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

! by the resolution. Those specifications AZ
! distinct, CLEAR, aud cNplieif, 50 That .iher
can be 10 mistake W. 4duul,j Ii reeag.i t
either D: all Of ihtm
I Well now. m'tat fgsilaNe,i We fnA q
/. farther action was tassel, nniil t:p. .lii .
February. when Ia gentleman ft9u Jill
noif Mr., llAaRisB proposed 10 strik ,cu
i all the Specifications thus clearly Set ant ID
! his resolution introduced on the II IF Feb
4sruary, ard to substitute the following:
] sass Lesoltad THAT tie MESSAGE Of tn
President c5s.eerlling acppsttitptionafriau,
/ ga at lleconrpton, il tae IeTr,oly d Kan
sas. BY a committee Of delegates therein
and the papcss scssiiipanEing the Ssriic i /,
referred to seice taconsn4lttce of fifteen, K
/ be appointed -by tF.s: Speaker. I hat SAT-
cosimittce BE instruct Ted Il inquire fntc Il
tie facts CONNECTED will the f,nSts5a q
said CONSTITUTION ai,d ffro ssssy. u,idergslicf
| the same was originated, ard into all sucl
/. fact. and proceedings as have ,transpiree
since the formation Of said Constitution hay
I ing relation to the question Of propriety q
ithe admission ofsssid Territory into Tx
Union under said constitution, and whether
the same issaeccftasle ard sat ss.ctery to .
majority af tie legal voters ef k-ansas. =
md tlss5 saia cesariiiti.ce have pow,r t.
send f5r persons and pap91s''
Now, if the House inf,u ia tliat vd
should execute the purposes 8 indicated by
the specifications Set forth iii Tie original
resolution, then desire 70 know Why thai
original resolution was abandoned BY the
mover, and this general resolution sabstitu-
ted in its stead? In the original resolution
sir, we had positive instructions; every
thing vas definite and diStincts our duties
we're marked oct in words .hat eoeld net &c
misunderstood. But with a resolution thus
clear, thus definite thus distinct ia its IAN
guage, the. mover himself fMr. HAR,as,
proposed 10 strike out alE tilef specifications
ana 70 insars fhis resolution, thus. general
~ ,ts7terns
4. ts-fat v5s tIf's ac5ian of TIE committee
when they met under this resolution .
Mhcn we met, according TO the Journal of
the proceedings, as published with the de-
murrer ;(as he terlaed it) of the. gentleman
from nols, The FIRST business attempted
vas to introduce resolutions ,overing each
one Of the Identical points which were en-
Traced By tie specifications in the original
resolution, as introduced BY the gentleman
from Illinois. We were to go ino sthat
broad field Of Investigation III detail we
we're rot onlt t. i.qui.e II resasI to This
constitution, tho law which gave rise to it,
the registration Of the. voters, the arpor-
t3eument Of delegates, lie election cF ai5lc
gates. the fori1at;oG df th4st constellation
the submission Of enc clause of that consti-
tuti1l to the popular vote, and the anesen-
tatlon Of that constitution here for the con
sid rttion Of Gougsess. Int y We were to &c
into the Investigation Of frauds aEteriog to
that, not connected WITH it in anf wav
whatsoever, and also into frauds alleged to
have been committed Subsequent to that
time, and in no wise bearing upon tho qpes-
ton peuling lesore Congress. We were
to 60 into matters outside Of the question
which this ilouSe. was called upon to decide
End 40 matter how those points might
have been determined, no action Which
that coml6ittee ooold have ta'en. yocld
have ezertea any influence unon the }jues-
zion ofthe nrepriety Of the admission or re-
Fiction Of Kansas una the Lecompton
constitution.
Look at some Ct tll,e Specifications oon-
-taigcd il tEat resolution You will .recol-
loct that there was one specification which
directed the committee to ascertain wheth-
er there is-a open rebellion AGAINST the
laws ef' tlsst Tesrisoss9 81 tho citizens
thereof That was stricken out. Rut af-
ter the splnnsitteo met to discharge the du-
ty imposed upon them by the House, it was
proposed 70 90 what? Why sir, 10 adopt
this resolution, proposed by the gentleman
frem New Jersey .Ar 4ApRAfS J; T
. Re&oIsed, That it is an important fact,
haying relation to. the .propriety q the ad-
mission Of Kansas iuto tie Tnion under the
Aeconlrton. constitution. Whether CT .,.os q
large part Of the neop'e Of Kansas have
been y rebellion against the goyereme, II,
and such a fact as this ccn,in::ttge 80 I'll
qaired BY the resolution Of the House d.
rectlng said committee torintuire into; and
the committee will therefore inquire into
the alleged fact"
Wei, nQ'T, Sir, ii The co;nm:ttea was d.
~ect1d ulster this resolution Of the House to
make this inquiry, why was that claase Of
the resolution stricken out? or, in.othor
words, Why was it withdrawn to give place
to the resolution, containing no such ,speci-
.icatlon. which was subsequently aloptcd. I?
And, then, besides, SIR does it ret puzzle
you, Ices i lot pnzzle any member. Of the
House, to ascertain what Tie fact Ct {. rs
boliion IN Kansas has to do with the aJlnis-
sion Of that Territory as State into the
Union? What had it to do with. tbs orca-
nization of their eonvenhen and the forna-
ton of their constitution What has it TO
Do now with the action Of this Hou in 3
tcrmiling the question whether that consti-
tuition shall be accepted o. rejected? [
frankly confess, sir, that | can conceive Of
no earthly conns4ioh that it could have
with the constitution, nor Of any. Influence
tf1at It could exert en- the minds Of mem
oers on this floor, nor Of any influence that
1t ought to exert on any question on which
we are row called to act. The resolution
containing this instruction being withjl-grTrs,,
and resolution adopted Tlich did not con
tain it,, satisfied my mind that the House
lid not intend that We should make such an
inquiry.
That was enc Of the resolutions p.oposel,
and that rcsolutica was voted down, for the
reasons ! lave stated, AMI think proper
~ voted down, by my vttc in part !.