Mirror of the times & general advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1799-1806, 1804-02-29

the members present.
have ever undernood it 10 be found
rule of contraction, becauie found rule
Of reafon, that a contribution Of an intru-
men, once received iha.l not De changed,
even if the contribution be no: 10 proper
as nigh, be given. AS then i APP
pears that fuch was the conitructi-
on given to The contribution by many
Of the members whole labors contrl'
buted to its formation, aAd who may,
therefore, be coniiAered as the moit perfect
m ,lters of lis true meaning, fhall we arthis
ditaut day undertake to give different
contribution? Shall we fay that we are wi
Ter than all who have gone before US. aud
expunge from thu Contribution tloie a
mendmcn,s, which have been nropoied BY
two thirds of the members prelent OF each
lioue, and nave been afterwards ratified
By three fou,ths Of the Rates!
believe rhis contribution to be the true
one. in the contribution the term House
oeans meraly majority of all the mem
befs and an examination Of that inittu-
ment will Thew them that Hoa5e and
Quorum, are convertible terms. Each
Ilouf= hall BE the judge Of the elections,
returns and qualifications of its own
members and mai 1rity of each hall
conltitute a quorum to do buluefs but
fmaller number may adjourn from day
10 day, and may be authorised TO compel
the attendance Of abieut members, in tuch
manner and under fuch penalties as cGeb
Nopte may provide According y the
d;ainStion Of gentlemen majority nlall
be quorum. Thus majority, being as
iembied, may proceed TO buhneis-Now
let Us lee how we are to feParate. We
mutt, according 70 he arguments of gem
tlemen, w@rs right & day until we setthe
whole members pref-nt. We have, there
sore, been tranigte0ing the Contribution
every dav Y { have met. We have, made
rules-by great qlorun, it is true, but
every member was not prelent-and if e
very member were not preient twas not
a Houfe, and therefore we had 10 right
TO form rules? And yet every gentleman
knows that fome rules are 'ndtpenGblv
receGary. The Ysas and Nays Of the
members Of either H5ase on any q1coion,
!hall, sc the deGre oc one Gfth Of thcle
prcient, he entered on the Journal"
Therefore, we cannot have the Yeas and
Nays entered nnlels every member be
prefent -" Neither Honie ihal without
The content Of the othe,, adjourn for more
Than three day s."--ln every claufe Of
this particular l.cjicn the tenn Hause
is made ufc Of. The bars. is 10 de-
;erm;ne its rules, and to keep }our-
nal. Gentlemen tEen ,nnit admit, if ttey
are rigat in their continuation, that, with
out the prel4nce of every memb=. there
can Be no rules ard 40 Journal, and that
though we are obuged 10 keep liking
without rule orrtcord, yet We cannot ad-
journ. Is thus, Mr.. Speaker, 9oiIlble Dc
gentlemen ieriouily contend for iuch an
abiurdty
Gentlzmen have referred to feGtion
Of the Contribution where two thirds OF
the members prei-nt are reqsired, and 10
! other fectioas .wnere different language 5
uied; ard hare thenec inferred that a
4 different meaning was ln.e nded. But
believe we may ute different terms and
yet mean the fame thing. In The cafe OF
treaties and impvachments different Ian
gusge is used 10 convey the fame r1can ng.
/: then in ,hele cafes different Language
is used to mean the fame thing, will not
/ the like liberty be allowed in other cafes
do not know that the trainers of an in.
! trnment are bound to use on all occalions
the fame words to convey the fame idea,
more than the members Of this Houle are.
xD:oe:3 o - 0 @ o:a
Fran tie aurora.
TO THE EDITOR,