The Northern Congress - The Pan-Handle Traitors Assume to Represent Virginia
Dublin Core
Title
The Northern Congress - The Pan-Handle Traitors Assume to Represent Virginia
Subject
Objection to Charles Upton to becoming a Congressman
Description
A report on members of Congress questioning Charles Upton's eligibility to be a member of the House of Representatives due to accounts of his voting in Ohio.
Creator
The Richmond Dispatch
Source
Newspapers.com
Date
July 9, 1861
Rights
Public Domain
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
The Northern Congress -The Pan-Handle Traitors Assume to Represent Virginia!
In the Washington House of Representatives, on the 4th inst., after the election of Galusha A. Grow to the Speakership, the following individuals were in as Representatives of the State of Virginia: John S. Carlile, C.H. Upton, R.V. Whaley, G. Pendleton and W.G. Brown. We copy from the proceedings as they afterwards transpired:
Mr. Cox of Ohio, objected to Mr. Charles H. Upton being recognized as a member of this body. He was in possession of authentic and perfectly reliable information that Mr. Upton - who is a native of New Hampshire (Massachusetts) was and is a citizen of Ohio, where he but recently published a newspaper, and where he so last fall, voted. Mr. Upton's right to vote in Ohio had been challenged.but he asserted his citizenship in that state and was allowed to vote. Mr. Cox said he had no other object in agitating this question than to vindicate the decency and dignity of the House.
Mr. Upton admitted that he had voted in Ohio, as alleged, and that he had, until lately, published a paper in Ohio; but he had not been in that State, except on an occasional visit, for five months, and for many years he had been a resident of the State of Virginia. He was glad, however, that when the country was reeling with anarchy, the gentleman should be so desirous of vindicating the decency of the House.
Mr. Burnett, of Kentucky, also protested against the admission of those claiming to represent Virginia here. In their claim were involved questions of the gravest importance. If Virginia was yet in the Union, as some contended she was, then the power of the State Convention to prohibit, as it did, the Congressional elections on the 23rd of May, must be conceded, and these gentlemen, a portion only of whom were elected on the day legally fixed for such elections, can have no standing here; but if they come as delegates from a new State, than their recognition and admision would carry with it the assumed power of this body to admit new States. One of these gentlemen is, according to his own confession, a citizen of the State of Ohio, yet he claims to represent Virginia here in open violation of that law of Virginia regulating citizenship within her boundaries.
He had no desire to appear factious, but would act resolutely in accordance with his conscientious convictions of duty. All that he desired was to get a direct vote of the House upon the question.
Mr. Burnett was several times interrupted by Messrs. Merrill of Maine, Stevens of Pennsylvania, and Lovejoy, with points of order, but replied that he based his proceeding upon higher ground than the rules of this House - upon the Constitution. He moved that the credentials of the gentlemen claiming to represent Virginia be submitted to a committee with instructions to report, &c.
Mr. John S. Carlile, of Virginia, said he could not permit his right to represent his constituency here to be brought into question by the acts of gentlemen from another section of the same State. The only question involved in his case was whether the State Convention, which had been created by the Legislature, was empowered to annul a law of the Legislature. By the laws of Virginia, the Congressional election is fixed on the fourth Thursday in May: and upon that day his constituents, disregarding the ordinance of the State Convention, which they knew to have been tyrannical and illegal in that relation, elected him, with but twenty three dissentient voices, to represent them in Congress; and his colleague, Wm. G. Brown, from the adjoining district, was also elected in a like manner upon the same day.
Calls for the previous question upon Mr. Burnett's resolution were made by Messrs. Washbarne and Richardson of Illinois.
Mr. Cox moved to lay the resolution upon the table, and upon this motion Mr. Burnett demanded the yeas and nays, but. his call for them not being seconded, the motion of Mr. Cox was adopted viva voce.
In the Washington House of Representatives, on the 4th inst., after the election of Galusha A. Grow to the Speakership, the following individuals were in as Representatives of the State of Virginia: John S. Carlile, C.H. Upton, R.V. Whaley, G. Pendleton and W.G. Brown. We copy from the proceedings as they afterwards transpired:
Mr. Cox of Ohio, objected to Mr. Charles H. Upton being recognized as a member of this body. He was in possession of authentic and perfectly reliable information that Mr. Upton - who is a native of New Hampshire (Massachusetts) was and is a citizen of Ohio, where he but recently published a newspaper, and where he so last fall, voted. Mr. Upton's right to vote in Ohio had been challenged.but he asserted his citizenship in that state and was allowed to vote. Mr. Cox said he had no other object in agitating this question than to vindicate the decency and dignity of the House.
Mr. Upton admitted that he had voted in Ohio, as alleged, and that he had, until lately, published a paper in Ohio; but he had not been in that State, except on an occasional visit, for five months, and for many years he had been a resident of the State of Virginia. He was glad, however, that when the country was reeling with anarchy, the gentleman should be so desirous of vindicating the decency of the House.
Mr. Burnett, of Kentucky, also protested against the admission of those claiming to represent Virginia here. In their claim were involved questions of the gravest importance. If Virginia was yet in the Union, as some contended she was, then the power of the State Convention to prohibit, as it did, the Congressional elections on the 23rd of May, must be conceded, and these gentlemen, a portion only of whom were elected on the day legally fixed for such elections, can have no standing here; but if they come as delegates from a new State, than their recognition and admision would carry with it the assumed power of this body to admit new States. One of these gentlemen is, according to his own confession, a citizen of the State of Ohio, yet he claims to represent Virginia here in open violation of that law of Virginia regulating citizenship within her boundaries.
He had no desire to appear factious, but would act resolutely in accordance with his conscientious convictions of duty. All that he desired was to get a direct vote of the House upon the question.
Mr. Burnett was several times interrupted by Messrs. Merrill of Maine, Stevens of Pennsylvania, and Lovejoy, with points of order, but replied that he based his proceeding upon higher ground than the rules of this House - upon the Constitution. He moved that the credentials of the gentlemen claiming to represent Virginia be submitted to a committee with instructions to report, &c.
Mr. John S. Carlile, of Virginia, said he could not permit his right to represent his constituency here to be brought into question by the acts of gentlemen from another section of the same State. The only question involved in his case was whether the State Convention, which had been created by the Legislature, was empowered to annul a law of the Legislature. By the laws of Virginia, the Congressional election is fixed on the fourth Thursday in May: and upon that day his constituents, disregarding the ordinance of the State Convention, which they knew to have been tyrannical and illegal in that relation, elected him, with but twenty three dissentient voices, to represent them in Congress; and his colleague, Wm. G. Brown, from the adjoining district, was also elected in a like manner upon the same day.
Calls for the previous question upon Mr. Burnett's resolution were made by Messrs. Washbarne and Richardson of Illinois.
Mr. Cox moved to lay the resolution upon the table, and upon this motion Mr. Burnett demanded the yeas and nays, but. his call for them not being seconded, the motion of Mr. Cox was adopted viva voce.
Collection
Citation
The Richmond Dispatch, “The Northern Congress - The Pan-Handle Traitors Assume to Represent Virginia,” Mapping the Civil War in Arlington, accessed April 20, 2024, https://mtcwia.com/items/show/156.