
understand the Speaker to say the public prin-
ter has right to come on this floor, and the
gentleman from Ohio to offer a resolution to de-
prive him of this privilege. To expel an Office,
is a question of privilege, and the gentleman
submits the proposition on his own responsibility
from the reading of the article. think it muct
less violent in tone than his speeches. If he il
apprehensiye of personal attack he has righ
to ask protection, and if he makes out proper
case l shall vote to give him a guard, or other
wise protect him as l would any other member
granted that Mr. Nicholson is an officer of tn,
House, and may be expelled l think it righ
he is entitled to the privilege Of the floor; bu