Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-03-27

In tile House Of Representatives, March 6,
1856, on the Resolution reported from tile
Committee Of Elections IN the Contested
Election case ii'om the Territory Of Knn-
SdS.
Mr.. Boyce said:
Mr.. SPEAKER: | have not had time, since
the presentation of the majority and minori-
ty reports from the Committee of Elections,
in reference to the Kansas contested election
case, to examine them carefully, and / shall
therefore have to depend for a knowledge Of
their statements on what I heard of them
yesterday when they were read from the
Clerks desk. 1t seemed to me that great
deal of irrelevant matter was introduced in
to the majority report. Instead of confn-
ing themselves strictly to the subject before
them, the particular manner in which evi-
dence should be taken in the case, the COM
mittee went into detailed recital of outra-
ges alleged to have been committed in the
Territory of Kansas. 1t may not have been
the purpose, but the effect was necessarily to
infame the public mind on this agitating
question. shall not follow the example
set me; although I might reply, and very
satisfactorily, to the historical recital which
the majority of the committee have made. I
might light up my subject with the fires of
the burning habitations of Southern emil
grants in Kansas, who have suffered at the
hands of lawless violence but I do not think
it proper to do this, because it does not be-
long necessarily to the question before the
House. propose to treat the question be-
fore us in its naked proportions, in reference
to the mode in which the committee should
proceed to take testimony for the detcrmina-
tion of the right to seat here, either of Mr..
Whitfield or his contestant.
The majority of the committee seem to in
Sist, so far as l could understand the report
read yesterday, that they could not take evil
dence in Kansas, in the present condition of
things in that Territory; that it was such an
unsettled country, so wild, and 50 destitute
of facilities for the examination of witnesses,
that they could not take evidence there. But
it seems to me they have overrated the diff
culties in that respect entirely.
Why can they not take evidence in that
new Territory, as well as they can in any of
the Territories of the United States? They
have roads; they have rivers; they have set
Elements. Why, then, cannot the witnesses
be brought together there as well as else
where? Nobody imagines that witnesses
could not be examined in Nebraska, Wash
ington, or Oregon Territories. Then why
not in Kansas? But it is said that such a
course would produce great excitement. 1t
seems to me that the committee ovcr-cSti-
mates the extent of the excitement existing
in Kansas. | have no doubt that these
things are exaggerated. The committee wise.
ly caution us not to listen to all the idle re-
ports which we might hear, and at the same
time they seem to me to give too much faith
to these rumors, because they appear to be.
licve that there is almost state of war in
Kansas. | have no doubt that the state Of
things in Kansas has been exaggerated.
have no idea that the taking of testimony
there would be attended With the disastrous
consequences anticipated " the committee
If | understand their rtport, they say there
are no justices of the peace there; and there
/ apprehcnd, is the place where the shoe
pinches.
Mr.. IIickman.-Will the gentleman from
South Carolina permit me to saya word:
Mr.. Boycc-Certainly.
Mr.. Hickman.-It is right that shoult
say that the majority Of that committee restee
no part of their report on rumor, or upol
newspaper articles. They rested their re