Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-06-07
THE LATE CASE OF ASSAULT IN THE SENATE
CHAMBER

CHAMBER
The report Of the Hon. Howell Cobb aud th. Hon A
b. Greenwood. the minority Of the committee Of the
House OF Representatives. appointed TO Investigate the
facts touching the assault by vt its members on
member OF the Senate Is long but able document aud
forth very clearly. the privileges OF the House and
the Senate well their respective member. aud the
authority the House has 10 punish one OF it, own menu
bcrs Tor violation Of the privilege of memb,r of IN.
Senate. We quote follows
The first allegation Is that the privilege OF Mr. Sumner
has been violated in this that he has been questioned Tor
the delivery of speech IN the Senate Ia violation of thai
provision Of the constitution which declares ior any
| speech debate In either House, they shall not he
questioned in any other place This provision Of the
constitution evidently Intended protect members of
Congress from such legal liability they might incur ir
words spoken in debate in their respective houses IL can
hardly be supposed that the constitution vas
against mode OF questioning which in ITSELF with
out snch provision would have only been
lied by law, but in direct violation the criminal Law of
the and Ii IL TAR from being settled that this immunity
from responsibility goes TO the extent claimed for by
those from whom differ in this matter.
u members OF Congress seek this shield and protection
which the constitution gives them il ou-rous condi-
ton imposed upon them that their speech shall b propr
and legitimate In the discharge their u,
Ought they to be permitted avail themselves OF the p-
son gwen them by conhdng constituency induly.
in language and reflections no ~is. for th
discharge of their official DUTY prouotve OF the pub
lie goodg Aud even granting this right its fullest
extent can they beyond this speech or de-
bate, and afterwards publish and circulate. in pamphlet
form hbeous matter under the pretext that il is In this
published form privileged speech dcbs. in Congress
hven the British Parliament, with all its disposition Ia
protect it, members. and under the rnc OF
TO extend tn them powers aud mmunrs refuss To cx.
tend the doctre beyond the strict limits of debate upon
the uoor oi Fsiianeut The language of
in this respect j. drawn from the parliamentary law and
we suppose will not be contendrd that our members of
Congress have greater latitude ia this respect than the
members oi the British Parliament
Here the quotes Justice Sorys work on the
Constitution. in support of their vic~. Judge = saws:
fhst.,l 4, a L..
mons is privileged, aud the member he questioned
respecting it elsewhere yet if he publishes his speech
aud it contains hbeous matter he is liable t AN action
and prosecution therefor, Cases of libel
q" Aud the principles seem applicable Ia IN, nry
ilcge OF debate and speech in Congress No man ought
to have right to dcame others under color perform.
ance of the duties of his office And II he does so in
tn" actual discharge Of his duties in Congress that fur
nShrs no reason why he should be enabled through the
medium oil the press To destroy the reputation aud
wade the peace at other citzens IL i neither within IN.
scope OF his public duty in urtherancc of tubhc
rights public policy Every citizen has as ro, a ri,h,
I" be protected by the laws from malignant scandal and
false charges and deiamatory mpuntiots NJ tn,uh.r
OF Congress has Ia utter them in his seat If il were
otherwise, mans character might be taken away with
out the possibility of redress, either hy the malice of In.
discretion or overseeing selfconcet of "a member of
Congre-s"
We again quote from the report:
The only provision Of the Constitution under which
the power can be- exercised which the majority of ur
committee have relied. is the already quoted which
declares that each House determine the rules of il.
pun-h ITS members Tor disorderly
aud, with tile concurrence of swo-thrds eIpe mem.
Der
Iii question which has been much discussed and
one which it Is important decide correctly To What
extent the power given Ia the houses by this pro
vision OF the constitution {" punish their members Ia
KING the whole paragraph IN its connected sense il seems
10 us That mas reference to I'll" House while ia session
IN the hctn' discharge ot its constitutional duties The
power oi providing rules Tor it, proceedings. il will lac
een IL coupled in the with the power to
punish its members for d-ordey behavior aud the now
/ The N h;t.la
u II had been contemplated that the power conferred In
ls provision were 10 he exercised the extent now
c'a'ned Tor them, they would hardly have been placed in
such intimate conncxon with the simple power Of nrov
ping rules for the proceedings of the houses We en-
ettn no doubt that the whole of this provision looks to
hr session OF the House e. the providing ol rules its
proceedings during its sessions furnishing ,ts members
Tor such dsorlerly conduct would interrupt its session
aud, where that conduct amounted to such nn outr,p
the rules and proprctics of the IIouse n. WouI IN
| utv it, Ia expel the member.
To place any other construction upon this provison
would be To make the members of each house. their
moral conduct and department subject To th, Whr, "a
price aud discretion OF majority the body Extend n
beyond the OF the session the house aud he
comes an unlimited power, operative not only duu, tb.
session of Congress but during the recess; 10 be exre
ed not only M reference the conduct of members
when IN Was ington city in the District of Clunb,
hut when they have returned To their rcspectiv. bon
and when they have gone beyond the limits oC Tho
country. When you have passed the limits which mr..
here laid down. there is other boundary short of Co
gressional discretion. Aud cannot believe that il MA.
In
the moral conduct and depomen of members o the two
houses OF Congress under the control aud discretion of
majority Of either house
The report III conclusion, contends that there In. been
noyolation in this of the privileges either House
of Congress, any member thereof over which the Ioue
has any iuri-diction Whatever offence may bav, no.,
committed 1t says properly cognztb before the courts
OF TIE country and II proposed 10 dismiss subject Ia
that Jurisdiction provided 10y the constitution and laws nj
| the country for its investigation.
! SfRANGE CAsE-The Boston Times is resnonsirl n,
the following, which appears need 1.-THE documents
I'VE see, Occasionally, in the papers accounts of uer-
sons swallowing h'ihg reptiles, and subsequently rcciing
them but all such statements have been treated tb. ~
entirely groundes- else greatly exaggerated But We
have now OF this description which admits of n
civ doubt but he relied upou rs wholly and c,
true FOR period oi two years more. a respectable.
lady (Mr ~ residing IN An"shury. las experienced very
unusual, aud, times distressing feelings in her stomach
| the cause of which could divine
This state oi thing continued without intertuption
and're-uicd ia the complete physical prO-traon of Nrs
r. with unm taxable symptoms speedy death Her case
had attracted the attention of the ncighborhood and b
had called ~ the best medical assistance hand but all
purpose. Her physicians gave il M as "A bopoless
case. and acknowledged Intensely unable To discover t
cause oi her sickness. Having ms exhausted all npnar
ent h"d" means for her relief Mrs r. who spirit.
us and powerful medium resolved TO test the ,,o.r,
oi the spirits IN the matter o her anpnt with This o
Jrct Size called another lady medium and stated ber
case requesting her Ia invoke the aid Of the sdrt of Dr.
Rush which she did, and the was 'tir Mrs T.
had within her stomach living reptile which il not soon
riddcu OF. would be the OF her death . IL aso
prescribed the course 10 be adopted giving the name and
quantity Of the medicine Ia BE- admins tered Tbe.c a.
rccon- Immediately fplowcd aud the result was tho
election rom the stomach Of Mr.. T.. of live snake oi
the water adder specr- which measured upwnd of Gon
Zee" inches 10 length and me and g4aytr inches in cir.
cunicrcncc! The snake disgog cd upon the floor
and wis not only alive, but exhibited all the venemous
traits OF it, species running out IT. fork tongue and
even kissing at those around This shout
ch days since and, happy add MS z i fat
eganng her health and strength She supposes that se
'wnlo"ed n" reptile two years since while drinking from
spring 10 Mrine"
E-scK, not Ellis Is the name oi the man who killed
man named O~en Qmgly IN Washington YESTERDAY After
ter beating and killing Qdigy-Who it seems merely called
out hurah for Magruder and did nothing else to excite
E'scS,-the latter arrested aud carried To room in
Jusuces oihce IN charge Of officers Duva and Wilson
nut DuVH having occasion 10 into the Office -
] lnnamnl G-IL william .I..u..