Federalist Congressman Roger Griswold of Connecticut attacked Democratic-Republican Party Representative Matthew Lyon of Vermont with a hickory walking stick in the chambers of the United States House of Representatives. Griswold struck Lyon repeatedly about the head, shoulders and arms, while Lyon attempted to shield himself from the blows. Lyon then turned and ran to the fireplace, took up a pair of metal tongs, and having armed himself thus returned to the engagement. Griswold then tripped Lyon and struck him in the face while he lay on the ground, at which point the two were separated. After a break of several minutes, however, Lyon unexpectedly pursued Griswold again with the tongs, and the brawl was re-ignited.
The two men had a prior history of conflict. On 30 January of that year, Griswold had publicly insulted Lyon by calling him a coward, and Lyon had retaliated by spitting in Griswold’s face. As a result of Lyon’s actions in that case, he became the first Congressman to have charges filed against him with that body’s ethics committee, although he escaped censure through a vote in the House.
4 December 1837
John Wilson, the speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives and president of the Arkansas Real Estate Bank, stabbed Representative J. J. Anthony to death during a legislative dispute on the floor of the chamber.[183] Anthony had suggested that bounties for the killing of wolves be administered by the president of the state bank, a responsibility comically beneath an official of Wilson’s stature. Incensed, he drew a bowie knife and attacked Anthony, who was unable to defend himself despite drawing a knife of his own. Although Wilson was expelled from his office, he was later acquitted of murder.[184][185]
22 May 1856
Main article: Caning of Charles Sumner
Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina famously assaulted Charles Sumner of Massachusetts for a speech of his, saying Brooks’ cousin, Senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina, took “a mistress who, though ugly to others, is always lovely to him; though polluted in the sight of the world, is chaste in his sight—I mean, the harlot, Slavery.”[186] According to Hoffer (2010), “It is also important to note the sexual imagery that recurred throughout the oration, which was neither accidental nor without precedent. Abolitionists routinely accused slaveholders of maintaining slavery so that they could engage in forcible sexual relations with their slaves.”[187] Sumner’s own adopted daughter Mary Mildred Williams was a white-appearing girl born into slavery who was the descendant of such a relationship before being freed with the help of Sumner.[188]
Brooks was infuriated and intended to challenge Sumner to a duel. After having consulted with fellow South Carolina Congressman Laurence Keitt on the situation, Brooks and Keitt decided that Sumner had the social status of a “drunkard” and was thus unworthy of the traditional challenge to a duel. Brooks (accompanied by Keitt), approached and confronted Sumner as he sat writing at his desk in the almost empty Senate chamber. As Sumner began to stand up, Brooks began beating Sumner severely on the head with a thick gutta-percha cane with a gold head before he could reach his feet. Sumner was knocked down and trapped under the heavy desk (which was bolted to the floor), but Brooks continued to bash Sumner until he ripped the desk from the floor. By this time, Sumner was blinded by his own blood, and he staggered up the aisle and collapsed, lapsing into unconsciousness. Brooks continued to beat the motionless Sumner until he broke his cane, then quietly left the chamber. Several other senators attempted to help Sumner, but were blocked by Keitt, who had jumped into the aisle, brandishing a pistol and shouting, “Let them be!”[189] Keitt was censured for his actions and resigned in protest, but was overwhelmingly re-elected to his seat by his South Carolina constituency within a month.[190] For several decades following, Senators often carried walking canes and even revolvers in the Senate Chamber, fearing a similar assault.
February 1858
Congressman Laurence M. Keitt of South Carolina was involved in another incident of legislative violence less than two years later, starting a massive brawl on the House floor during a tense late-night debate. Keitt became offended when Pennsylvania Congressman (and later Speaker of the House) Galusha A. Grow stepped over to the Democratic side of the House chamber while delivering an anti-slavery speech. Keitt dismissively interrupted Grow’s speech to demand he sit down, calling him a “black Republican puppy”. Grow indignantly responded by telling Keitt that “No negro-driver shall crack his whip over me”. Keitt became enraged and went for Grow’s throat, shouting that he would “choke him for that”. A large brawl involving approximately 50 representatives erupted on the House floor, ending only when a missed punch from Rep. Cadwallader Washburn of Wisconsin upended the hairpiece of Rep. William Barksdale of Mississippi. The embarrassed Barksdale accidentally replaced the wig backwards, causing both sides to erupt in spontaneous laughter.[191][192][193] Keitt would later die of wounds following the Battle of Cold Harbor while fighting for the Confederacy.[190][194]
5 April 1860
During an anti-slavery speech by Illinois Republican Owen Lovejoy on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on 5 April 1860, Lovejoy condemned the Democratic Party for its racist views and steadfast support of slavery. As Lovejoy gave his speech condemning the evils of slavery, several of the Democrats present in the audience, such as Roger Atkinson Pryor, grew irate and incensed over Lovejoy’s anti-slavery remarks and threatened him with physical harm, brandishing pistols and canes, with several Republicans rushing to Lovejoy’s defense.[195]
24 February 1887
The Indiana General Assembly experienced a massive brawl between Democrats and Republicans in the Indiana Senate and Indiana House of Representatives. The event began as an attempt by Democratic Governor Isaac P. Gray to be elected to the United States Senate and his own party’s attempt to thwart him. Gray was a former Republican who had been elected Governor by popular vote but was scorned as a turncoat by his new party, who maneuvered desperately (and unsuccessfully) to try to prevent his eligibility for the Senate seat. When Gray went over the head of the Democrats in arranging a midterm election for a new Lieutenant Governor, Republican Robert S. Robertson was elected with a majority of the popular vote, a situation the Democrats refused to accept despite a ruling from the Indiana Supreme Court. The matter came to a head when Robertson attempted to enter the Senate chamber to be sworn in and take his seat presiding over the session; he was attacked, beaten, and thrown bodily from the chamber by the Democrats, who then locked the chamber door, beginning four hours of intermittent mass brawling that spread throughout the Indiana Statehouse. The fight ended only after Republicans and Democrats began brandishing pistols and threatening to kill each other and the Governor was forced to deploy the Indianapolis Police Department to restore order. Subsequently, the Republican controlled House of Representatives refused to communicate with the Democratic Senate, ending the legislative session and leading to calls for United States Senators to be elected by popular vote.
20 February 1902
During a debate on a bill dealing with the Philippine Islands, Senator Benjamin Tillman of South Carolina accused Senator John L. McLaurin of South Carolina of “treachery” for siding with the Republicans in support of Philippine annexation, and alleged that McLaurin had been granted control of government patronage in South Carolina. Upon receiving word of this statement, McLaurin entered the Senate Chamber and denounced Tillman, upon which Tillman attacked him. During the fight, other senators were hit by the punches. As a result, the Senate went into closed session to debate the matter. Both senators apologized to the Senate, but almost came to blows immediately thereafter. On 28 February, the Senate voted 54 to 12, with 22 abstentions, to censure both Tillman and McLaurin. McLaurin did not seek re-election, while Tillman served in the Senate until 1918.
On the House of Representatives chamber floor, Democrat Thomas Downey of New York confronted Robert Dornan, a California Republican, and Dornan grabbed Downey’s tie in response. Downey approached Dornan in response to a speech Dornan had given two days earlier before the Conservative Political Action Conference, in which he called Downey a “draft-dodging wimp” because of Downey’s repeated denouncement of US-backed anti-government Contras rebels in Nicaragua. During the Vietnam War, Downey received a medical deferment from the draft because of a perforated eardrum. Downey had also been active in protesting the war. The Dornan-Downey beef originated two years earlier, when Downey spoke against Dornan’s nomination for a position at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.[196]
The Dornan speech was made on Saturday, 2 March. On Monday afternoon, 4 March, Downey confronted Dornan, attracting dozens of viewers. Dornan claims Downey grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around, asking if he had actually called him a wimp. Dornan answered “I did and you are.” The exchange became heated, and at some point Dornan accused Downey of having cost him the job two years earlier. According to Downey, as he began to walk away, Dornan grabbed him by the tie and collar and threatened him with “bodily harm.” Dornan claimed he was just straightening Downey’s tie knot, saying later, “I like all the members to look elegant on the floor, you know.” Dornan, according to himself and other witnesses, then told Downey to “get out of my face.” After, Downey went to the Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill to tell him what had happened.[196]
After the incident, Downey released a statement and stated through a spokesman that he would not speak to reporters “until Dornan apologizes.” His spokesman also said that Downey was considering filing a complaint with the House Sergeant at Arms. Several witnesses spoke about the incident. Democratic Congressman Mike Lowry said, “Dornan grabbed Downey roughly by the collar, and I mean aggressively. None of this straighten-the-tie baloney. And he told Downey, ‘Don’t let me catch you off the floor, where you are protected by the sergeant at arms.’ I really think Downey restrained himself.” Republican Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey, who witnessed the altercation, said, “I found it humorous that Downey had to run up to the Speaker when it was over to tell all. It was like a little classroom act . . . Very childish . . . I think he’s made much to-do about nothing.”[196]
The day after the incident, House Speaker Tip O’Neill condemned the behavior, and said he told Dornan, “You can settle it on the street, but don’t settle it on the House floor.” He also told reporters that “discipline” would ensue if “anything like that” happened again. That day, Downey stated again, “Congressman Dornan owes me and the House of Representatives an apology.” Dornan responded, “Apologize for what? For calling him a wimp? I am willing to concede that perhaps he just walks, talks and acts like a little arrogant wimp. But maybe it’s disinformation. Maybe he really wears a black leather jacket by night that I don’t know about.”[196]
7 June 2007
During the final day of the 2007 regular session of the Alabama State Senate Republican Sen. Charles Bishop of Jasper punched Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron of Fyffe in the head after the latter allegedly called the former a “son of a bitch”. The two were then pulled apart by bystanders in the room.[197]
5 June 2011
During a vote of California budget state Democrat Assemblymen Warren Furutani and Republican Don Wagner broke out in a fight over a comment Wagner made that Furutani deemed offensive.[198][199]
15 December 2015
A bloody backroom brawl between the mayor and a council member at a city council meeting in Birmingham, Alabama.[200]
29 May 2017
During a contentious 2017 Texas House of Representatives session, a minor altercation was observed after Republican State Representative Matt Rinaldi was pushed and received personal death threats. The incident occurred after Rinaldi called U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a large crowd of protesters, in opposition to the sanctuary cities ban, disrupted the legislative proceedings. Representative Poncho Nevárez, Democratic Party member, admitted to laying hands on Rinaldi amid the fierce debates, but no arrests were made by Texas DPS.[201]
6 January 2023
In the midst of the lengthy 2023 House Speaker election, Representative Mike Rogers was restrained by Representative Richard Hudson when Rogers attempted to lunge at Representative Matt Gaetz.[202] Gaetz, alongside other members of the Freedom Caucus, had blocked Kevin McCarthy’s speakership bid for four days by nominating and voting for other representatives,[203] which caused much tension in the House. This, in combination with Gaetz’s attempt to obtain a subcommittee chairmanship in the House Armed Services Committee (which Rogers was chairman-elect of),[204] precipitated the incident.
The Mace of the United States House of Representatives,[1] also called the Mace of the Republic, is a ceremonial mace and one of the oldest symbols of the United States government. It symbolizes the governmental authority of the United States, and more specifically, the legislative authority of the House of Representatives.
Disciplinary usage
In accordance with the House Rules, on the rare occasion that a member becomes unruly, the Sergeant at Arms, upon order of the Speaker, lifts the mace from its pedestal and presents it before the offenders, thereby restoring order.
There have been at least six instances where the Mace was used to quell disorder. The first known usage of the original mace occurred at the Congress Hall in Philadelphia on January 30, 1798, during a fight between Matthew Lyon of Vermont and Roger Griswold of Connecticut, after which Lyon faced an unsuccessful expulsion vote.[6]
The mace was used to restore order on the House floor on the evening of January 31, 1877, during a special session regarding the election in Florida. Tensions flared and Speaker Samuel Randall “was unable to stop the Members from running from desk to desk, while conducting loud conversations.” The Sergeant at Arms presented the Mace, but to little effect. House rules state that Members should be arrested when ignoring the authority of the Mace, but in this case since there were so many members involved, the Speaker adjourned the session.[6]
In 1880, as the House met to discuss a funding bill as the Committee of the Whole, James B. Weaver of Iowa and William A.J. Sparks of Illinois became involved in a heated discussion, with members attempting to keep them apart. The Speaker ordered the Sergeant at Arms to walk about the floor of the House with the Mace, and order was restored. It was used twice in the 1890s in incidents involving Representative Charles L. Bartlett, a fiery Georgia Democrat who hurled a volume of laws at one colleague and brandished a knife at another.[7]
House records indicate that the mace was last used to restore order during World War I when Representative J. Thomas (Cotton Tom) Heflin of Alabama suggested that some of his colleagues had been unpatriotic in voting against a resolution to enter the war.[8]
A threat to present the mace was made on July 29, 1994, when Rep. Maxine Waters declined to stop speaking. The Speaker Pro Tempore, Rep. Carrie Meek, threatened “to present the mace”. Waters left the floor shortly thereafter, and Meek said that she had been about to order the Sergeant at Arms to present it.[9][10]
We’ve done them. Ours sometimes involved weapons.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_violence#United_States
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Also, related:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mace_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives