Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-06-09

mon sense were Directly opposns "
thew proposed, they suffered those wn0
differed from them in opinion and pur-
poses, to say what they thought mt 10 oP.
position; and then, without vouchsen"B
to endeasor their satisfaction, ealing
unfortunately for the question wen :
knowing that they had plurality Oh
voice. to concur with them IN wna''oe'
yer they desired"
i, IS not little remarkable, that the
foregoing paragraph from Clarendon $
history, bear. SO near resemblance to
the description of the majority IN the
House Of Representatives in its late SEES
sions, .. given by MIR. CASTOR OF North
Carolina, in his speech on the Loan Bill
It's a. follows" 1t was once, remark
ed MIR CASTOR, I" deemed o constitution
al privilege for every member 10 bring
forward any proposition he deemed be-
neficial TO the country, and support oy
whatever arguments he could adduee-
to offer amendments to the propositions
of others, so as to render them, IN his
judgement, more unexeep,ionable; and
to state the reason Of his dissent from
any measure on which be was called to
vote, and endeavor to impress his OPT.
MON on others.
No doubt vast proportion OF the
good people Of this republic yet believe
that such is the course of proceedings
here. Little do they dream OF the com
plicated machinery, BY means OF which
every privilege, except that OF thinking,
is made to depend on the pleasure the
courtesy, the within, Of the majority.
By certain interpretations into our prac-
tice, but which no where shew their hi-
deous front in our written code, the sys:
TEN of suppressing the liberty of speech
is brought to degree Of perfection that
almost astopishes its authors Agentle.
man wishes to bring forward a PROPOSE
,ion-he must first state 1t, and obtain
hefmi.sion from a majority OF he house,
TO let it be considered before he can
she~ the propriety of adopting it, or
ask even for decision upon it Thus
is annihilated the right of originating
proposition.
But a proposition is originated by
Others, it is passed through the ordeal
of consideration, and he is DESTROYS OF a.
mending its defects, or Of exposing its
Improperly. This is perhaps deemed
announcement by the majority. 1t may
give them trouble, or bring forward a
discussion which they do not wish the
people to hear, or detain them too long
from their dinners-a new species OF le-
gerde main is resorted to. The previous
question, utterly perverted from Its orl-
ginal and legitimate use, is demanded (;
the demand is supported by majority.
In an instant all the proposed amend
ments disappear every tongue Is so
fettered, that it can utter but aye or no,
and the proposition becomes law with
out deliberation, without correction and
without debate. And this process is
called Legislation And the hall in
which these goodly doings are transact
ed i, sometimes termed the temple OF
LIBERTY ?"-Thus far MIR. CASTOR.
Now admitting that his statements
were correct (add they were not denied
at all by his political opponents, to our
knowledge) then it follows, that The dif-
ference between the old English House
of Commons, called in way ct derision,
the Rumt Porliament-and the differ
ence between that and the American
House of Representatives as 1t stood In
the late sessions. is rather in favor OF
the former, in which the majority suf-
tered those avho differed from them in O
ftinion ard PURPOSE, to say what they
thought fit in shhosition, although they
were determined before hand to vote
them down at last, in despite OF any ar
guments that might be offered, where.
as the goodly republican majority in the
house of representatives OF tho U. S
were not only determined not to be con
vinced by reasoning, but were determin
eG even not to hear it.