Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-01-07
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,

the unfinished business OF Saturday last, VIZ.
n MIR Nelson's amendment to the rules and or
aers nc the House z That svhen the trevioxs
aaes,ion l. orderedesS be takSa, ufon the main
oeataxion being hut, every member, soho haS nor
already stsken, shall haze liberty TO sf'ea&
once.
Mr.. Gor.D said~-The amendment now Of
fered 10 the rules Of tae house, secures TO eve
nv mera5er, the rigbt,of speaking at least once
on every question before the house. 4 he IL
berry of speech, and freedom OF debate, are sa-
cred by the constitution; and to refuse all
debate, to deny us the privilege OF speaking
at all, on the most important questions OF
peace and wsr, is a sabyersion OF the hrst
4 principles of the Constitution. And what IS
TO iustify this measure of imposing silence !!
It Is said, the right of debate has bcenabused.
81 T 81 gentlemen beware how, for an occasional
abuse OF a right, they take aspay--destroy the
ghsi:ssJr What right in the whole charfer
Of our rights, has not at some time been abus-
s ed Man is frail, and Why should not at
timcs Of public agitation and conclusion OF
parties, abuses arise Debate become angry
Z and be prolonged? And tor this, IS the princl-
Die to be. adopted, that the right shall be Tor
: ever suppressed and DESTROYED the prlncl-
7 pie that absolute silence shall be imposed on
a minority Sir, Philip, the tyrant OF Mace
s don, disliked the freedom OF speech and de-
3 bate In Athens it annoyed HIM Tor TINS
& cause, Demosthenes was pursued to the al
far where he expired The principle con-
4 tended for by the majority supposed abuse)
WILDE found to justify the most odlous usur-
pations recorded iii history; liberty IS abused,
and chains are forged to restrain 1t.
Gentlemen Of the majority insist, that the
IS rule will not be abused !; that the majority will
not execute the rule arbitrarily. ne amend
s rnent. now offered TO the rules, stlphlptes only
for liberty to each member to speak once
now, sir, if this be denied, and toe rule Is ever
executed, the abuse is inevitable, 1t is neces-
xasSlv inrolyed in the very execution OF the
rule.
Neither the Journals of our state legisla-
lures. nor the laws of the parliament OF Great
Britain afford examples for this a'bitfary pro-
ceetling. Debate is admitted IN the bflush
parliament on the previous question, our rules
exclude it on beth the previous and main qles-.
ton. Beside, sir, need only refer gentle
mel, to the manual IF parliamentary iaNsytrom
the hand Of the third President OF the UNITED
States, to show that the previous question was
confined to subjects Of dskcacy, which due
resrard 70 the interests of the statesor It's 60
vernment forbade to be ogitased iiow much,
cir. has this question been perverted from It's
proper province, to silence ali debate and
Fore thes question, the iiaSSage Of the lac.
Such measures are dangerous to freedom, s
y afford in evil times, the most fatal examples,
Mr. SMfI.1E said he WAS a friend to freedom
of debate. but that there WAS a difference be-
tween this, and that abuse oft, when you Gao
not get decision without an eXertlon OF ply
seal strength. This has been our case seve-4
raj times. The rule now proposed to be alter
eds the old rule, and is only restored. We
very we'll know, that debate has been often;
nrolonped merely to prevent decision. We
I have been kept till 10 and 10 O'Clock at night,
and sometimes till clay light. 1t is an incon-
yenience which he at his time of life has seri-
ouslv felt. There can be no evil from the
rule as now established. The responsibility
ofthe majority is such to the people, that, II
they should abuse it, as the minority have their
privilege, the people Will correct ii, when the
minority shall fairly state tito them. He said
the ms iority were also responsible to the peo-
plc to transact the public business.
Mr.. STANFORD, in reply to Mr.. Smile, SAID,
he did not think it proper to give this dis
,Sensing power TO the majority, If they by the
constitution didnot possess it, as he commended
they Gid not. He said, we have heard OF
sees:ton faso, and The refgn Of terror. The bill,
wien first introduced Tor that law, went to
prevent freedom Of speech. This rule, in his
opinion, much more deserved the characterof
!. & Cog -sezv,' than the sedtien law did.
Mr. WRIGHr mentioned the great abuses
of this privilege OF the minority the last win
ter. lie. said, if we don't establish written
decent rule, we must have common law rule,
such SIS they have III the British house OF COM
mons. To shufIle and puI down, when the abuse
of this privilege becomes enormous.
MIR. Qvipcy-Mr. Speaker do not re-
gard this question, in the light, in which some