Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-01-18
INTERESTING CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE.

INTERESTING CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE.
WASHINGTON Jan. 8.-The House passed TWEEN
| tv-one private bills, and was about to adjourn,
| when Mr.. Kelsey introduced q subject which
| caused much excitement He presented it as
| question of privilege, FIRST causing to be read at
| the Clerks table an editorial from the New York
Times Of 9th inst, which charged members of Con-
gress and lobby sgents with gross corruption, men.
tlonipg the Minnesota land bill in the connection,
| saying that evidence can be produced to carry
conviction to every honest hesrt-thGt the crimi-
nails should be driven from the high places which
| they have dishonored. Mr.. Kelsey remarked that
the charges contained in that article appeared to
have been based on letter from this city to the
Times.
Under ordinary circumstances, it would, perhaps,
be waste of time to notice articles of this chsrac
ter appearing in newspapers But the editor of
| the Times occupied position before the country
which entitled his statements to credit. II be is
| in the possession of the facts be therein charges
| he should substsntate them before committee Of
| this House, that the members who may be guilty
OF the conduct should be known to the country. As
the case now stood, be (Mr. Keksy) could neither
vote for nor against certain proposition without
bringing himself directly under the charges in that
| article. If there exists such q combination, as
alleged he wanted to know it, and the facts to go
| before the people. he concluded by offering the
| following:
! "Whereas certain statements have been publish.
| ed charging the members Of this HOUSE with en-
tering into q corrupt combination for the purpose
of passing aud Of preventing the passage of certain
measures now before Congrsss-thereiore,
| 'Reg0lUed, That committee of FIVE members be
! appointed by the Speaker, with power to send for
| persons and papers, to investigate said charges;
| and that the committee report the evidence to be
TAKEN Jnl what action in their Judgment is neces.
ssry on the part Of the House without unnecessary
| delay"
| Mr. Psyne-I scarcely know whether ought to
| say snythicg or not. l know nothing about that
| editor nor bis journal I know nothing about any
! communication made 10 it know not how he
! obtained the information. l know not Whe Their it
is true or false. Butt do know that there has been
q proposition made in this houss by members of
the House on the subject. [Sensation and cries of
| "whO is be 2 Expose shall not name the
gentleman. [Cries Of down infrOnt" Stand out
! the aisles;' I'VE can't see." l shall mention no
member by name vOIcs-"you ought to do
! It." It was with feelings of Indignation that
| heard the proposition [lmpstisnt demands Of
! "whst was it p tell it,
| TIE reason why did not announce it to the
House was that, psnding the organization Of this
| body, when 4 member roein his place and stated
! that fellow member had directly made an at
tempt to tsmper with him for bis vote fJr Speaker,
| tie only credit he received was that he Wes
laughed at, aud it was charged that be did not &C.
cepL the prCt5red bribs because there wss no such
! profitable psCe to he had say distinctly tia.
there no want Of truth in the sllegat on contain
! ed the Times article.
a distinct proposition was made 10 me by
/ member of this House in regard to the Minnesota
! land bill; sn that 81 500 would be given in -
! Sdel alton of a vote for that BILL 1.-THE purposed
! committee snail be raised and l am called on as q
! witness, I shall give my evidence
| Mr.. a. MsrshaIl-I sm extremely ulW i.Dg
| to Ease the action of the Hou5e OF charges made
| in any Lewspaper Of the day l had de'Crm Ell
to vote against the resolution; but the position
Cfstfars is totally different A member has snEOu.c
ed that there Is truth in the article lie states til
| of his own knowledge proposition having be5n
! made to him On this statement alone We should
! base our action. lido not wish to bring the New
TOTk papers into that sort Of TospectsbiHty which
our action on their COndCt would bestOW. Such
| contemplate things shou not be SO honored.
BIC Pee psf 1 understand corsc ly, the
charges read from the Times were made in the Ell
ItOIisl columns OF that pspr. learn that the
editor OF the Times was an ex L euteDant Cover
nor Of New York; and when gentlemen of sucl
standing make such charges / ask whether il is
not worth our whie to make the inquiry, especi
ally sitter the statement of the gentleman from
North Carolina.
Mr. a. R. Marshall resuming-I don't care what
character the editor had ! don't care whether be
was Lieutenant Governor or Governor, or not
Partisan editors are Influenced and controlled BY
positions and interests which do not control men
in other pursuits l ask whetherit does not more
become our character and dignity, to base our &C
ton on the statement OF one Of our members, rath-
er than on that Of an eILieutsnant OF Governor
There have been other matters and limitations
thrown out besides those in the editorial article.
A distinct charge has been made Of az attempt 10
corrupt q member Of this House. Let the COM
mittee inquire into all the alleged corruptions. l
suppose tue resolution is sufficiently broad for that
purpose.
Mr. Campbell Of Ohio-During the past eight
wears, It has been my lot to serve IN this House,
ana have generally been present when important
votes were taken with single exception have
voted for bills granting lands 10 alternate sections
for railroad purposes. l have given my reasons
for SO doing on former occasions. We are startled
now by the gentleman from New York, who sends
to the Clerks desk an editorial article from the
New York Tines.
The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Phelps at
tempts to dignity it by saying that it was written
by an ex-Lieutensnt Governor OF the state OF New
York. L is however, ct best, but an article from
a newspaper. l don't care whether 1t comes from
the West or the East, every intelligent member Of
this body ought TO have learned that it IS not be-
coming in the American Congress, especially dur
ing q short session like this, when bills affecting
the interests of the whole country at stake, to
stop and inquire into charges of this kind, which |
are based solely on tie idea that some editor or as
slstsnt or newspaper penny s-llner, has seen |
fit to mRhgn this body.
Having iet in my own person, within tne last
two years, the weight of assaults OF this Kind &C.
CuPyIDg the relations I do TO this body, or the |
predIcaCed on the charge made by the writer,
through manufactured rags and lamp black and oil,
were 1t not for the statement, distinctly made by
the gentleman from North Carolina. | concur
with the gentleman from Kentucky (Nr MsrshaD
that this places the whole matter on q different
footing. Sir the gentleman from North Carolina
says he knows there was a proposition of cor
ruptou made to him. am for the investigation.
move to amend the preamble by adding:
and whereas q member Of this House has
stated on his own authority that the article Is not
wanting in truth"
Mr.. Orr think this debste is an unnecessary
consumption of time. Charges Of q similar char
sCter have been so frequently made, relative to
members Of Congress, think the whole Of them
should low be Investigated. I do not see how the
House. consistently with its dignity and sefre-
spect, can refuse investigation, alter the state
ment OF the gentleman from North Carolina. 1t
is due to the character Of this body Rud our con-
sttuents that this enquiry should be as broad as
possible II true the editor Of the lines car give
information in support Of these charges The
House will have authority and the right to require