Saturday, March 22.
Mr. Dayton, from the Committee of Privileges, to whom it was referred to prepare and lay before the Senate a form of proceedings in the case of William Duane, reported in part; which report was read, amended, and agreed to, as follows:
When William Duane shall present himself at the bar of the House, in obedience to the order of the 20th inst., the President of the Senate is to address him as follows:
1st. William Duane:
You stand charged by the Senate of the United States, as editor of the newspaper called the General Advertiser, or Aurora, of having published in the same, on the 19th of February, now last past, false, scandalous, defamatory, and malicious assertions, and pretended information, respecting the said Senate and Committee of the Senate, and their proceedings, tending to defame the Senate of the United States, and to bring them into contempt and disrepute, and to excite against them the hatred of the good people of the United States; and therein to have been guilty of a high breach of the privileges of this House.
Then the Secretary shall read the resolutions of the Senate, passed the 20th instant, with the preamble; after which the President is to proceed as follows, viz:
1st. Have you any thing to say in excuse or extenuation for said publication?
2dly. If he shall make no answer, the Sergeant-at-Arms shall take him into custody, and retire with him from the Senate Chamber until the Senate shall be ready for a decision, at which time the Sergeant-at-Arms shall again set him at the bar of the House, and the President of the Senate is to pronounce to him the decision.
3dly. If he shall answer, he is to continue at the bar of the House until the testimony (if any be adduced) shall be closed, and he shall retire while the Senate are deliberating on the case; and when a decision is agreed upon, the said Duane, being notified of the time by the Sergeant-at-Arms, verbally, or by a written notice left at his office, shall appear at the bar of the House, and the President of the Senate is to pronounce to him the decision.