Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-01-15
CONGRESSIONAL
WAsnINaToN, Saturday, JAN

H4ohAN01QN, OdGurudy Can'A1U. -
The Senate is not in session to-day
having yesterday adjourned until Mon
day. ~
HoUsE.-The Speaker announced tn
select Committee to investigate the al
legged charges of corruption, to consist o
Messrs. Kelsey, Orr, Davis of Maryland
Richie and Warren. Aeeo|'@N
Mr.. Grow said that he had had 70,
two, or three weeks a petition, signed
by fifteen hundred voters of Kansas, re.
monstrating against the right of Mr.
Whitfield to a seat as a delegate from
that Territory. He had been informed
that a large number, similar to this, wer'
on their way and asked to have read tn,
petition of Mr.. Reeder, setting forth tn,
reasons for contesting Mr.. WHITFIELD
seat.
Objection being made, the papers
were referred to the Committee on Elect
ions.
Mr.. Reeder, in his petition, denie.
the right of Mr.. Whitfield to his seat
and claims it for himself. Setting forth
the reason for this assertion, he says
that himself and Mr.. Whitfield were can.
didates at two separate elections, wher
he 6Ar. Reeder) received more than
double the number of legal votes CASTOR
Mr.. Whitfield.
Upon a full investigation of all the
facts, the House rejected Mr.. Whitfield
but refused to admit Mr. Reeder. The
reasons for this are set forth in the re-
port of the Kansas Investigating Com
mitteel Without new legislation, and
under the same state of things, Mr..
Whitfield became a candidate for the
single session of the same Congress, at
an election held in October last, entire
ly without authority of law, in which a
large majority of the legal voters refused
to participate, preferring to recognize a
voluntary election. Thequestion having
been adjudicated by the House, that the
persons who did participate in thatirreg-
ular and unauthorized election, were a
small number of the voters of the terri
tory, less than those who voted at the
voluntary election in October 1855, and
a large number of non-residents of the
Territory, and persons who were noten-
titled to a vote. On the result of the
election only, Mr.. Whitfield had been
admitted to, and now occupied his seat
in this House. 1t was without the sem
blance or the color of the law.
Other reasons are also stated, and in
conclusion, he contends that if a volun-
tary and irregular election, unauthor-
lied by the statute, is Intellectual to a
seat, Mr.. Whitfield should be rejected,
and as his admission would seem to in
dictate that the House is disposed to re-
consider their decision upon this point.
Mr., Reeder claims to be entitled to a seat
in preference to the said Whitfield, in
asmuch as he was elected for the
whole Congress, at an election more for
NAL, and more legal, and by a larger Ie-
gal vote than that of October, 1865, and
that his admission is asked for by petit
tions from a large number ofthe citizens
of Kansas, now before the House. AS
all matters of fact set forth in the ,peti.
ton are necessary, in the opinion of the
House, to be proved, Mr.. Reeder offers
to establish by competent evidence be-
fore the House or any committee that
may be appointed for that purpose.
-Mr. Washburne, of Illinois, asked,
but did not obtain leave to present and
have received the petitions of a large
number of citizens. of Iowa, charging
fraud upon the Dubuque and Pacific
Railroad Company, in refusing to build
road, as provided by the act of Con-
gress granting lands for that purpose.
The bill authorizing payment, to the
owners of the schooner Garnet, of Mas
saehusetts, of the amount of fishing
bounties they would have been entitled
to receive, had the voyage been compile
ted, gave rise=to a long debate. The
bill finally passed; yeas so, nays TO-