The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-03-27
|, for the resolution of the Committee of slep

|
the House, to take dispositions and obtain PRO-
cess by taking copies of all such documen as
may be desired by either party, or their al enas
or attorneys, in regard to the contested Sc 1t Of
Hon. Mr.. Whitfield, as Delegates for Ia isas,
under the petition of Hon. Mr.. Reeder, &c
The substitute of Mr.. Dunn is as follows.:
ResOlced, That a committee of three OF the
members of this House. to be appointed by the
Speaker, shall proceed to inquire into and col
lect evidence in regard to the troubles in Kansas
generally, and particularly in regard to asy
fraud or force attempted or practced in refefence
to any of the elections which have taken place IN
said Territory, either under the law organizing
said Territory, or under any pretended law which
may be alleged to have taken effect therein
since that they shall fully investigate and take
proof of all violent and tumultuous proceed
ings in said Territory, at any time since the
passage of the Kansas Nebraska act, whether
engaged in by residents of said Territory or by
any person or persons from elsewhere going
into said Territory and doing or encouraging
others to do any act of violence or public dis
turbance against the laws of the United States,
or the rights peace, and safety of the residents
of said Territory; and for that purpose said
committee shall have full power to send for and
examine and take copies of all such papers,
public records, and proceedings, as in their judg
ment will be useful in the premises; and also
to send for persons, and examine them on oath
or affirmation as to matters within their kaowl-
edge touching the matters of said investigation
and said committee, by their chairman, shall
have power to administer all necessary oaths
or afirmations connected with their aforesaid
duties.
Resolred, further, That said committee may
hold their Investigations at such places aad
times as to them may seem advisable, and that
they have leave of absence from the duties .of
this House until they shall have completed such
investigation; that they be authorized to employ
one or more clerks and one or more assistant
sergeants- at arms to aid them in their investl-
cation and may administer to them an oath
or affirmation faithfully to perform the duties
assigned to them, respectively, and to keep secret
all matters which may come to their knowledge
touching such investigation as said committee
shall direct, until the report of the same shall
be submitted to this House; and said committee
may discharge any such clerk or assistant ser
geant-at-arms for neglect of duty or disregard of
instructions in the premises, and employ others
under like regulations.
Resolyed, further, That if any person shall
in any manner obstruct or hinder said commit
tee, or attempt 80 to do, in their said investi-
CATION, or shall refuse to attend on said COM
mittee and to give evidence when summoned for
that purpose, or shall refuse to produce any
paper, book public record, or preceding, in their
possession or control, to said committee, when
so required, or shall make any disturbance
where said committee is holding their sttings,
said committee may, if they see fit, cause any
and every such person to be arrested by said
assistant sergeant-at-arms, and brought before
this House, to be dealt with as for contempt.
Resolced, further, That, for the purpose of
defraying the expenses of said commission,
there be and hereby is appropriated the sum of
$4,000, to be paid out of the contingent fund
of this House.
Resoloed, further, That the President of the
United States be and is hereby requested to
furnish to said committee, should they be met
with any serious opposition by bodies of lawless
men in the discharge of their duties aforesaid,
such aid from any military force as may at the
time be convenient to them as may be necessary
to remove such opposition, and enable said
committee without molestation to proceed with
their labors
RESOLVED, further, That when said committee
shall have completed said investigation, they re.
port all the evidence so collected to this House
The question was taken, and the substitute
of Mr.. Dunn was agreed to-yeas l04, nays 90.
Mr.. Cobb, of Georgia, remarking that there
was no proposition before the House that ought
to be adopted, moved that the whole subject he
laid on the table,
The motion was disagreed to-yeas SO, nays
100.
The question recurring on the substitute of
Mr.. Bennett, as amended by the adoption OF
| that offered by Mr.. Dunn, it was put, and de-
cided in the Acknowledgements Ill, nays 81.
The question then being on agreeing to the
resolution as just amended, it was put, and de-
cided in the affirmative, by the following vote
YEAs-Messrs. Allison, Ball, Barbour, Bar
clay, Bennett of New York, Benson, Billing.
hurst, Bishop, Bliss, Bradshaw, Brenton, Boz
hngton, Burlingame, Campbell of Pennsylya-
MIA, Campbell of Ohio, Chaffee, Clark OF New
York, Clark of Connecticut, Clawson, Colfsx,
Comins, Covode, Cragin, Cumback, Damrsll,
Davis of Massachusetts, Day, Dean, Dick, Dick
son, Dodd, Dunn, Durfee, Eide, Edwards, En-
RE, Flagler, Galloway, Giddings, Gilbert, Gran
ger, Grow, Hall of Iowa, Hall of Massachusetts,
Harlan, Harrison, Haven, Hickman, Horton: of
New York, Horton of Ohio. Howard, Hughston,
Kelsey, King, Knapp, Knight, Knowlton, aKnex,
Letter. Mace, Matteson, Meacham, Miller sof
New York, Millward, Moore, Morgan, Norrill,
Mott Murtay, Nichols, Norton, Oliver Of New
York, Parker, Petit, Pike, Pringle, Richie,
Robbins, Roberts, Sage, Sapp, Scott, Sher-
man, Simmons, Spinner, Stranahan, Tloripg-
ton, Todd, traitor, Tyson, Wade, WaBemsn,
Walbridge, Waldron, Washburne of Wisconsin,
Washburne of Illinois, Washburn of Maize,
Watson, WEIGH, Woodruff, and Woodworth-
l0l.
NAYs-Messrs. Aiken, Allen Bell, Bennett
of Mississippi, Bocock, Bowie, Boyce, Branch,
Brooks, Broom, Burnett, Cadwalader, Campbell
of Kentucky, Garlic, Caruthers, Caskie, Cling
man, Cobb Of Georgia, Cobb of Alabama, Cox,
Craige, Crawford, Davidson, Davis of Maryland,
Dowdell, Edmundson, Elliott, English, Eustis,
Evans, Faulkner, Florence, Fuller of Maine,
Goode, Harris of Maryland, Harris of Alsbapa,
Harris of Illinois, Herbert, Hoffman, Houston,
Jones of Tennessee, Jones of Pennsylvania,
Kelly, Kenneth, Kidwel, Lake, Letcher, Lind-
ley, Lumpkin, A. X. Marshall of Kentucky,
Humphrey Marshall of Kentucky, MARSHALL of
Illinois, Maxwell, McMullin, Mcqueen, Miper
of Indiana, Mllson, Oliver of Missouri, Orr,
Paine, Peck, Phelps, Porter, Powell, Quitman,
Ready, Ricaud, Richardson, Ruffin, SaDaidge,
Savage, Shorter, Smith of Tennessee, Smith of
Virginia, Smith of Alabama, Sneed, Stewart,
Swope, Talbot, Taylor, Trippe, Underwood,
Vail, Walk, Walker, Warner, Watkins, Wheel
er, Whitney, Winslow, Wright of Tennessee,
and Zollicofer-93.
And then, at a quarter to four O'Clock, Che
House adjourned.
Thursday, March 20, 1856. 49,
SENATE
Mr.. Douglas moved to proceed to the consid
Grafton of the bill to authorize the people Of the
| Territory of Kansas to form Constitution sind
State Government, preparatory to their Sdnlis
sion into the Union when they may ha' e the
requisite population; which motion was .greed