Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-01-08

Speaker, is principle, to which never
haye, and to which / never suU give my as
sent. What, Sir, let me ask, and where IS
the rule, under which the majority claim to
exercise this enormous power, the power OF
imposing silence upon any member, on THIS
floor
The rule, under which this power Is claim
ed, is in the following words----s The frep1'-,
Gus question shallbe in this form: shall the
main question be now putt" 1t SHALL only be
admitted, when demanded by five members
and until it is decided, shall preclude all a
mendment and further debate OF the main
question, and that 6 on PREVIOUS question
there shall be no debate" by new construc-
ton, which majority of the house thought
proper to give to this rule, at the close OF the
last session, all debate may be prohibited Oh
any question for five members alone can
demand the previous question, and then 81
course all debate must cease, until decision
be had on that question, and 1t the previous
question be decided i'll the affirmative, by this
new construction of the rule, there can be no
debate or amendment of the main question.
Thus, sir, unless the amendment now pro-
posed be adopted, if proposition Tor de-
Claration Of war against Great Britain or any
other nation, should be laid upon your table,
tomorrow, it will be in the power OF MAJOR
ity Of the house, and that majority may con-
sist of less than forty members, to impose 81
lence upon every member OF this house and
we must be compelled to vote on PROPOSE
ton so interesting to the prosperity, happi
ness, and perhaps the final destiny OF this
country, without the poor privilege (if we
might choose so to do of raising our voices
against it. But, sir, the opponents OF the a
mendment>say, that the construction given to
the rule the last session, was in conformity
with the universal practice OF the house,
from the establishment OF the government,
except In two or three instances.
deny, sir, that this has been the practice,
and believe may venture to assert, without
fear OF contradiction, that no such power, has
ever been exercised over the members ofthis
house, since its first organization, until the
last session. l have, sir, examined the Jour
nails, with some attention, and have not been
able to find a solitary instance OF the kind
On the contrary, many cases are to be found
when the previous question has been decided
in the affirmative, and that, Immediately after
the main question has not only been amended
but has been de6ated-And here, sir, permit
me to observe, that the rule itself, with re-
spect to the previous question, was adopted
the first session of the first Congress, and
has ever since remained precisely nthc sernr
form and no construction was ever given to
it: SO as to prevent debate on the main ques-
ton, until the last session.
Permit ne to refer tie house to the Journal
of the first session of the third congress, for
the proof OF what have stated. During this
session, the difficulties then subsisting between
this country and Great Britain, became the
subject of discussion, and q proposition tor
prohibiting all intercourse with Great Britain,
III case justice was not done us, was then sub
mi.ted to the house, and the previous question
was called upon it, and decided in the affirm
ative, after which, the subject was not only
postponed, but as appears by the Journal, WAS
both amended and DECLARED. 1t appears also,
from the Journal, in 1875, that a proposition.
was ameaded, after an Affirmative decision OF
the previous question. In the year 1898,
when resolution was before the house, for
publishing the Instructions to, and the dis
patches from our ministers to the French re-
public, the previous question was moved and
determined in the affirmative and it appears
by the Journal that Immediately after such de-
cision, on the same day, debate was had Oh
the main question.
But, sir, to come to our own times; on the
18th of December 1907, construction was
given TO the rule, after mature dciiberation,
by large ma jority ofthe l~'use, that the main
question might be debated, after an affirmative
decision ofthe previous question. This was
done on an,appcal from the decision of the
speaker !" that after the previous question is
called for and determined in the affirmative, ii
precludes all debate on the main question"
The house reversed the decision Of the chair
by los to IA. A similar decision took place
on the2d of December, 8o3, IN the house
iol to Is. And, sir, / have been unable to
find a single decision Of the house to the con-