Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-02-14

nj EUs = y
ar;a;on Of the framers of the constitution tnst
witboutit two thirds Of all the members OF the
body would BE necessary to cenyltsion
The same expression is used ID the case o. 'lea
ties, The president shall have power oy ana
with the consent of the Senate. to1nake treaties,
crowded two thirds oftbe.SeagFsrs present. e0Hfsr
Wly use here ibis expression " TWO thirds OF me
senators srrsenf, unless twas colisitefed ne-
cessary to qaaiify the expression, from tie con
.uisiion thar ataer wisc it would mean tgo iairds
of the wfole DO dy
On fhis g tcund aFprehsnd that ms Fsso.
lu5ioa has not come ccustltuuonaliy, brtare Us.
i has oot passed 4hs Se1ate with the concurrence
Of TWO thirds ofte whole body. Il has ioq!y
received tie yotes Of twenty two Senator's, whieh
do not make two thirds. | therefore P!lave chat
the committee Of The whole BE- dischafsEd from.
the further considerations Of IT,
Mr.. Randolph There are frequent occa
sions, on when il IS Necessary y answer doc
,rpes advanced, not % account 81 their intrias.c
ncrlt, but on account Of the weiSbr o! chararter
Of those by whom they are advanced his is
one of those cases. Fad the arguments Delivered
to day by the gentleman from ConnechGut fallen
from less respectable quarter | should have
deemed them unworthy q reply, aud nave satis-
Ged myself with silent vote.
The gentleman, with an ingenuity peculiarly
unfortunate, has quoted the very clauses ana scc
tions Of the Constitution which disprove the OPT
Mons he has advanced. TO these beg the at
tsnton OF she house for moment. He has al.
tcm2ted to sustain the position that f70o tbiras
Of b9ib boulls must iTply two thirds OF thewhoie
number 81 each house reS1etlivcly- Ii have
mstated the gentleman, beg to be corrected
IAgy. r. hare paused. As there is 10 DISPOSE
iion 50 correct ny stsrHnent, | presume | am
correct Ii this be he case, are We at This mo.
ment house II the term bo4s. means the
whole number of members, can there be house
unless the hole number are present Can there
therefore, be house or a senate so long as
sipele member is assent.
But it is said that the CONSTITUTION, wisely
foresceing this dilemma, has provided that ma
ior.ry of each house shall constitute quorum to
do business Now ask is majority quorum
Of hause? lit is nor house, but merely
quorum. il val he abs lotely necessary that we
alter our language as well as our journals, and
say, not that the house, but quorum met to
transact business, sc.
q Each house ay determine the rules its
proceedings, punish us members for disordcFly
behagioar, and with the concurrence Of two
! thirds of the whole body expcl disorderly
member Will tie gentleman hold on tbs
aoor that it requires two thirds oflthe whole bo-
dg to expe disorlerly member? Wall deny
that TWO thirds of those present may expel IN
such case, ard that trey are competentia all
cases mentioned in the Constitution? | vii! call
the attention OF tie house to fact. The sessi
on before the last tbc house passed al amend
nent 20 the Constgation, similar IN principle 10
the present, by the votes of two thirds of the
members present when too there was little
more than bare quorum present. night an
swer the doctrine advanced this day, by saying
the practice under The Constitution is are dy
settled might ask the gentlemen where was
this constitutional obiettion tilen? Why was II
then permitted 10 Sleep? Why was the h.use per-
miued to do SO Unconstitutional an act, wnen
there was but bare quorum should be CAD
70 receive to these questions a satisfactory an.
swer,
Each HoufcGlall keep a Journal Of Us pro.
ceednes, and frsm tine 10 time publiih The
fame, excepting fuch parts as may in their jadS
msnt require fscrecy and the Yeas and Nays
Of the members Of either H2ufc on any qneffi .,
hall, at tic deffe Of one fifth Of thoie prelent,
be entered on the journal" Now, according
20 che doctrine Of the Gentleman, unlcFs thc whole
body is prcfent the Yeas al Nays canaot be
entered, becaufe there's no Floofc unlcG AL II:
members are prcfent.
The gentleman enquiries Why the Confirution
has 70 1eduouly directed thar in certain cafes the
concurrence oftwo thirds OF the nembeFs pfelsct
fhal be reqaired. For an obvious reaion. The
Conaitution could pot afcertain the nunlher Of
which tie sNo ioufss wosld eonGG, from their
waving numocrs, and therefore has feqaired, that
in certain cafes, two thirds Of thol: pfefcnc Aail