The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-02-08
THE TIL Z DISPATCH.
MONDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY q. ,ws
a Fight In tho House Of Representative.
Ihe First Struggle on the Lecomp-
ton Constitution


"seopy from the Washington States of satur
uay, .he suhjoihed account Of the proceedings n
the House of Representatives on the preyiou
h'eht' resulting in free fight, In which seyera
members were engaged:
1he doings Ia the House of Representatives las
night, and in the "wee hoursD Of this mor,inn
are chiefly interesting and remarksble-like RI.
most successful melodramas-for the scena 4,
which the single combat" inauuurated the .soran,
encounter" The eyes of the town are looking :,
Ine turhing'point of the fray, and its ears ar,
men," 1900 ~ "ei0'o'hee
The Presidents message coming up. Mr.. Grow
OF fennsylvania, came up with it. and did not o.,
down until he had sharply reviewed that docu
en' ne questioned II the Lecompton c5nstitu
tioh, which the Executive had transmitted n
them met, in its essential form. the will. wants
ana wishes of the people. who were TO he govern,d
and affected by 1t. He did not see that the presi
cent had given them chance of judging on The
Justness of its passage, because he had not trans
mitted the vote of the people on the constitntinn
In the case Of Minnesota, the constitution and
votes had been cent without q recommendation,
ana IN The case OF Kansas constitution and re-
commendation without the votes
Mr.. Harris, of Illinois desired To rnod;tv hi.
amendment to Mr.. Hughes resolution regaTdinc
the reference Of the message to select COMMITTEE
OF thirteen. lie desired 10 know if he could NOT of
Ter distinct proposition; but the speaker being q,
ENTERTAINED Mr. Har
rIs offered the resolution as an amendment.
The chief feature of this amendment il a rafar.
ence OF the message to select committee of Gfes
instead Of thirteen. The member from Illinois re-.
coghlZed the momentOus character of the subject
under consideration and naturally felt that tba
more Information before honorable members the
more nationally and honestly could they come 10 a
conclusion Facts were indispensable for the conn
try, because, II We were on the verge of new or
der OF things the country at large shouid know il
and :he causes for it. At all events why rush the
thing stup:dIy through?
What objections could there be TO an inquiry in
TO the factsl lie believed truth never barrad
anybody; and upon great public question like
tnls, Information should be sought from all sources
lie asked Tor nothing but what was pertioent To
the issue. He was opposed to unnecessary DELAY
bht was equally opposed to blind hurry lie
therefore offered his amendment, and moved the
previous question.
Nlr. Stephens, Of Georgia, protested against this
course and thought il majority We're determined
to force 1t, the minority at least ought to have a
nearing. Then commenced q series Of lodges to
prevent a vote on Mr. Harris' amendment Mo.
tlou5 lnnumerable were made on every possible
preteXt calls of the House followed at regular in.
terVals, and the members were beginning to get
hoarse i'll answering "yea" or may" to their
names. Motions tor adjournment were squash ed.
motions for recess were laughed at motion to
go into Committee of the Whole met entire con.
tempt; motions to be excused from voting were
numerous; questions of privilege had no chance
propositions for compromise moved the House 10
exceeding mirth and laughter. The opposition OF
eoth parties were kept up with good humor Al
one period Mr. Jones. OF Tennessee moved sin
good faith, that when the House adjourn, it be to
meet in the old Hall" We didn't know what for
rs the motion was not entertained.
'iiow long," asks an honorable member-"hov
long VIII 1t take to call the yeas and nays already
ordered
Mr.. Speaker. "About four hours"
1t will be seen that the opposition to the I.e-
compton measure must have been strong, as every
motion to adjourn made by its advocates was over
ruled by majority. Thus there was no end to
the moving of members in the House, although
they did not move ont of il.
Matters went on in this way, and generally in 9
goOdnatured and good humored wilfulness unit
about twenty minutes to two o'clock in the morn
ing. when "Flodden showed another sight,
All sorts of motions were being made and Mr.
Grow was moving towards the Speakers chair
down the avenue, contiguous to which was the
seat of Mr.. Keitt.
Some honorable made motion.
Mr.. Grow objected
Mr.. Keitt id: SO to your own side of tn,
House, sir, ..Ad make your objections there"
MIR. Grow promptly replied that 'he would make
his objections where he pleased" and indscreetlJ
followed up this remark by saying that ..he wouldpf
be governed by slave driver"
This was the tocsin for war; Mr.. Keitt thinkins
with Macbeth that the 'fighty purpose never il
o'ertook unless the deed go with it, struck th,
member from Pennsylvania.
Mr. Grow returned the blow, the parties clench
ed, aud in rushed members from all sides hopins
to end this little row. but unconsciously contribu
ting to commence a big one. MIR. arksdHle o
Mississippi. interfered as peacemaker and succeed
ed III parting them. lie was holding MIR Grow
when a crowd rushed up, and he was struck as ht
supposed, by Mr. Washburne, of Ill. Mr.. Bark sdalt
turned and gave Washburue several severe blows
when they we're parted.
The row went fast and furious right under the
Speakers chair, and in thorough disregard Of tht
presence of the occupants of the reporters gal
lery.
Some thirty or forty members got so entangIeC
and jammed up that it was difficult to see which
was which, or which got the worst OF best of it,
Blows were given and taken indiscriIuinatey.-
The affair was timed by sporting character pre-
sent, who says il occupied one minute and "a half
Speaker Orr and the Sergeant-at-Arms Mr.. Clos
brenner, deserve credit and commendation for the
prompt energy with which they succeeded in calm
ing the tumut.
When all "was calm again." the House fell bach
into its go0d-humored ways, the ''iittls brush
having walked mp some of the most unpatrio, ic
ThO doZed, unconscious of the momentousuess o.
the occasion. The members went on resolving
and moving, and taking the yeas" and mays
until after six O'Clock this morning, when Genera
Quitman introduced resoiution, su-pendng ac
ilon on all other motions, except the previous
question, (IIarris's motion 10 refer the whole sub
ject to the select committee,) which was made, by
iccamatcn, the special order .lor Monday, at
O'Clock; and the House adjourned, as Burns says
"up 10 the mornin' earlie"