The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-03-25


and bis family 10 the State of Pennsylvania and ben
be has Fsmainsd from that day to tbs. AOw, 1 sal
a under these circumstances the inference Is irresis
Die that he never went 70 that Territory remain unle
on The contingency that he could bold his executive Office
and could consummae the ndspeoulatng schemes which
he meditsed but which subsequent interference by gov
Il eminent officers thwArted. H0
Il Well now, let look another point in eonnexiou
with ths matter These gSntemen claim that they have
the right 10 go behind the certificate Of Mr. HHraELtc
look into all the facts CONNECTED with the election under
which be claims 10 come here and not only but 20
sun further and 10 look al be law and the aulhores by
which that law passed under which the election
held and they tell Us very grayely sand with great
deal Of setsansiactonihat anybody who is opposed to
their view Of the case Is opposed and Il seeking se
investigation y striving % conceal he Jac and that be
does not desire 10 have them exposed the public view
Now, sir, desire investigator and viii tell gentle
men how propose 10 have that investigation made Mr.
keeder comes here eontestng the seat of Mr. WHITFIELD
ana ~ called upon 70 say why be Is not prepared with lists
Of Illegal votes with ths specific ground OF objection 10 The
negaty Of each and why lie il not prepared with
testimony 70 establish his allegations Ills reply H. thai
he has had no opportunity Of being prepared because
OF the course of the secretary Of te Territory and
because Of the fact thai there no officers there
who could swear The wtnessss and take the teston
This is matter between WHTFIElp and Reedef.
This he controversy between tleHl and them alCna
Now what ! propose 10 this: that Ii Is matter
which concerns them peroual ythe the sitting and
the other the contestng membetbis House instead Of
appointing committee who have interest in this mat
ter and whose action will have other effect except
make mischief and 10 create disturbances throughout the
and, send HTIRLD and Reeder back there armed with
proper authority that they take testimony and re-
port 1t to tins body Sir Is IT mot much proper that
they should go? They have both been there and IRE ac
quanted with all the facts connected with this controversy
Mr. heeGer knows the grounds which he reea oust
WHITFIELD, and will therefore know where 90 in his
search for testimony; and the other hand Mr. WET
FIELD VIII know where 10 60 for testimony enable him
to resist the preHnsons of Mr. Resde But gentlemen oh
ect 10 this the ground that il viii be calculated to ere
ate excitement Now sir strikes that there is much
less likelihood Of disturbance and excitement under lie ar
ranaemeni which propose Suppose Jon send this cleo
ton or aay other committee ont there suppose you arm
them with he power 10 send there and parties
appear before them here do you thereby give to this
contest nueh greater degree Of consequence and Import
ancct DO you not up storm or excitement far
greater than woud attach toit thcse parties who are
alone couce-ned shall be charged with the dutr Of pros
cutting the Investigation So 1t strikes me sir.
But again they propose 10 go back and look iuto The
election as understand it, Of those who returned 10
the legislative assembly in March 1855 Under the elec
ton laws Dir keeder compelled 70 give notice 10 Cen
rFIELD that he meant 10 contest his and 10 assign
The grounds which lie intended rely in prosecuting
tbat contest before This House If sir YOU are nov going
into nquiy in relation 10 the members who constitute
the legislature Of Kansas Tor rather who did constitute
II for they now longer in Office f you propose TO
investigate The manner by which they got there ascer
tain who voted fCr iaen-Wheher they were parties to
fraud 10 sfe public senineniou EnasL at least give
them notice and allow them opportunity be heard il
defence Of their conduct and their characters dear
them as Reeders character possibly be to him.
Does ths House contemplate thing OF this sort Is
1t contemplated esen by tie Committee Of Elections to DC
anything " this kind Not at ali Tkey ronose to go
tbeIG elEGtDu of members
ritora legislature charged they Lave been 10 advance
vita al sorts Of fraud and misconduct by the chairman
and other members Of this committed They do not in
tend expsc iat the members Of that legislature shall
be allowed TO produce testimony be beard IN their "a
teuce. ~
Wsl sir look this matter in another point of view
suppose you give ths power . the committee wAich they
nov ask tsr and they send 10 Kansas fCr witnss and
make The investigation ~ticb they rropoEp and after t
have taken that testimony this House shoGld come The
conclusion that The mebers Of that legislature were i'm
properly returned What would II amount to- Could tat
Act Hhect the validity Of the eIe ga cf general VT
THIpE Not 81 all IL was not elected the same time
a. bIe be members ci the legislature elected The
legislature was elected tink Ia tbe month Of dsrch
is5 and Genera WHITFIELD elected "a the u8crth Of
October t1ioWinE Suppose hsn, tat you sho~ thA
the DebeFs Of the legislature elected Ia March e
gay elected you then seek raw The inference there
rom that bFcause the persons paTpCrng bave BEEN
elected 70 ibe legislature ia March improperly cIeted
therefore uIe delegate 70 Congress elected months
after that Time also improperly eeced The inference
would De mOns'roas one Bot yet i seems 10 be the in
fereace which sons gentlemen here have determined
draw, 20 the prejudice of The sitting delegate.
II strikes me that geruemen WIN look at tbs question
in The point Of view in which have resonted they
see that nothing useu or valuable be accomplished BY
the course Of action that proposed Tas House cannot
repeal the Law Of KAnsas II requires the concurrence Of
both brAnches Of the national legislature and the approval
Of The Executive TO give vitality a law and one branch
Of the national legislature certainly repeal what
has required both 70 pass You cannot then accomplish
anything whs'erer % far these laws concerned by
The course Of action you propose lUu you set your
selves about II ineans sectional pTeudces and up
popular passion and thus Continue and increase the strife
aud excitement which already exists in that Terory and
throughout The country upon this slavery question You
cannot reasonably expect any other result
A NExBrh They do not want to accomplish any other
result
Nj LETCHER- think il very probable that no Other
resuli desired by many the other ae Of the House
and think for this have not q solitary
gentleman the other de O the House here who has
g1ed ths gusslOn who has taken The ground
guaihediy that be had nothing % with Gov Rseder
that was no matter what Governor Rsders position
was, what hd been his of8cal conduct They had
nothing TO upon that understanding TO do vita his
Official conduct in granting certificates lnerbsrs ot ths
legislature 70 WHTFULD.
Nov il strikes thai with Cor. Rcsder here with the
majority Of the House SympslhiEng In al bis fesngs and
anxous place for HIN ou Ibis aoor il IS some
the majority here there Should not he ssy kind
word for Gov Reeder-to offer somehing in the Of
0 justification for his ocal action; but not
word n the Of uommendAon of his conduct has been
spoken 50 far ss | rsoolect Gentlemen do not de-
clare that they approve his course they silent upon
that interesting subject
Now in my view the whole history Of the natter far
Governor Rseder - concerned is just his When Gov
ReedCr went TO thai Territory be went With large e1ce
taons 70 bis future worldly prospec BE designed 10
avail himself Of bis Official position 10 acquire Inh1ence
power wealth and reputation in the Territory, to the
gOvernorShp of which he had been appointed ard when
be failed 10 those ob1cCswhen be w1s deprived
Of his Official Post0n-whsn be dismissed gov
Of the Territory by the Prpsident-tben for ths
first tiTue be bsgsn look ar0Uns for the
cations with which be has since been connected Then
II was f9r the purpose Of improving his bn0rn
with which he i intimately associated. lie
thought he in the political comperion Of his Hause
Of Representatives chance a. least 10 obtain position
here and be laid his plans accordingly II was at that time