Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-03-16
zee 1rcomeroN FRAUD.
h,eestjgation Suppressed Report from NJ.
Harris Committee.

IiHfftS COWtHItCteG.
In thus submitting the journal Of the Com.
mittee to the inspection of the House, the un-
derSgEed feel it their dntytO expess their views
upon the action of the majority of the Commit
tee, constituted, as it originally was, with ma
jority of its members hostile to tho resolution
by which it was created and under which it was
directed to act.
The undersigned indulge in no reflections
discreditable to the character and integrity of
the majority of the Committee, from whom they
have been compelled to differ, most OF whom
were undoubtedly selected from the ablcst and
most experienced members of the House. Yet
in their action, in the opinion of the undersingn
ed, they have stripped the resolution under
which they were appointed Impractical effect
and submitted their own views and reflections
alone in a great measure for that evidence
which ought tofiave been collected by the Com
mittee. With the exception of call upon Mr.
Calhoun, proposed by one of the undersigned,
the majority have resisted successfully every
effort ut inquiry made by either of us, while
they themselves have elected nothing relative
to the matter of inquiry not already before the
country. Indeed, some of the most important
items of information, admitted by the majority
in the resolutions adopted by them in the Com
mttee ut its last session to be Essential to the
investigation" have never been obtained by the
committee, to wit: "the vote of the people I'M
der the law" for taking their sense" for or
against constitution; "the election ofdelcgates
as officially certified to" and "the vote on the
adoption of the constitutions under its own
schedule, and provisions as officially adjudged
and announced" These important facts all
United to be essential by the inajority-have
not, as far MS the undersigned have knowledge
ever been brought before the committee.
In addition to these important facts, we
thought is entirely pertinent and essential 10 the
objects of our Investigation To ascertain by the
best evidence within our reach
l. The population Of the territory.
3. The disposition of the people thereof to
wards the government of the United States
g. Whether, as charged by the President,
the people of Kansas are in rebellion against the
government under which they live
4. Whether the alleged vote, ON the sense OF
the people for and against constitution, was
taken under such laws and in such manner as u
entite it to be considered as the sense Of the
people.
0. Whether the paper pnrporting to be the
constitution of the State of Kansas" was made
by the people over whom it is designed to act,
and elHbodies their will, fairly and legally cX.
pressed
6, Whether the elections which have been
held in connection with the formation of said
constitution, both before and since its adoption
by the Convention, were so taken, conducted
and returned as to give effect to the popular will
and what that will was aud is.
fourth of January, when they voted for said con
stitution and for state officers, is indicative of
the will ofthe people of Kansas either as to the
prOpriety of the admission of said state into the
Union, oras showing whether the said constitu-
ton is acceptable aud satisfactory to majority
of the legal voters of Kansas and hence an i'm
quiry whether the returns of said election is
true or false, And as further reason for such
inquiry, that as said constitution provides no
mode of correcting frauds, or contesting elrc-
tons, how far Congress might by admission Oi
said state, commit itself TO the endorsement aud
confirmation of such Frauds andto fastening up
on a people a government and constitution
against its will.
8. Whether certain protests and resolves, said
to have been passed by the territorial legislator
against the admission of Kansas under the L.
compton constitution, ought not to he obtained
and considered as indicating the will Of the puu
pie in that regard.
These, and numerous other points of inuuirv
which the undersigned thought material aud c5-
sential to theinvestigatioho ordered by the IIousa
'as facts connected with the formation of said
constitution" and facts connected with "tu-
law under which the same was originated" and
as facts relating to the question or prOpriety o
the admission of said territory into the Union
under said constitution, and whether the same IS
acceptable and satisfactory TO a majority of the
legal uoters of Kansas" were untouched and
unnUticed by the Committee, and on the 81 in
slant, the Committee, by an adjournment sl.,
die, brought its labOrs to CLOSE, having, in oar
opinion, failed to accomplish any one importaa-
object for which it was raised
There are scores of prominent citizens Of
Kansas, Of all parties, now here who could have
given the most weighty evidence touching all the
points of inquiry embraced in the resolution.
particularly in relation to the most monstraus
frauds perpctrated in the election on the 1T of
December last ~
We think there is no excuse for neglecting To-
use the means within the reach of the commit
tee, and for returning to the House with no in-
formation but what was already in the posse
sion of each Of its members when the investiea-
ton was ordered, except the speculative reason
ipgs and casuistic lucubrations laid down 3d..
the majority in their report which, LEAVING opr
snndry quotations from the opinions Of Cove.
OrNyalker and Senator Douglas, and some con
sidelations growing out of these opinions, is d.-
reiteration of the views laid down in the Pre-.
dents message The majority of the commit
tee assume to decide upon tue proper line of a-
CURRY, instead of Obeyug the order Of the House.
If Congress cannot inquire into the mode and
manner Of the adoption the Lecumpton CON
stitption, then they cannot inquire lift was ever
adopted at all
We, therefore, submit, that the Comrnittae
hay> (and we think the Journal will bear ample
proof not conducted the investigation in slccor-