American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1826-12-19
)USE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Wednesday, DEcEMBEp IS.


period Of the present session; when motion would b.
made to divide its provisions into two distinct bills. with
view separate the officers of the Army from other Off
GERS and persons at present included within it.
Thursday, DscEMBER Id.
Twenty petitions were presented and disposed of THU
Mr.. Mitchell of Tennessee, called up the following re
solution, laid by him on the table yesterday.
4" Resolued That the Speaker of this House, in calling
for petitions shall commence with the State of NIane then
in regular progression, Southwardy, until he shall have
called the old thirteen States, and then call the other States
in the order in which they have respectively been admitted
into the Union"
The question of consideration having been put BY the
Chair the House resolved to consider The resolution ayes
The then modified his resolution so as to read as
follows:
Resotued That the Speaker of this House, in calling for
petitions shall commence with the State of New Hamn
SHIRE then in regular progression, Soutwardly including
Maine and Vermont, until he shall have called the old thir.
States, and then call the other States the order in
which they have, respectively been admitted into the
Union.
Mr. Mitchell said he had been induced tn presen, this
resolution from observing what passed in the House in re-
laon to this subject The order observed by the Chair in
calling on the several States for the presentation of pe
tons seemed TO have relation neither the relative crawl
ties olher population, to their geographical position
to their seniority States BY the rule Of the House,
the Speaker left his discretion this matter save
that he must begin with Maine The former practice had
been to call the old States after Maine, in the order of
their position till the Speaker reached Georgia and then
70 call new ola'eS IN Inc order OF their
he last session this order had been departed from by pre-
erring Ohio in the order to Kentucky OF this no com
plan had been made, because there had probably been
some regard to population But al the present session
Tennessee had been placed at the tail of the least State in
the Union Clnois) He had been sorry observe this
conduct the part of the Chair, because NIGH be in
ferred by some that there had been design in it though he
vas far from saying that any such inference ought be
drawn. Yet why should Tennessee be thus ont of her
order Has she not been peaceable State mild in her
department and moderate in her demands Are not
bic requirement of the Government, II So as her fee
Bile Representative ask only that may have the place
which we deserve. This may be considered BY as
minor matter; but it from small encroachlnents tina,
greater arise All history that the smales,
departures from right may the end lead the total
overthrow of State Here isa manifest departure. There
ought certainly 10 bs rule this subject, that all may
know when they to be ready with the petitions they
have to present. and that all things may be done in order
and without confusion
The Speaker then observed that It might be expected of
him that he would state the House the principle on
which he had acted in adopting the order which had been
pursued in calling the different States The only rule of
the House this subj directs him 10 begin wi,h Maine
one of the youngest States in the Unon but the
Northwardly Of them ALL 1t evident from such rule |
that seniority could not be The principle which the House
intended should govern in this matter As the rule began
with the Northeastern extremity Of the Uniun it had been
the usual practice to call the New England States first in
ORDER then pass to the Northessternmus of the
States then TO take those which lay contiguous passing
from East to West, till all called had once
entered INTO the conception OF the Chair that any dsrc
spec coul be inferred in the ter If precedence
important, New York might more Justly COMPLAIN az
abe WAS called after Maine and Vermont 1t might, and
he believed it did, in case, through nalyerence hap
PEN that the usual order not observed Alabama, he
believed had once been called after Illinois But he could
not have supposed any importance would be attached to
NE circumstance The rule left il to the discretion Of the
Chait To call tie States in such order he might prefer
II he might be permitted single remark in reply
suggestion OF the gentleman from Tennessee he would
observe that the Chair perfectly of the
least act which could be construed srespecttu towards
any member Of the House He referred to the aruous
nature OF the duty entrusted to him. When twenty dife-
rent members, for instance Al time TO offer resou
o and but could be received, in giving the prefer
ence he exposed the danger of seeming neglect
individuals who might take offence In such he aim
cd at giving precedence to such had made the earliest
NOTION or had risen most frequently for the presentation
their resolutions The Chair was incapable Of treating
any member OF the House with designed Of respect
The debate was further continued by
Mr. flgd, who said that he remembered, shortly after
Name was admitted into this Cnnfedeacy, that in calling
or petitions, Maine called first, but being objected
10, the mode was abandoned. BIZ, in few days. il was
thought she, from her position, ought matter of
venenee, 10 be called rsthen the States next they
Presented themselves Southwardly including Georgia
a,er that, as they were admitted into the Confceracy
MS MI F. said, was perhaps good way any, and
therefore he would be in favor of the resolution for
speaker calls the Though think, continued
r' IN this innovation the part of the Speaker, il
% nave been as well, AFTER calling OHIO Indiana, and
ILLINOIS, to have continued only the Mississippi river
u caied Mssonr the next State ns'ead of turning back
across two States, to begin again with Kentucky.
a. r. Srdgue though esteemng the question az without
ie smallest importance in ITSELF yet, since the order of
precedence had been stirred indicated the claim of Maine
ana denied that seniority conferred any privilege to or
II was convenient to begin at one extremity OF the
country and proceed towards the other. n
MT Cook objected TO the resolution. founded a
mere casual precedence. given by accident He consd
red Illinois reflected unon by the mover, and 60
ing 4, on =, to yndcate her with some warmth. when
Mr. mitchell dsclamcd any intention of casting any impu
on on that State her Representative, and sorry
70 hear such vituperaon
Mr. Cook repealed The charge of vuperaiou; protested
as insdious {
ne debate was here arrested by motion Of Mr. Brent
~ LOUISIANA who said he conceived his to be discussion