The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-02-11

Mr.. Houston, of Aid =, CALLED for the yeas
and nays on ordering I'd main question, which
were ordered, and the main question was or.
dered to be put-yeas lib, nays l07.
The yeas and nays were then taken on the
motion by Mr.. Stephens, of Georgia, to refer
to the Committee on Territories which was
lost-yeas ll3, nays ia.
The question required on the amendment
offered by Mr.. Harris, of Illinois, to the resolu-
ton offered by Mr.. Hughes of Indiana, and
the yeas and nays were ordered thereon.
Mr.. Jones of Tennessee, asked for division
OF the question, bat the Speaker ruled that it
was not Invisible.
Mr.. Savage, of Tennessee, moved to lay the
whole subject on the table.
Mr.. Harris, of Illinois, inquired if that would
be carrying out the agreement of Saturday
morning.
At the suggestion of Mr.. Houston, of Ala
bama, and others, be withdrew the motion.
Mr.. Clark, of New York, asked to be excused
from voting, on the ground that vote in the
affirmative would be inconsistent with the votes
which he had already given, and that a vote in
the negative would imply an unwillingness to
have this matter investigated, which he believed
the best interests of the country demanded.
de desired an investigation to be had by the
regular committee of the House.
The House refused to excuse him-yeas 80,
nays log.
The yeas and nays were then taken on Mr..
Harris's amendment, and resulted as follows:
Yeas Messrs. Abbott, Adrain. Andrews,
Bennett, Billinghurst, Bingham, Blair, Bliss,
Brayton, Buffinton, Burlingame, Burroughs,
Campbell, Case, Chaffee, Chapman, Clark of
Connecticut, Cawson, Clark B. Cochrane,
Cockerill, Colfax, Comins, Covode, Cox, era
giu, Curtis, Damrell, Davis Of Maryland, Davis
OF Indiana, Davis of Massachusetts, Davis of
fee, Edie. English, Farnsworth, Fenton, Foley,
Foster, Giddings, Gilman, Gooch, Goodwin,
Granger, Groesbeck, Grow, Hall of Ohio, Hall
Of Massachusetts,, Harlan, Harris of Illinois,
Haskin, Hickman, Hoard, Horton, Howard,
Owen Jones, Kellogg, Kelsey, Kilgore, Knapp,
kunkel, Lawrence, Leach, Letter, Lovejoy,
McKibbin, Marshall of Illinois, Montgomery,
Morgan, Morrill,, Morris of Pennsylvania, Nor
ris of Illinois, Morse of Name, Morse of New
York, Mott, Murray, Niblack, Nichols, Olin,
Palmer, Parker, Petit, Pike, Potter, Pottle,
Purviance, Richie, Robbins, Roberts, Royce,
Shaw of Illinois, Sherman of Ohio, Sherman
of New York, Smith Of Illinois, Spinner, Stan
ton, Stewart of Pennsylvania, Tappan, Thayer,
Thompson, Wade, Walbridge, Waldron, Wal
ton, Washburn of Wisconsin, Washburne of
Ilinois, Washburn of Maine, Wilson, and
Wood-1l4.
Nays-Messrs. ALL, Anderson, Arnold, At.
kins, Avery, Barksdale, Bishop, Bocock, Bowie,
Boyce, Branch, Bryan, Burnett, Burns, Cas-.
kie, Clark Of Missouri, Clay, Clemens, Cling
man, Cobb, John Cochrane, Corning. Craig Of
Missouri, Craige of North Carolina, Crawford,
Curry, Davidson, Davis of Mississippi, Dim
mick, Dowdell, Edmundson, Elliott, Eustis,
Faulkner, Florence, Garnet, Gartrell, ellis,
Goode, Greenwood, Gregg, Hatch, Hawkins,
Hill, Hopkins, Houston, Hughes, Huyler,
jackson, Jenkins, Jewett, Jones of Tennessee,
J. CLANCY Jones, Keitt, Kelly, Kunkel of
Maryland, Lamar, Landy, Letcher, Maclsy,
Mcqueen, Marshall of Kentucky, Mason, May
nard, Miles, Miller, Millson, Moore, Pendleton,
Peyton, Phelps, Phillips, Powell, Quitman,
Ready, Regain, Riceud, Rufin, Russell, San
didge, Savage, Scales, Scott, Soaring, Seward,
Shaw of North Carolina Shorter, Sickles, Sin.
gleton, Smith of Tennessee, Smith of Virginia,
Stallworth, Stephens, Stevenson, Stewart of
Maryland, Talbot, Taylor of New York, Tay.
lor of Louisiana, Trippe, Underwood. Ward,
Warren, Watkins, White, Whiteley, Winslow,
Woodson, Wortendyke, Wright of Georgia,
Wright of Tennessee, and Zollicofer-ll1.
So the amendment was agreed to.
Mr. Harris, of Illinois, moved to reconsider
the vote last taken, and to lay that motion on
the table; and the latter motion prevailed-yeas
lis, nays Ill.
The question required upon the passage of
the resolution offered by Mr.. Hughes, as
amended.
Mr.. Clingman, of North Carolina. If this
is voted down. it will be competent to move to
refer to the Committee of the Whole, will it
not?
Voices. "Order,o " Order"
The yeas and nays we're then taken, and the
resolution, as amended, was adopted-yeas
lis, nays Ill.
Mr.. Harris moved reconsideration of the
last vote, and that the motion to reconsider be
laid on the table which was agreed to without
division.
Mr.. Keitt, of South Carolina, asked the in
diligence of the House, to make brief per.
sonal explanation. He said:
The House will remember that its proceed
ings during the session of Friday were broken
by an unpleasant incident. 1t is due to fair
dealing that should assume upon this floor all
responsibility for the violation of its order, its
dignity, and its decorum. / was the agrees.
or and whatever of responsibility attaches to
the act properly belongs to me alone. 1t is
also due to justice that should make whatever
reparation is in my power to the dignity and
the decorum of the House thus violated. l do
that in the expression of my profound regret
at the occurrence. Personal collisions are al.
ways unpleasant, very seldom excusable, rarely
justi6able, never in legislative body. / feel
the full force of the responsibility which l as
sumo in saying that was the aggressor and
that the entire responsibility properly belongs
to me. In this connection / have but one
other remark to make; and that is, whether
any blow was directed at me or not, is more
than can say. / am at least utterly uncon.
scious of having received it. With this expla.
nation, sir, part with the subject.
Mr.. Grow, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker
have been taught, from my childhood, that all
fights among men are disgraceful to human
nature and to Christian community, and es-
pecially when they occur among the lawmakers
of people, in the midst of their deliberations.
The judgment, sir, of my ripper years has fully
satisfied me that my education, in this respect
at least, has been good and true. Yet, sir, the
right of selfdefence / recognise as one Of the
inaliensble rights of man, to be exercised upon
all occasions and under all circumstances where
it is necessary to protect life or person and,
sir, at the last sitting of this House l found
myself unexpectedly engaged, for the first time
in my life, in q personal conflict. To the
House l tender most cheerfully whatever of
apology is due for this violation of their order
and decorum; and no one can regret more
than myself that there should have been any
occasion for a violation of either.
At twenty minutes before three o'clock, the
House adjourned.
Washington, Feb. 5.-The Douglas Demo
Gratis and Republicans have had no formal con-
ference as to the course they design pursuing
on the Kansas question, nor, according to
present indications, is it probable one will be
held. The movement of Mr.. Harris, of Illinois,
in the House, to refer the Presidents message
to special committee, to be appointed by the
Sneaker, emhodiea the policy of the Douglas