Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-05-30

,,isutie6 did ast ase asssst rso.l
ceedinss,ia Apy. otherss " md i
osheFt shs ts.necessal os.eunss1|
sii,ssas ss.hsshs sps;ne;riss Sc !
lions OR polite systtenT e );
systsm sf pahbtfe,sy. The ssa isa ID.
atswar with the course 50 eommonly pdrsus
ed by monarehieafesbiness and dsspo,ie d..
vans. Sofsr as our congrest have dspnt-,'
ed fromthisoriginal principle Of, our .ys-
TEN, they are Justly fable is the .censure
involved IN Lord Cha,hah's speech on ,
tnosionfsr the. dissolution Of Pniiiament 10
17z1. &c For public assembly to be airaid
of having their deliberations :Published, is
monssroas and speaks for isselk {. Nesmor-)
tai can consuue sueh<a proesdure 10 their
.advan,sges 1t, and the practice Of boxing
abe doors, ere sufficient, 70 open the eyes Of
ii. blind they mus. see tkae all Is not well
within" If this be goed,deetrine ina mo-
'uarehy, how much more so in a republic!
The question is net hewever, wha. oughs
to be she powers ofTongreass< in' this &c
speet, but wha. are those powers:a IL Is the
opinion of some thasa written rons,itu.ien
affords no security 70 the rights Of the Peo.
ple.--Let US hope that this opinion 10 TN.
founded. 1t is dangerous to adopt eoustrue;
tons Of the spirit ofshe ronssitusion. His
much safer to adhere TO ,he:lesser: IT this
be generally done; and the constitution be a.
once corree. in principle and iuaelrkible in
expression, how can it be otherwise than
that i, should secure our rights ahiprivi:
leges? Could alxx NON sckfprA, col.
;leesion of" shreds and patches" of legisla>
tive; executive, judicial. opinions and
decisions, accumulated gradually in the
progress of ages, secure them better than,
this lex scR1rTA, this plainly. recorded
law, 70 which all can recur, and which all
can comprehend! -. - -
.-sEaeh house or Congress, then, has pow,.
er TO conceal from the people such a portion;
fits proceedings ssis.dsems improper for
promulgasion. But this power can only be
exercised by first exercising aaother, that
Of determining the rules of. AssProeeed.;
mgs," unless, indeed, the house shall think
Il more proper and take, the trouble from
day to day, Of taking distinct vote onevs-
~ part Of the journal whiehit means to keep
No such.shing exists in practice.
The house of representatives has established
particular rules upon this subject. 1t Is pro.
vided that when member shall announce
to the house that he 'hasa motion TO make,
the proceedings upon which, mills opinion,
ought TO be kept secret, the doors shall be
closed, and the house shall determine, BY
vote, whether those proceedings shall be
secret or n OF. The house sometimes i'm.
mediack sdeternihes that the proceedings
shall not be kept secret, as in the case Of a
motion which was made for the seque.,ra.
ton of debts due Blythe citizens Of the u.
States to British subjects. Bsx no instance
10 reeollee,edin which. The house literally
pursued Its own rule, and determined by
formal vote, that proceedings upon a mo-
ton made with closed doors should be kept
secret The house, therefore, does not, in
the canes mentioned, pursue the letter Of
the constitution aod oeits own,rule which 10
intended T. carry that provision Of shescon-
ss;susicn into effect. sHow far; then, isthe
rule obligatory. upon the nsmbers!
Another rule provides that when conf.
dentid MESSAGES received from the presi-
dent, ;he proceedings upon such message
shall be secret, until the house shall other.