Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1812-01-24

taken on this day, on Inc next, or on .hlrd
day. Always the question nightmare ocen
taken in reasonable time and every IN
dividnal member, who chose to speak,
might have had the privileges 1t ne pleased
Of speaking at least once. As tar as 1 o.
eerved, all these preteBces OF necesslty have
bren easily receivable into party cunning.
The subject was one difficult to maintain
1t had popular bearings, which it suited not
the Measure of the majority to have Investi-
gated. They pressed the minority TO instant
decision, by refusing adjournment. And
as it happens, in all such cases, re action
is equal 70 action. The minority were
put upon their mcttle, and they put to trial
The mettle of the majority.
X is undoubtedly true, that this power
may be, sometimes, convenient. And this
is the whole strength of the argument of
those who oppose this proposition. The
weak and aged meRbers of the majority
have been kept all night from their slumb>rs,
by hale and sturdy minority; which slum-
bers they might, by the way, at any mo-
mcnt, have sojoyed, if that very majority
had yielded to the point of adjournment.
Aud is this reason of convenience sufficient
in the estimation of this house, to Justify it,
in depriving this people, in the person of
their representatives, of the essential right
ofspeaking upon this floor! Is this justi6-
cation Tor such an atroclous grasp at power!
Our patriotism nowadays, can submit to
no sacrifices. We are not content with
sleeping, if we please, every day, in our
seats, unless we can sleep also, every night
OF the session, in our feather-beds. And
these feather-bed patriots, as understand,
are all agog, for march into Canada, and
if we believe them, are DESTROYS of nothing
so much as showing how those can meet
privation and watchfulness in the field, who
think of nothing but comfort and sleep upon
this Roor.>
know there is another argument urged
in favor of the assumption of this power by
the majority, and that is, the haste and
clutter, Which always attend the end of a
session.--Let our session be long. or short,
the event is, in this respect, always, nearly
the same--What with speeches, and post
ponements, and adournments. and laying
down one piece of business half finished,
and taking up another, the latter end of
session is political chaos. The work of
this and the other house, and that of the
palace, into the bargain, is in fact, some
times to be washed up, in highland the
members of all branches, are knee. deep and
shoulder.deep, in the suds. Now this
ehews the necessity, not of this unlimited
power of the previous question. but of con-
Quoting public business, with more pros
pectiVe intelligence. The house is Just
like all other spendthrifs. 1t first wastes
what is its own, and then seeks how it may
make up its deficiency out of the property
OF other people. We pllage the public Ii
berty, 10 order to compensate for Legislative
negligence.
nave often been puzzled to imagine
necessity, which could even apologize for
such an assumption of power as the MAORI
~, by this new construction of the previous
question, are attempting. And until lately
did no; believe that it could possibly exist.
The only case, in which there seemed to
me to be an apology for resorting to it was,
the other day, when the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. rroup) threatened to call
the previous question upon the majority
themselves. | admired both his manner
and the occasion on which he introduced
that idea. And really there was something
Ike a necessity. If understood the view
81 OF that honorable gentleman. it was, that
he thought there was not fighting. to
spare, in the stomachs of the majority; and
he threatened them with the previous cues.
ton, lest peradyenture the whole war sp.
rit should ooze away, through the mouth.
In this there was both discretion and pat
fiotism.
There is one argument was near omit.
ting. The great apology for this assump-
,ion of power, is the psolongation of debate
by the minority. Now, the length of de-