Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-24

! THEsPEUlALR X NsAsGOMMrTTEE
i Remarks Of Hon. John Leteler, Of
as. Virginia. 7
T Dcffrcred III comm,HteT He, u mir, d,
j Uet1ncsdfY, ihrch 31st, 1858, IN
/, tleftaee u the tonsmitsee IF Fir
Wa sssgs ssfI vs tee2. y. s55
ii. Dir, Chairuan,4I do not propose to 50
into any general discussion Of the merits Of
tao Kansas question. ny SOLE object in
seeking tic floor IS to reply to some re-
marks made by three gentlemen in the
progress Of thig debate in reference to the
i acton ef The committee Of fifteen, Ct which
1 was q member, The first gentleman
AAho alluded to it was the gentlemen fsom
Il New York Mr. BENEFIT, tic next was
the gentiet'an fscta Michigan Mr.. Wax
1BitIDcE ~ eoth Of whole we're members Of
/ the eolalnittcesan tisse Ass vas my f!1e'ea!
from North Carolina, TMr GILNEn, in the
remarks scientifically him this morning 49,
These gentleisen have undcrs1ken to say
that the majority Of the committee were
satisfied Of the fact that these frauds had
}been committed in the Territory Of Kansas,
that great wrongs. and great outragas had
been perpetratels ard that, FnowiEg this
\ fact, the committee deternincd aUts 60 exc
| cute the order Of the House, but to dodge
the instructions which had been given to
the committee at the TIME Of its appoint
mcnt. So far as / am concerned, there is
nothing in my acti connected with that
committee which | consider requires any
| defence, either before my constituents or
before the country. I pursued that course
which my own convictions of duty pointed
out as the proper one and which under
similar circumstances, 9Th all the lights
now hefors snse, would pursue again.
4 It IS my pu-pose to show tia; The m ejoli-
!, ty Of the committee of fifteen discharged
their duty faithfully as tkst daty was en-
joined upon them by the order Of The House
1t will be recollae.ed that on the second
day Of February til sentlenail from ILL.,
nois, II. HaFHfs, whose Illness / greatly
Eregret, introduced into this IFouse rcsolu-
Etl,n which eontaiaed len specifications n
1.-THE nature Of instructions 70 the committee
/ which lie proposed TO raise
I | will now call attention to epch one Of
these Instructions, because desire to have
them impressed upon the minds C stcl, as
are present and such As may read my re-
marks, in order tkat the res luton as then
presented may be contrastcd with the res
olution as it was finally adopted On re-
ference to the journal, it will be found that
the resolution as originally proposed in
Istructed the committee. that he then de-
signed to raise ii the irs. place
/ '.To inquire into all the facts connected
with the formation Of said constitution and
! the laws, if any, under which the same was
/ orig mated and whether such laws Fave
been ccntnlied WISH and followed
t NV Whether said constitution proEiacs for
IN republican form Of CIV rnmel 1, and
whether there arc included within the pro-
posed boundaries Of hanjas sufficient spopu-
latlon to be. entitled to a representative in
This House upon the basis now fixed BY
law; and whether said constitution is accep-
table land. satisfactory to majority of the
legal voters Of Kansas f y s
/ Now, it will be recollected thatfny friend
from North Carolina Mr. GnMEE, to-day
charged the committee Of fifteen. with haF-
ling lodged their duty ii not aaeertain;ng
Whether here was a sufficient population in
shat Territory to entitie them to member
according to the ratio Of representation as,
fixed by tlle act Of Congress- ninoty-odd
thousand. We had 40 such instruction be-
fore Us. The .instructions as then presen-
ted were subsequently Withdrawn hgs Che
alover, and we were charged, therefore,
with sses inquiry Of that1sorr and if We had.
been, would Ike to know of.my frienS
from North Carolina how the committee of
ifteon were tocxecute that requirement =
We were clothed with no power to take
census Of the people Of the Territory to as
certain the fact we wee provide with no
means q getting st it unless We undertook
to call upon Ion,, Dick ana Harry for the
purpose Of getting tleS Impressions in re-
gard to-the populations in each 'e1re ofthe
counties which constitute the Territory OF
Kansas. We could have got nothing more
if we had been rpaaifed toFexecnte such an
order than the preiudiced partisan opinions
-of individuals means Of information which
were as accessible to every lnem' eraof this
House rs to, the mem bers of the committee.
Iac resolution goes on: fz@En A
Also, the number Of votes cast, If any,
and When in favor ola convention t, form
4 constitution as aforesaid, and the places
where they were. CO t, aud the number east
lat each place Ct. voting ana ii each county
in the Territory.
The appointment II to,egate3 to saia
convention among. the different counties and
election districts Of said. Territory, and the.
census or rogistratien under Which the
same was made, and whether the same was
Just and fair, or ia compliance with law.
The names. of the delegates to said con-
vention, and the number Of votes cast for.
each candidate for delegate, and the places
where cast, and whether sa.l constitution
lcceiTed the votes Of minority of the dele
gates to said convention.
The number Of votes, east in said Terrific.
ny on the 2lst Of. necember lst, for ana
against such Constitution, AMI for and a.
saipst any parts Or. features thereof, AMI
the number 50 east at each place Of voting
in said Territory. III -.
The number Of votes cast in sail Terri
tory on the 4lh dav Of january last. for