Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1857-03-06

VlIvol
time was had, in which a very large number lively
tlemen participated. We give below an extract f ssn
the debate ron
Mr.. Davis of Maryland, rose to a privileged on
ton He stated that he instructed by tho qIes
committee appointed the 9th ult 10 nyesiSote lgc
alleged corrupt combinations of members of CoUue
to submit a special report in reference to tho
Hon. Wm. A. Gilbert, of New York He was Ease sase OF
directed to move, that that report be prntsd nef
that its further consideration be postponed until ana
day next. "on'
MIR. Bennett. of New York, objected to tho ,,o
ton of the report. eceP
| Mr. Grow, of Pennsylvania, contended tbatt
port implicated members of the House who wera re-
before the committee to examine the witnesso.uIO not
whose testimony they were implicated and ,batIY
COMMITTEE had exceeded the authority given to !, I
the House, and Therefore was not entitled to snR Oy
its report as cues ion of privilege nN
considerable discussion ensued as to the rich, 81,
the House to hear the report before being canJ vi
on to determine the question of it's recenfion w
which the Impotence of members was freonanto
manifested by repeated and vociferous cries ofs.p"
read - 0ou'
The speaker stated that he was of opinion tba,n
report must be stated to the House, in order thai h
body might determine whether or not the comm;,a
had exceeded lis jurisdiction ''D''ee
| Mr.. Davis, of Maryland then read from tho CI..
desk the report of the committee
| The Speaker then decided that the report mrs+ l.
received TO the extent that it implicated member ~
the House IN the sub jec referred TO The Commttoo
Mr.. Grow, OF Pennsy vana, raised a point of orlo,
that, under parliamentary law, the Committee colI
! not take testimony after d member was imnIicato5
without nLst coming before the House and obtaining
authony tor that purpose. He wished 10 know +
when SWeeny gave the name of a member as imnT
Gated in ttaudu ent transaction, the Committee sn
pended The examination and notified that membnr :;
order that he might appear before them and confirm
the witness
&c
port just read should have relieved the mind Of II.
gentleman upon the subject of the inquiry. In tho
course of the investigation with which the committr
had been charged, witness (Mr. Sweenv) imnl.
called one of the members of the House. The CON-
mttee proceeded to take his testimony, and that NJ
such other witnesses they found was material IA
the understanding of the whole case. They then
caused to be made out and placed in the possessC0
of such member a competer copy Of every pCrtcn
of The testimony which affected him. with the noiS
cation that the party could cross examine The wit
nesses and produce explanatory or exculpa,ory test.
mony and argument. That was done in the case Of
Mr. Gilbert, but he declined 10 examine the witness
Mr.. Davis, of Maryland, said that the motion
was to receive the whole report and print it. He
understood hat the gentleman from PENNSYLVANIA
was arguing against the reception of the report and
had stated that the committee had placed a member
upon trial He would say that they had not prelen
ded 10 place any man upon trial but had simpv
done what the Honse had ordered them to do-a task
that they most cheerfuy would have washed Their
hands of. They had examined as to whether or not
there were combinations among members. That was
ordered by the resolution for which the whole Hons
voted. They had also taken testimony and reporb}
to the House, and it not to be printed beca.
it in pcaed one of its members? Was the evidenc,
the only portion of the report that the House womb
recognize? The resolution authorizing the anroint
ment of the committee, said that they should repo
to the House what action. in their judgment, was
proper to be taken. The House might or might not
concur in that judgment il might be Just or unjust
but the committee was bound to report it. He would
SIX, where was the rational reason that this report
should not be received 1t was singular compl.
ment to The distinguished and competent members
who composed that committee, to say that it was
packed If it was packed, you packed it. Ii wa,
due to charge of that kind that the honorable mem.
Der should do something more than merely TO suc
gest that il was cked. But he would pass the I'M
putation by with mere contempt. Was the commit
lee TO report or not? Were they sent upon chiIds
errand ? If the House sent him on any such child.
play, they had mistaken their instrument Ibev
had examined The matter calmly and deliberaev
endeavorng 20 enlghten and not TO mislead, and N
order that the guilty party might be punished and
not go free to the world He presumed that at The
proper time this gentleman would be put upon trial
before this House, but lie denied most emphaticall
that they had tried any body They had done notl
ing that they could have RETAINED from doing The
practice of the American Congress had ALWAYS been
such as the committee had pursued, excepting tina,
they had laid before the parties written copy OF The
evidence. He submitted, therefore, that the report
must be received, and that, as natural CONSEQUENCE
1t should be printed
Mr.. Orr, of South Carolina was not SURPRISED
hat the committee had been arraigned. for he bad
expected that they would be. The object or pur
pose of the committee TO present the report ant
ask that il might be printed aid that the considers
ton should be postponed till Monday next, by which
time the report and all the evidence might Re printed
and laid upon tie tables of the members, 30 tina
they could form ust conclusions of the whole sub
IJect He would say that there had not been in tie
history Ut the government single instance or pre-
cedent inconsistent with the course pursued by The
committee and he would challenge gentlemen 70
contradict The statement. The of the CIle
duel had bern referred to. The resolution adopta
in that case authorized the appointment of a commit
tee to investigate the which led 10 his death
ana Inc circumstances connected Herewith, and re
port to the House, and further to inquire wheherD
the case alluded to there had been q breach Of the
privileges of the House, but did not instruct then
10 report any action. He desired 10 call the aeu
ton of The House to another fact He disiked eI
ceedngy 10 make the allusion, but it was necessary
mat the precedent which he held in his hand shouG
go before the House and the country. 1t was only :
al Inc last session OF Congress that resolution
onereh Tor the expulsion of his late COLLEAGUE IRON
south Carolina. he committee had investigated
the matter and had implicated Others but the House
had heard then yirtuous Indignation from the
member from Pennsylvania
The gentleman from New York wanted the Com.
ml'tee to conhne the report merely to the evidence
The Committee relied upon the uniform practice o.
the House to sustain them, and the resolution unda
which they h id been authorized to act SUI ersede
the rule IN the Manual for the lime being He had
never spent forty days more dsagreeably than 10
investigating charges against men who had hereto
fore sustained high characters; but he had done I,
firmly. He would submit to the House that the"
ought to have been no discussion On the evidence
this case, only the friends of the accused had
been permitted to see il, and the majority Of 6'