White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1860-06-07
Mr. Summers Allusion to the Judge
of Hell,


In the Senate on Monday. when Mr..
Sumner had presented the memorial oil
Mr.. Sanborn. and novel its reference TO
tine Judiciary ComiIIee, Mr. Mason NOV
ell to reject said memorial. claiming this
equivalent TO refuse to receive 1t. Upon
lhis Nlr. Sumner said:
Dir. President. i think that ought not
to listen TO surha proposition as has
been made blythe Senator from Virginia,
with reference to this petition, wIIhOn;
one word in reply. Ile.e is a petition
from a gentleman Of perfect respectable
ty, charged with no crime. presumed 20
he innocent, complaining of gross out
rage at the hands OF certain persons pre-
tending to act in The name OF the Senate.
These facts are set forth in his petition.
They are authenticated. also. by d0cu-
menis now of record. The Senator moves
without any .Ieiereace to commitIee.
without giving the petition iho decency oi
hearing. according to tue ordinary lormS
of this Body-that 1t he rejected - ami
he does tins in view to establish pro-
cedent also in this case. by entering my
open. uneqGivoc.d protest against such u
suggestion. Sir, it was said IN antiquity
oi one OF the Judges ofhell. that lac pun
isheI first and heard aiterwards-eaSti-
gatgue aUdtqUs-and permit me TO say
the Senator from Virginia, on this occa-
sion, takes precedent from that court.
Mr.. Mason.-The Senator from Mass.
achusetts, it seems to the. makes an OPP
portunity to use language in the Senate
Chamber which, so lar as my intercourse
with the world goes. is not usual out OF
the Senate Chamber. There is nothing
in it that | have right to take as per
sonally offensive to myself The Senate
is the proper judge and arbiter OF the de-
corum of its own proceedings. have
said that the Senator makes occasion,
because he chose to reply in the language
which he has used. to a motion which,
for the reasons l stated-reasons purely
of the regularity of proceedings ot-had
withdrawn. Sir, | can have no personal
feeling in this matter, and ii | were to
attempt, could not work myself into
any personal feeling connected with it
| mean in the arrest Of this man.
My motion was simply. not that
would establish the precedent OF the Sen
ate. but to submit to the Senate wha
precedent should be established. l &C
quiesced very cheerfully in the decision
Of the Chair, that it could not DO dom
now, because of the preceding decision
Of the Chair that the pape: had been re
rcive,l, and that therefore the motion Il
reject would not be in order. My de
sign was not to PREJUDICE in the slishte,'
degree anything connected with 1t; bu
the petitioner lIere alleges that he has re
ceived injury, insult. aud oppression q
the hands OF those who were deputed by
the Sergeant at. Arms Of the Senate. ant
asks the Senate to inquire into 1t. and t6
redres, his grievance. 30 far as compre
bend the petition, and declares that hi
had di,obeyed the mandate Of the Senate
so that he might try the question IN dill
lerent tribunal. Tins he was certainly
within the legal meaning OF the term. II
contempt of the authority Of the Senate
He had appealed to other tribunals; AN
to those tribunals, it would seem to me
he should be left for relress. and not tC
the Senate. When the report come
from the Committee on the Judiciary j
will he foil time to ascertain whether ih'
authority was properly deputel. AMI. !
there he an occasion for it. whether
properly exercised. and what was done.