The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-07-14
[ Vol. 9-----No. 10.

/ NC -
IS no more 20 be Inferred from it's non-onnIi
| cau"n than the non existence of Other ruies
NC aCtuai enforcement OF which does nor
.aNe Piace III every special case 10 which
| IN terms they apply. The best demonstro-
| ton OF the utility of the rule is afforded j.,
the very case complained Of Mr.. r. had ad
dressed the house not less than an hour
ne SeteT al tenor ut his arguments would
nave conducted equally well to almost anv
other conclusion than that to which he VS.
earned or at least 10 several otIiers-to war.
ior example, Or some other measure of :.
nostiis character against Frarce--that the
Ia" oil non-lmportation cught to be repeaIed
as TO 1.nSiand--or put on against her enc
my. ANY man who will noyy read seven
eiSh'AS' II not the wholeo his speech. keen
ing out OF mind the motion with which !,
terminated, will, l apprehend, find il e,-
'remeiy difficult ito conjecture that aprh
was or Evhat was n be the conc,udine. mo-
non Now it is made the duty of the pre-
sidinG officer 10y the usages of all deliberats
roditS' ana moreover by express rulest of
inc fionse OF Representa-, esq to keep the
| MEMBER addressing the chair, to the point.
Ilow, that officer being ignorant of the mo-
tion intended 70 be offered. vas +hat 5,,,,,
to be performed How was the Horee -,
sell TO apply the arguments? In point Of
lacO was entirely uncertain (othcrs have
assured me they were) as to what ,notior
would be submitted, and even AFTER - ,vos
reduced to writing it was believed not to he
the one originally contemplated b. the mo-
yer. 4 mink then am justified in saving
that there is nothing unreasonable in the
fcqulsiuon, on the part Of body addressed.
to illustrate, enforce and establish \ e;ven
proposition, that the move. of it shall sne
city 1t, that it shall be seconded. and to
prevent msconception of its precise imnort.
that It snail be reduced to writing and dis.
tInct'y announced from the chair, before ne
advances INTO boundless field uf arcument.
ihGeec understand from the address, as
wen as from what transDired on the occasi
on, that the real source Of complaint is nor
IN such requistion but that NJ. r.. would
nave Seen satisfied had he not, after = com,
phance with 1t, by a subsequent refusal OF
the House to consider his motion, been pre-
vented from continuing his argument.
various are the eXpcdicnts resorted TO bv
uehDeraiVe bodies TO conduct the business
on which they are called upon to act. A.
mong the Instruments provided for rerula-
Iihg the time o! transacting it are the mott
ons for the previous question, to Doslpore-
70 ADJOURN TO lie upon the t25Ip-to con-
sider. hose in Some instances are differ
entity used by different bodies I'm England
a motion to proceed to the orders OF the
Gay puts by whatever subject is under cor.
sideratOn, and the rule is not-used tbNra "a
we practise the rule TO consider ami do nos
the motion to proceed to the orders Of Tie
DAY. 1 he object OF all bodies, on this sub
teCt, is the saIne---sO to arrange the sub
JcctS OF deiIceration rs best to promote the
public Intetcst Their experience viii
from time TO time, suggest the defects in
pre- -cXlShng rules and The necessity OF a.
uap'ihg new on=s to new eXigencies rs thew
arise. his rule to Consider was novel
ore to me, when came into the House oF
Representatives. found mot of the old
members oiihgng to 1T with great tenacitv,
and subsequent observation HIS satisfied me
OF It's wisdom. and removed whatever doubts
entertained originally of it's prrnric,v.-
n mas been f7discrimiHGtely aAhHcdjv mir
I7oh$e 10 mem6erS IF oH turtles. The
riRh5 "f one or two mtm5ers to compel a
o""Y TO CONSIDER proposition which, on
account OF the time, its manner, or its mat
ter they do net think proper to deliberate
upon, can only be maintained by a reversal
CT the rule that the plurality of members is
to govern, and would, as 70 that hayficnIo,.
suyect, make the mover and his second su-
pefior tothe Whole body 1t may indeed
be ailedSed that, unless such a privilege be
rechgH2ed' great abuse may be practiscd,
that the body may refuse e. consiGerthe rncst
lmFer.ous tmomentous lbjectof national in
crest. ne obvious reply is, that an irdul-
gcnce OF such privilege exposes the BODY
to great abuse by any member WIN can oij-
tain second and, in the danger tf on
posite abuses, i is believed there is greater
safety on the side CT 6 catcrnumbers. The
responsibility Of Representative BODY for
what Is not done exists nolcss than for what's
done 1t IS t, therefore, probable that Il
will refuse to consider, and cou,equentIv to
adopt, measure presented for It's dciibtra-
ton under circumstances unexceptionab,e
rs to time, form & nature Of the propositior.
The abuse, however, IF rule, in It's prac..
ucal operation, is best tested by an eXamina-
ton OF the cases to which It has been a0-
piled. J VIII ccntcnt myself with that fur
rishcd bv MIR. Handolph's own record. An
extraordinary session Of Congress is copvot.-
ed various laws are passed With the
avowed purpose OF war; During their pen
dency, both IN their inciIient and matured
forms, the subject is discussed at great
length. Every topic calculated to excite.
tive passions, alarm the fears or cnlghten
the judgement, is exhausted More than
any other meriber Of the House, Gotten. ]
own, with admiration on ny own pa}t Of his
>" iThCr m>fi1H is ma1s ard sccordrJ.
II shoHbe sfofCd byfhe 6Ecater. or b,iYr In
7yrifing,H "SnHbe haHGtd ~ Me cAaiy. ind
=. ~ niopd by fhc cicrt, b.Jore dcbafed."--
" IVhcn mn Dlcmbe- is ot1fp 10 AEcak in dr.
bafr. or driipcr ann p1qftry.fo thr ,6ouse.
sbgif 1.igP tram Ljo cunt 0,,d ,ecbec,F,y.