Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-05-04

himself and to the committee to say,
that The committee were not unanimous
IN agreeing to the report, and to express
the views which he personally had OF
this subject which he considered IN some
points ofview, as ofgreat Importance, he
offered a counter-resolution which he re-
quested might accompany the report
and be laid on the table with it.
Mr.. McLANE said he was sorry that,
on the present occasion, the gentleman
from Illinois had thought 1t proper to
deviate from the usual practice on max
ing reports, in stating, as he had done,
that there was division in the committee
on,the subject ofthe report. An obvious
objection TO such proceeding was, tina;
each member of the committee might
feel himself called upon to say how he
had voted, if any one OF the committee
did so. He believed, he said, that he
should be authorized in saying that the
honorable gentleman himself was the
only one Of the committee who disagreed
TO the resolution now on the table. Mr..
McLANE did not think this course the
proper one to. be pursued. 1t would be
an encroachment on propriely to suffer
committee to make report, and &C
company it with another report which
might possibly be of very different ten
dency. The object of the gentleman,
besides, could be as well attained by
moving his proposition in the shape OF
separate and distinct resolution, as in the
way he proposed.
The SPEAKER, dcprcca,ing the de-
bates growing out of Neutrality-suspicious.,
uselessly consuming the time OF the
House, pronounced his decision, that
nothing can be received as the act of a
committee but what is the report of
committee, and that committee can
make but one report. Nothing, there
fore, but the report of the committee
was now under consideration. Mr.. Is.
adverted TO the famous case OF the Semi
mole War, in which counter-report
had been offered by one Of the commit
tee, and received by the House, but he
considered it an erroneous proceeding,
and not to be drawn into precedent.
Mr.. MERCER concurred in the view
which the Speaker had taken of this
point, and added, that in the case OF the
Seminole War, the counter-report had
not been received until after considerable
debate, and it was afterwards subject
Of general regret that it had been re-
ceived at all.
Mr.. Cook said, he was not sure he
had understood the gentleman from De-
laware mir. McLane) correctly-but,
repeating what he had said when before
up, Mr.. c. now justified it. 1t was no
new thing for it to be announced, on the
presentation of report, that the COM
mittee was divided in relation to it.
He quoted the example of the case of
the report at the last session on the adj
mission of Missouri into the Union.
He did not know whether the member
from Delaware meant to intimate that
he had made an incorrect statement or
taken any undue advantage. He would
rather abandon his seattle would rather
never have set foot in this House, than
do dishonorable act, or even an act Of
unkindness to any of his fellow men,
bers. He deemed it matter of impor-
lance even to the persons about whom on
this subject, so much had been said, to
frankly present to the House his views,
that no man should be taken by
surprise in voting onsa question deeply
connected with the purity of the Legis-
lative Body
The SPEAKER here arrested the de-
bate as going improperly into the main
subject, on a question merely inciden-
tai.
Mr.. McLANE disclaimed any intention,
in what he had said, to alarm the feelings
of the gentleman from Illinois, or i'm
peach his motives. He considered it
an act Of justice to himself and TO the
committee to state the facts of the case
and he had done no more.
The question was taken on laying
the report on the table, as moved by Mr..
Cook, and carried.
Mr.. Cook then submitted the follow
ing resolution:
RESOLVED, That the employment OF
members ofCongress by the Executive,
or any Executive officer Of the United
States, in the performance Of any public
service, during the continuance of their
membership, Tor which they receive
compensation out of the public Treasu'
~, is inconsistent with the independence
Of Congress, and in derogation Of the
rights Of the people, and, if it be not al
ready, ought to be prohibited.
. Mr.. CANNON required the question Of
consideration of the resolution and,
that question being taken, the House
agreed to consider the same.
Mr. Conx moved for a re-considera