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tive, where it belonged, and not upon this House. Mr. V. said that in respect to himself he could say with per fect truth that he was wholly ignorant of the details and preparations necessary for such a voyage; he did not, therefore, wish to assume the responsibility of volunteering any directions respecting them. The gentleman predicts a failure of this expedition if conducted upon the present plan; but is not the hazard of failure greatly increased if we undertake to interfere and direct a new plan? From the moment we interfere, the Secretary is relieved of all responsibility; and in case of failure the Congress of the United States will have acquired the enviable reputation of having procured for itself the praises of the whole civilized world by the enactment of a law directing the expedition, and then of having disappointed the high hopes every where entertained of it, by volunteering its interference in the details of the enterprise as already adopted, and, he had no doubt, wisely adopted.

Without pretending to know which was the most suitable for this service, a frigate or a sloop of war, yet he thought in one important respect at least the former was preferable to the latter. Mr. V. said that he had occasionally seen statements of the extent and operations of our commerce in that quarter of the globe, which to him were truly astonishing. It was carried on in a region where all the inhabitants are barbarians; our merchants, in their intercourse with them, were subjected to perpetual vigilance against surprise and violence, and, after all, accounts are by no means uncommon of attacks, murders of our seamen, and even of captures of ships with their crews. On these occasions the most shocking barbarities are usually committed. Now, these people, whose lives and property are thus perilled, constitute a part of the sum total of the population and wealth of the nation. The Government is bound to give them every reasonable protection. For one, Mr. V. said, he was willing to afford that protection to American capital and enterprise, without stopping to inquire what region of the globe was the theatre of their operation. All barbarians entertain very extravagant ideas of their own power, and very contemptible notions of the power of those who have not made before their eyes a display of superior power. It must of necessity be so, since their whole stock of knowledge, from which to make their comparisons, consists of what they know of themselves and see of others.

These people know they are an overmatch for our merchant vessels; and, never having seen any thing else, they are not aware of the existence of ships of superior force. They therefore attack our vessels without fear of future chastisement. The display before them of a frigate would undeceive them, give them new ideas of our power, and cause them to hesitate before making an attack on our merchantmen, for fear of future punishment. It is in pursuance of this policy we have spent millions of dollars in stationing military posts and making military displays in the presence of the Indians, far in the interior, solely with a view to impress them with an idea of our power, and thus so far overawe them as to give security to the weak and powerless of our people who have intercourse with them, without the means of defending their persons or property. Mr. V. said it appeared to him that the sending out of a frigate was only an extension of our existing and long-established policy to the barbarians in the South Sea islands, with whom our people are brought into intercourse. The small vessels will perform the explorations, while the frigate would perform the equally important duty of demanding satisfaction of the natives for wrongs already done, and promising them punishment for those they may in future commit; and in many other respects greatly facilitate the labors to be performed by the squadron.

[FEB. 3, 1837.

If he was mistaken in his views of this subject, he should nevertheless adhere to the opinion that the Executive should be left untrammelled in directing the outfit and conduct of this important expedition. Mr. V. said he could not suppress the expression of some surprise at the course the gentleman from Maine [Mr. JARVIS] had taken, recollecting, as he did, that at the last session the same gentleman was opposed to the expedition, because not only the equipment, but even the sending it out at all, had not been left to the sole discretion of the Executive. At present, he would have this House to interpose its authority by indicating to the same Executive what class of vessels should be employed! He, (Mr. V.,) of course, had no right to impugn men's motives, nor did he; but still he could not regard those who wished to derange the organization at present agreed upon as very friendly to the enterprise in any form.

The expedition was, as he had said, honorable to our national character; would be so regarded abroad and at home; was expedient, for wise purposes connected with our great commercial interests; would add much to various departments of human knowledge; and would, he had no doubt, at all times be amply provided for by Congress. It had, he believed, received the individual support of the delegation in Congress from Ohio, and would not be lost sight of by the people of that State.

Mr. BRIGGS said it was evident that they could not get through the bill to-night, and he therefore moved that the committee rise. Agreed to.

The committee then rose and reported,
And the House adjourned.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3.

KERN AND GEORGE.

Mr. PEARCE, of Rhode Island, from the Committee on Commerce, to which was referred the petition of John Kern, deputy collector, and John D. George, deputy naval officer, of the port of Philadelphia, reported the following resolution:

Resolved, That the memorial of John Kern and John D. George be referred to the First Comptroller of the Treasury, to be by him transmitted to the collector of the port of Philadelphia, who is hereby directed to settle the claim of said Kern and George, for services, as clerks, by them performed, in carrying into effect the 18th section of the tariff act of July 14th, 1832, according to agreement.

Mr. WHITTLESEY, of Ohio, desired to know something about this resolution, before he could vote for it.

Mr. PEARCE explained that an appropriation had been made, for the payment of clerk hire, to carry into effect the tariff act of 1832. The service had been performed by the deputy collector and deputy naval officer, after office hours; but the collector had construed the law in such manner that they could not procure their pay; and this resolution was for the purpose of providing that they should be paid.

Mr. WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, was opposed to paying out money in this way. They were not authorized to make appropriations, unless by bill or joint resolution; and he hoped this resolution would not pass.

Mr. PEARCE then went into a full explanation of the manner in which the service had been performed, stating, at the same time, that it had been performed better by these clerks than it could have been by others: yet if other clerks had performed the service there would have been no question as to the propriety of pay. ing them.

Mr. CAMBRELENG suggested that the most appro priate course would be to move to discharge the com mittee from the subject, and refer it to the Secretary o the Treasury.

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Mr. PEARCE said the subject had been before the Secretary, and the only question was as to the construction of the law. It was in consequence of the construction the collector had put upon the law, that the money was refused to be paid. He had done what he consid ered to be his duty in reporting the resolution; but if the House refused to adopt the report, he had nothing to say. Mr. WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, said it appeared that the Secretary doubted whether he had the power to pay this money, and the passage of this resolution was to relieve him of the responsibility of the matter. He contended the House had not the power to direct the Secretary to pay this money.

Mr. HARPER contended that these men ought to be paid, inasmuch as the money had been appropriated for the purpose of paying this clerk hire; and they had performed the service, and that, too, out of office hours. Mr. PEARCE then moved the following, as a substitute for the original resolution:

Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be dis charged from the further consideration of the subject, and that the same, with the report of the committee, be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury.

Mr. WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, then moved to lay the whole subject on the table. Lost.

Mr. CAVE JOHNSON was opposed to allowing claims of this kind. If they admitted this claim, there would innumerable claims come before them of a similar nature.

Mr. HOAR could not see the propriety of referring this subject to the Secretary of the Treasury.

Mr. PEARCE again urged upon the Honse the propriety and justice of allowing this claim. There was no doubt of their having performed the service, and that, too, better than it could have been done by strange clerks.

Mr. HOAR moved to amend the substitute by striking out that part of it which referred the report of the committee to the Secretary of the Treasury; which was agreed to: Ayes 75, noes not counted.

Mr. HARPER then moved to amend the resolution by referring the claim to the Secretary of the Treasury for settlement.

[H. OF R.

Mr. LANE said he fully concurred in the opinion expressed by the honorable gentleman from Massachusetts, [Mr. REED.] That he rose to correct one observation on this point which fell from his friend from Kentucky, [Mr. HARDIN,] which, in his opinion, did great injustice to the clerks in the departments. He had been called upon to do business in the different departments, during the present session, and had called at all hours, from 9 to 12, and lately from 9 to 11; that he had at all times found them in their offices, zealously and faithfully despaching every duty, carrying into effect what he considered a very severe law of the last session.

Mr. HARDIN briefly replied to the gentlemen from Indiana, [Mr. Boon and Mr. LANE.]

Mr. PEARCE denied that this was a claim for extra pay or extra services. He had not advocated it upon that principle. It was a claim for services which would have been paid if other individuals had performed them, and the money was already appropriated, in anticipation, for the payment of these services. But, by the construction put upon the law by the collector, he withheld the money.

Mr. CAVE JOHNSON then read the law on the subject, and Mr. HARPER made some further remarks in support of the claim, when

Mr. WHITTLESEY, of Ohio, moved that the House proceed to the orders of the day; which was agreed to. EXPLORING EXPEDITION.

Mr. PHILLIPS asked leave of the House to submit the following resolution:

Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to inform the House of the progress which has been made in the arrangements for the surveying and exploring expedition authorized at the last session of Congress, and of the objects and measures to which said expedition is to be devoted.

Mr. HALL, of Maine, objecting,

Mr. PHILLIPS moved a suspension of the rule for this purpose; which was agreed to.

Mr. MASON, of Ohio, moved the following amend ment, which Mr. PHILLIPS accepted as a modification: "And also of the size and the names of the vessels des

Mr. CAVE JOHNSON moved to refer the whole sub-ignated by the Department to be employed in the exject to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. HARPER could not see the propriety of referring this subject to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. HARDIN was opposed to allowing these claims, as there would be no end to them if once admitted. He considered the Government had the right to have the whole time of the clerks in its employ. Of late years, the clerks had fixed their own hours; they would go to their offices at ten o'clock, and perhaps leave them by two; but if any thing was done by them out of what they called their office hours, they must ask for extra pay! The House had had various applications of this kind, but Sad always refused to grant them; and he hoped they always would do so.

Mr. REED believed this claim to be just, and he would be pleased to see the committee bring in a bill for the relief of those individuals. This would be the proper course, and he thought the House should take the responsibility of paying these individuals, without sending it to the Secretary of the Treasury.

Mr. BOON thought, if gentlemen were about to estabTsh the principle that the Government should require the whole of the time of its officers, they should begin at home, and not permit members of the House, while they were getting their eight dollars per day, receiving compensation for services rendered out of the House It was just as proper that this restriction should be placed upon members of that House, as upon clerks in e departments.

VOL. XIII.-99

ploring expedition; with the number of the officers and men therein; together with a statement of the expendi. tures already incurred in fitting out the expedition, and an estimate of the further expenditures which will be necessary until its successful termination, on the plan now projected."

Mr. ROBERTSON then moved the following amend. ment. Strike out all after the word "Resolved," and insert the following:

"That the Secretary of the Navy be directed to communicate to this House the number of vessels designed, and fitted out, or now fitting out, for the exploring expedition to the Pacific and South Seas; the class to which they respectively belong; the cost already incur. red, and that which is estimated will be incurred, in completing their equipment; the time when the expedi tion may be expected to sail, and its probable annual cost afterwards; also, whether either of the said vessels, or any other public vessel, has been put in requisition for the conveyance of General Santa Anna to Mexico, or elsewhere; and, if so, the authority under which such requisition has been made; with all orders to and from the Department relative thereto."

Mr. PHILLIPS hoped this amendment would not prevail. The resolution, as modified, called for all the infor mation desired in relation to the South Sea expedition; therefore, he could not see the necessity for the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, called for the

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yeas and nays on the proposed amendment; which were not ordered, and the amendment was disagreed to. Mr. MERCER then submitted an amendment calling on the Secretary for a list of the officers of the navy, with the dates of their respective commissions, and the number of years each had been at sea, since the year 1814.

Mr. JARVIS suggested that it would be more proper

to move this as a separate resolution. The information required by it could not be obtained for a considerable time, and would prevent an early answer being made to the original resolution. After a few words from Mr. MERCER, his amendment was disagreed to. The resolution, as modified, was then agreed to.

The House then passed to the orders of the day.

SUSAN DECATUR.

The House proceeded to the consideration of the joint resolution granting a pension to Susan Decatur, widow of the late Commodore Decatur.

"Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Mrs. Susan Decatur, widow of the late Commodore S. Decatur, be paid from the navy pension fund a pension for five years, commencing from the 30th June, 1834, in conformity with the provisions of the act concerning naval pensions and the navy pension fund, passed 30th June, 1834; the said pension not to be liable for her responsibilities on account of the debts of her late husband; provided that the said pension shall cease on the death or marriage of the said Susan Decatur."

A motion was made by Mr. WASHINGTON to amend said resolution by striking out the words "the said pension not to be liable for her responsibilities on account of the debts of her late husband," and inserting in lieu thereof the following: " and that she be allowed, from said fund, the arrearages of the half pay of a post captain from the death of Commodore Decatur to the 30th June, 1834, together with the pension hereby allowed her."

To which amendment the following was offered by Mr. MERCER, and accepted by Mr. W.: "And that the arrearage of said pension be vested in the Secretary of the Treasury, in trust, for the use of the said Susan Decatur."

Mr. WHITTLESEY, of Ohio, moved to commit the resolution to the Committee on Naval Affairs; which was lost.

The amendment of Mr. WASHINGTON was then agreed to; and the resolution, as amended, was then engrossed, read a third time, and passed, and sent to the Senate for concurrence.

DAVID KILBOURN.

The "bill for the relief of David Kilbourn" was then taken up.

This bill had passed the committee, and was on its engrossment. The case was a well-known one, had been for several years before Congress, and been more than once rejected, and repeatedly set aside. Kilbourn alleges that he was a Canadian spy, and, after much suffering, succeeded in escaping, with the total loss of his property by confiscation.

Mr. WHITTLESEY, of Ohio, asked for the yeas and nays; which were ordered.

Mr. HOWELL called for the reading of the bill and report; which was ordered.

After some remarks by Mr. WARDWELL, the question was taken, and decided in the affirmative: Yeas 83, nays 65.

So the bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time to-morrow.

After taking up and disposing of some other busi

ness,

The House adjourned.

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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4.

[FEB. 4, 1837.

from the select committee to investigate abuses in the Mr. GARLAND, of Virginia, by leave of the House, executive departments, reported the following resolution:

Resolved, That the chairman be directed to ask the House of Representatives for an order to print so many copies of the journal of the committee as they may think proper to order for the use of the members, to be printed and laid on their tables, with their report, not exceeding 1,030 copies.

Mr. G. explained that this resolution was introduced with a view to have the journal of the committee print. ed, and kept in possession of the committee, to be laid before the House at the same time they made their report. If this was not done, it would take some time to have the journal printed after the report was made; consequently, it would delay the action of the House, as it might be some days after the report was made be fore this journal could be printed and laid upon the

tables of members.

Mr. CAVE JOHNSON inquired what number of copies the resolution proposed to print.

Mr. GARLAND replied that it was not stated on the face of the resolution; but it was the intention of the committee that the usual number should be printed.

Mr. CAVE JOHNSON then moved an amendment, that the number to be printed should not exceed 1,030, which was agreed to; and the resolution, as amended, was then adopted.

KERN AND GEORGE.

The House then resumed the consideration of the unfinished business, being the resolution reported by Mr. D. J. PEARCE, from the Committee on Commerce, as follows:

66

Resolved, That the memorial of John Kern and John D. George, be referred to the First Comptroller of the Treasury, to be by him transmitted to the collector of settle the claim of said Kern and George, for services, as the port of Philadelphia, who is hereby directed to clerks, by them performed, in carrying into effect the 18th section of the tariff act of July 14, 1832, according to agreement."

Mr. PEARCE had moved the following, as a substitute for the original resolution:

"Resolved, That the Committee on Commerce be discharged from the further consideration of the subject, and that the same, with the report of the committee, be referred to the Secretary of the Treasury for settle

ment."

The question pending was the motion of Mr. CAVE JOHNSON to refer the whole subject to the Committee of Claims.

Mr. CAVE JOHNSON referred to the law of 1834, showing that under its provisions the officers in question were bound to give their whole time to their duties, without any extra compensation. The reason of the law was obvious, being to prevent persons from neglecting the public business during office hours, for the purpose of getting extra compensation for doing the work out o office hours.

Mr. CAMBRELENG hoped no more time would be consumed upon it, but that it would be referred, as rec ommended by the Committee on Commerce.

Mr. SUTHERLAND remarked, they had already wasted more money in discussing it than the whole sub ject was worth. He contended that it was unnecessar to send it now to any committee of the House, since a the facts had been fully elicited.

Mr. McKAY could not see the propriety of referrin it to the Secretary of the Treasury, for he had alread expressed his opinion of the law, that it did not auth

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rize the payment to be made by him; and the House could not enlarge the powers of a law by a simple resolution. He would prefer referring it back to the Committee on Commerce, with instructions to report a bill embracing the claim.

Mr. WHITTLESEY, of Ohio, concurred with the gentleman from Pennsylvania, that it was unnecessary now to send this subject to a committee, and for the reason stated by that gentleman.

The motion to refer it to the Committee of Claims was rejected.

Mr. WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, then moved to refer the subject to the Committee on Commerce, with instructions to report a bill for the relief of the claimants. Lost.

The amendment of Mr. PEARCE was then put, and agreed to, 63 to 58.

Mr. CAMBRELENG moved a reconsideration of the last vote, as he wished to move to strike out the words "for settlement."

Mr. SUTHERLAND and Mr. PEARCE said there would be no objection to strike out these words; and Mr. E. WHITTLESEY suggested that the amendment be agreed to by general consent.

Mr. McKAY moved to lay the whole subject on the table; which was agreed to: Yeas 63, nays 62. The House then passed to the private orders.

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The House proceeded to the consideration of the bill for the relief of Robert Waln; the question being on ordering the bill to be engrossed for a third reading.

A debate ensued, in which Messrs. INGERSOLL, McKIM, JARVIS, LAWRENCE, G. LEE, HARPER, HARDIN, CAMBRELENG, PARKER, and PHILLIPS, participated,

When Mr. ROBERTSON moved to recommit the bill to the Committee of Ways and Means, with instructions to report a general bill to regulate the principles on which it may, in their opinion, be just and expedient to remit the duties on merchandise.

The debate was continued by Messrs. CAMBRELENG, PARKER, LAWRENCE, D. J. PEARCE, McKIM, PHILLIPS, and HARPER.

Mr. MCKENNAN moved that the House do now adjourn, but withdrew his motion in order to afford opportunity to the committee of five, appointed on a former day, to make their report in relation to the counting and declaration of the votes for President and Vice President of the United States; which report, on motion, was ordered to be printed.

COMMITTEE OF INVESTIGATION.

Mr. PEYTON asked the indulgence of the House to not ce a matter personal to himself, which had appeared in the official journal of this morning.

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[H. of R.

He

quest a moment's indulgence, not so much on his own individual account, as because it was due to the committee, and to the House of which he was a member. (Mr. P.) referred to a statement which had appeared in the Globe of this morning, which was as follows:

"If this statement be true, or even approach the truth, it is evident that a gross outrage was committed by Mr. PEYTON towards a witness summoned to testify before the committee, and therefore under its protection; and an act of such disrespect to the committee itself as should have subjected Mr. PEYTON to its sever. est censure."

The statement of Whitney alluded to was not only untrue, but it did not even approach the truth. In answer to it, nothing more was necessary for him to do than simply to state to the House the facts of the case, as they appeared upon the journal of the committee.

It would be sufficient to state that his friend from Ohio, [Mr. HAMER,] though differing from him (Mr. P.) in politics, moved, on the conclusion of the occurrence in question, a resolution of censure against Reuben M. Whitney for insulting him, (Mr. P.,) which passed unanimously. The committee had authorized him (Mr. P.) to publish this resolution, which he would lay before the House.

Extract from the Journal of the Committee of Investigation, J. Garland, Chairman.

"WEDNESDAY, January 25, 1837. "By Mr. PEYTON.-Question 15. Did you receive any letter of recommendation from Roger B. Taney, or did he in any manner countenance or encourage you in applying for the agency contemplated, or did he positively refuse to recommend, receive, or countenance you in that capacity, while he was at the head of the Treasury Department?

"Mr. WHITNEY.-Answer. I decline answering this interrogatory; more particularly as the individual propounding it has asserted, positively and publicly, that the substance of the latter part of it is true, beginning with or did he,' &c.; therefore, being the party accused, I am not a proper witness. I think, in justice, that the individual who has made the allegation should be called to produce his proof.

"The witness was desired to withdraw.

"Mr. HAMER moved that the foregoing answer to the fifteenth question be returned to the witness, being no reply to the interrogatory, and disrespectful to a member of the committee.

"The witness, (R. M. Whitney,) immediately after the passing of this resolution, was brought into the commit

tee room, out of which he had been sent, and the resolution of censure was read to him, (R. M. Whitney,) and his answer was returned to him. He (R. M. Whitney) then apologized to the committee, and took back his an. swer; after which he peaceably answered the next question which was propounded to him, and such as before he had most indecorously refused to answer. This statement of the simple fact would at once show who was wrong in the occurrence referred to; it would show the unanimous decision of the committee to be that the witness was wrong, and his subsequent apology was an acknowledgment of it."

Having stated thus much, which he (Mr. P.) flattered himself was an ample refutation of the charges implied in the Globe and other papers, perhaps it might not be unnecessary to relate what was the actual occurrence on the occasion referred to. His friend from Virginia, [Mr. GARLAND,] and every other member of the committee, would do him the justice to say that he (Mr. P.) had, in the first instance, treated Whitney with as much courtesy as he would have shown even to Chief Justice Marshall himself, if he had been alive and there; and

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for him (Mr. P.) to do so, when the course and conduct of the man to him (Mr. P.) was considered, it required on his part no little exertion of philosophy. He, (Mr. P.,) however, had done so.

[FEB. 4, 1837.

Mr. WISE then rose and said: Mr. Speaker: I request the same indulgence that has been granted to my friend from Tennessee, [Mr. PEXTON;] I request the indulgence not so much on my own account, personally, as in respect to the committee of which I am a member. I wish to show how the preceedings of that committee have been misrepresented and belied by that infamous wretch who has published his card in the Globe. From the first moment he (R. M. Whitney) came before the committee, I saw, or thought I saw, in what his examination might result be fore its termination. It may have been imagination, but anticipated his intentions from the start. He was evi

I

me

From the time the witness (R. M. Whitney) first came into the committee room, he (Mr. P.) had put about sixty questions in regular succession, and at different times, to all of which he could not get more than ten or twelve answers; the witness threw them off contemptuously, denouncing them as inquisitorial; and this contemptuous course he (Whitney) repeated day after day, and night after night. It was manifest that he (R. M. Whitney) had totally mistaken the feelings which prompted his (Mr. P's) course, and from this indulgence in his inso-dently disposed to try my friend from Tennessee and lence he made a miscalculation, and went at length too far; no doubt he imagined that because his card in the Globe had not been noticed by me, therefore I was to be insulted with impunity. On the night of the occurrence (said Mr. P.) I put to him a question, in order to draw from him the truth of my statement which he carded me for making; the question related to Mr. Taney's refusal to countenance him; but, as on for mer occasions, the witness would not answer, affirming that he had a right to demand from me proof of this matter, as I had stated it to be true. Sir, I suffered this conduct to pass unnoticed by me, both because he was a witness, and because I did not wish to enter into personal altercation with one who is as completely shielded from the notice of all honorable men by his infamy as a mad dog is by his hydrophobia. But, sir, he accompa nied that answer with a scowl, a frown, an insulting look of defiance, directed boldly to me personally, which perhaps no one else then saw. I appealed, sir, immediately to the Chair, to know if the witness should be permitted to insult me; I walked up to him, and said I would teach him better than to insult me; that I would let him know that I required no constitutional privilege to chastise him if he dared to insult me; that, if he did, would put him to death on the spot. Sir, I used language I which was harsh, for I was excited, as any man would have been who has a soul within him fit to be saved. The Chair called to order, and I took my seat. He says I drew a pistol upon him; it is false. After I sat down, he rose and began again; I walked to h m again, and he, at that moment, seemed. as it he was about to use a weapon: he had his band in his pocket, and, when I walked up to him, I put my hand in my bosom, but I drew nothing from it; every one present believed, from his attitude, he was armed with deadly weapons. My friend from Virginia [Mr. WISE] interposed; the witness was withdrawn, and the committee unanimously passed a resolution censuring his insulting behaviour. As soon as I could, sir, I made an apology, which I felt due to the committee, for having been transported by such provocation to lose the momentary command of my temper. The witness, on being again brought into the room, apologized for the insult, and was afterwards, as he had been by me before, treated with perfect respect, as due to his position as a witness. I think, sir, this explanation and statement of the facts is due to the committee and to the House; the prompt course adopted by the committee is alone a sufficient refutation of the false statements which have rendered this explanation necessary. I knew what was due to a witness, and I felt what was due to myself. I do not envy, sir, that wretch his callousness and insensibility, who, when assailed by a ruffian, would not, without regard to who he is, resist, if necessary, force by force. Grateful to the House for the indulgence which it has accorded to me, I shall not any longer occupy its time unnecessarily.

Mr. PEYTON, having concluded, then resumed his seat. The resolution of the committee of investigation was then read by the Clerk of the House.

myself. He had felt his way, for some time before, in
the Globe. He tried our patience there by attempt-
ing to draw our attention towards him by his insulting
cards and paragraphs. We both had failed to take any
notice of him; we could not recognise him as a gentleman
in any respect. His behaviour and manner, when he
came before the committee, was that of a supercilious,
self-important, contumacious, and contemptuous witness.
His answers to interrogatories were given in writing.
He would write his answer at the table, and then, with
an impudent air of nonchalance, would fold his arms,
cock up his legs against the wall, and cast glances,
full of defiance and expressive of contempt, at
and my friend from Tennessee, as if anxious to
insult us by his looks. To all this behaviour, sir, not a
remark was applied; no notice of his insolence was
taken; we treated him with quiet composure and decent
respect, until, emboldened by our forbearence, he went
further; he behaved worse; he tried the experiment of
being personal in his answer. His course, I think, was
tentative; he wanted to see how far he might dare to go.
The night this occurrence happened, I was sitting, with
several of my colleagues of the committee, on a sofa in a
corner of the room, on one side of the fireplace, con-
versing in perfect good humor, in a way certainly very
agreeable to myself, telling anecdotes in whispers. The
silence which reigned was broken only at intervals by
the annunciation of an interrogatory, or the reading of
an answer. The answer to the quest on which caused
the affray was announced; the attention of all to
reading of it was called. The witness was sitting at a
table in the corner, on the opposite side of the fireplace
from the sofa; a long table was sitting in front of the
fireplace; the chairman and Mr. PEYTON were sitting or
the side next the fire, the former towards the end nex
the sota, and the latter towards the end next the witness
The clerk was sitting on the opposite side of the table
The back of the chairman was towards me, and when he
read the answer, and Mr. PEYTON looked around,
brought his (Mr. P's) full face towards me.
answer was read, I looked at my friend, and saw he wa
Hushed with excitement; his face beamed with indigna
tion; no one could mistake his feelings. He first address
ed the chairman, by saying, "Mr. Chairman, I wish yo
distinctly to inform the witness that he is not to insu
He was proceeding, when I arose, and r
marked, "Mr. Chairman, the d―d insolence of t
witness is insufferable, and has been borne long enough.
He had, in fact, Mr. Speaker, declined to answer
question because it was "inquisitorial;" and becau
another was "inquisitorial" he declined to answer it, a
had rung all the changes upon that word till, if reiter
tion could convince and supply the place of truth,
might have believed, from mere repetition, that
committee was, what it has been denounced to
worse than a Spanish inquisition! Sir, he had receiv

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But to proceed: My friend rose as I uttered the words respecting the witness, put me back with his a

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