Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-14
rH1RrY.F1FTE CONGRESS- SECOND SESSION
THURSDAY. DECEMBER .. 1858
SENATE.


at - O'Clock McssrS. ToombS Crttcndcn
and johnson ol Tennessee appeared in their
seats.
Several reports from the Departments were
received and laid Oh the table.
Mr.. Bright offered resolution that the con-
mittcc OH public buildings inquire into the
condition of the new Senate Chamber. The
time when il will be ready for occupancy. and
the proper ceremony Of removing thereto. he
committees not having been yet appointed the
resolution lies over.
Mr.. lycrsOn. Of Georgia. gave notice 81 Il hill
aboliShin. the ranking privilege, and suh,tl'u-
TIM the communication therefor.
The Senate then proceeded TO the election Of
an assistant door.kccpcr. which resulted in the
choir, 81. Charles :. Jones. the Democratic
nominee, he rccciyin. 81 votes.
The Senate then TAT IL! o'clock adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
The House assembled at - NJ.
The Chair appointed the committees. They
are composed of the same members IL d'l-
ring the last session. with the following cNc"p'
tons:
Mr. Bovcc. Of :. C.. Chairman of the Com
mittcc on Elections. vice !. J.. Harris. dcccaS-
&C. and Mr.. Wright. Of Tenn. and Mr. Cava-
mugh were added to it.
Mr. Phelps, of Mo-, chairman Of the com
mi,tec on ways and means. vice }. q. Jonc,.
resigned; and Mc>srs Phillips, Maclay AMI Nor
rill were appointed TO fill vacancies.
Mr.. jackson. Of Tia. on the committee on
claims vice Garnet. declined.
Mr.. Garnet IN the committee on public Lands,
vice Walbrdgc.
Mr.. Hopkins. chairman of the committee on
foreign affairs. and Mr.. Branch appointed to fill
vacancy in that committee. occaSioncd by Mr..
Clingman's resignation.
Mr.. Tallandigham, OIL the committee on Ter
ritorics, vice Branch. Of North Carolina. trans
icrrcd.
Mr.. fanSworth and Mr., Lcidy on the com.
m,tcc on revolutionary pensions. vice Soaring
and Wright, of Tenn, transferred.
Mr.. Palmer. on the committee on Invalid pen
sionS, vice Morse. Of New York.
On the committee on roads and canals
Mcssrs. Mason, Walbridgc and Goodc, wire
Mcssrs. Damrcll. Crawford and l.ridy.
Mr.. Nblack. on the committee on patents.
vice Maclay.
Mr.. Soaring. chairman oi the committee oi
accounts. vice Dick
MT. l'HcllI>, oIl tIlc 'Niii'iilt'eS VII ''''"SN'
vice Niblack.
The Committee OH Territories consists of the
following members :-McSSrs. Stephens oil
Georgia. Smith of Va, Grow of Pa. Hughes.
Zollikoi1cr, Granger. Clarke Knapp and Val
landgham
The Committee on Ways and Means consists
Of McSsrS Phelps Of Mo-, L.etchcr, Davis Of
Nd. Maynard Dowdcl, Howard of Michigan.
Crawford of Ga Merrill Of VT. Maclay and
Phillips of Pa.
Mr.. Morris Of Ill.,, gave notice that he would
on tomorrow introduce 4 bill authorizing the
Territories to elect their own Governors and
other officers lie also gave notice of bill to
admit salt and sugar free Of duty. lie also
gavc notice that Inc would Oh Tuesday next in
trolucc n hill to amend the naturalization laws.
The next business in order was the report Of
the Committee on the Judiciary upon the case
Of Judge John c. Watrous OF Texas, charged
with misconduct in office.
Mr.. Ready said time had not yet been al
forded for the investigation Of the report. and
he moved that the subject be postponed until
Thursday next.
Mr.. Houston thought sufficient time for Ill
yestigaton would be- afforded as the House
proceeded with the consideration of the report.
The subject must be taken up at the earliest
possible moment il it was desired that the
Senate should act on the question Of impeach-
mcnt during the present session.
Mr.. Craigc of y. c.. member Of the judi
cary committee stated that he had had no
time. although n member Of the committee. to
examine the report. 1t was very long, and
the subject was too important to be hastily dis
posed of.
Mr.. Cochranc. of " Y. hoped there would
be no postponcmcnt. Now was the proper
time to consider the matter. If members, with
the documents in their possession for SIX
months. had not had time to examine the re-
port. lie did not see what opportunity delay
of one week would afford. The interests OF
the rarty charged with these gray" offences
demanded an instant investigation.
Mr. Reagan of Texas. did not care whether
the Subject was taken UP now or next week;
but the State Of Texas had made three appeals
to Congress 10 consider the charges ag'lns;
Judge Watrons. and he hoped the subject
would not rs heretofore be postponed from day
to day. but would he taken up at some liked
time and decided upon during the present Se'-
sion The question WAS one Of the hrSt mag
nitude and demanded earnest and careful con-
sidcration.
Mr. Shorter of Alabama, though, it better TO
postpone the case until Tuesday week, As itS
consideration next Thursday would interfere
with private bills
Mr. Ready WAS willing 10 accept Tuesday
week as the day for the consideration Of this
case. All he desired was that it should he
fully understood The testimony covers over
loo pages, and il required great time To ana
I'VE such a mass of evidence.
Mr.. Chapman Of Penn. SAIL if this subject
wa, postponed. although the House might uti-
mately determine TO impcach Judge Watrous.
no time would he afforded the Senate 10 invcs-
tisatc the subject
After further discussion between Mcssrs.
Chapman and Ritchic, ofPennsylvania, Mason
of Kentucky. and ChatIrc. Of Massachusetts, in
opposition tn the postponemcnt. and MesSrS.
Craigc of North Carolina and Clark. Of New
York. in favor thereof, the question was decided
in the ncgatiye-aves 81, noes -.
Mr.. Chapman then proceeded to open the
case lie reviewed the report Of the committee
and the testimony at length. 1t appeared that
Judge WatrouS had engaged IN specrlatloiiN III
real estate, the titles to which were III dispute,
and that he used his Office - means OF pro-
noting his interest and the interests OF his part
ners in these spcculations. 1t was alleged that
Judge WatrouS intended to sit in Judgment on
these very cases in which he was interested,
and there were strong grounds for bccvln.
that this was so, as he mad first suggested the
introduction of 4 citizen of another STATE
into these spcculations. 1t seemed to him.
after he had been called upon b. the
Legislature Of his own State TO resign
after it was evident that public confidence
in his impartial administration of j,istic,
had been shaken to its foundation, he
owed it to himself. his good name, and the in
tegri,y of his court, to seek no longer to avoit
n trial He should either demand 1t or resign
for what a,ailcd it if the House dismissed III,
complaints presented? The public mind, it wa:
evident, would not be quoted until he left tn
bench, or vndicated his innocence before thC
only constitutional tribunal appointed to tr!
such cases