The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-04-27
Congress PROCEEDINGS

Congye. Proceedings Of Saturday.
IN THE SEsATK.-Nlf naudolpli's res
oluion proposing 70 amend the rules So A.
To restore to the Senate THE power &c cleo
ting its standing Committees, VAS agreed
to.
The resolution having been agreed to-
The Vice President rove and said, he
trusted that the Senate would indulge him
in nakiug few observations brfure he
rreumrd his seat, AS the debate on the sub
lcCt Just decided had relation necessarily l."
the duties of the Chair.
No one more than myself, said the Vice
President. can be NOR. deeply impressed
with the great Truth. that the prescr walton
81 rights depends, mainly, on Their exercise
That nation deserved 10 conquer the
world, which called its army crercttus; and
so will the nation deserve thai ITS liberty
shall bs immortal. which Lays the founda-
ton Of its system Of government on the
x eat principles. that no power ought to
be Delegated which Can be fairly exrrcisrd
hy the constituent body, and that none
ought ever To be- delegated but to respousi.
bic agents. These have been my maxims
through the whole Of my political life, and
I should he inconsistent With myself, il
did not give my .ntir. assent to the prin-
clpeS on which the rules IN question have
been rescinded. trust, said hs, that il
never Vill he the ambition of him whose
lot it IL now 10 occupy this Chair, TO en-
large it's powers. My ambition, I hoy.
pu' sues a different direetion-not 10 enlarge
powers, but 10 discharge with industry, g.
deity, aud frmness, The dnties which may
hr imposed on me. Thus feeling, shall
Witness with pleasure the resumption of all
the powers which can he properly eyer
cisrd by the Senate. AZ they will he then
placed, where alone they can be with per.
feet safety.
From the direction which the debate, in
some degree. took, as we'll AS from what
has been said without thes. walls. it be
comes on this occasion. proper that
should stats for the information of this bo-
dy. the construction that the Chair has put
on the 9Th aud 9TH ruler Of the Senate
They are in the following words:
"When member shall be called 10 or
" der. he shall SIT down until the President
shall have determined whether he is in
" order or not; aud every QUESTION Of or
der shah be decided by the President,
without debate; but If there be doubt
in his mind, ho may call for the sense Of
the Seuate.
"If the member be- called TO order, for
words spoken, the exceptionahl. words
shall Immediately he taken down, in url.
ting, tina, the President may be better
"euahled to Judge of the matter"
The Chair, said the Wee President, has
bestowed il, most dshherale and anx,nrs
attention, by night and by day, sn the 9'lrs-
ton Of the extent Of It's powers, under a
correct construction Of thes, rules, and ha,
scttled in the conviction, that the night to
call, to order, ON questions touching the
latitude or freedom OF debate, belongs rx-
clusivell 70 the members of this body aud
Ia the Chair. Thu power OF the presiding
officer on these great points rs an appellate
power "uly; and, consequently the duties
of the Chair commence Wien "A Senator is
called tu order by a Senator. Whenever
such a call ahall hp made, the Chair viii
not b. found unprepared III dlsoh1rge Its
only functions IN such case-that Of de
Gliding 90 the pomt of order submitted
What the opinion of the presiding officer
10 in relation to the free dom of debate, IN
tins body it will be time 10 declare, when
u question may be presented; but such as
it is. II vii hr 6rmiy, aud trust may add
tearcssly maintained. But, rejoice tnat
III" rule of The Senais, on point so Inpor-
taut gave Ia the Char no original power,
and that II can eYtrcise no cuntrou all
called on by the SENATE Itself. II was right
in itself he said, in strlcJ conformity To the
principles which had guided the Senate in
the vote just taken that so high power
should be placed onIy IN the custody of the
body. The Vice President sand be prided
himself on his connection with the Senate !;
but II was impossible, that he should forget,
that that connection was created by the
nperatiop of the Constitution. In dischar-
ging his duty in this seat, it would be I'M
pardOnahle in him not TO recoleci, that he
was placed in the CHAIR, not by the voice
of the Senate, but by that of the People
and that to them, and not this body, he
WAS ultimately responsible. Standing in
the relation he did 10 the SENATE, he had
laid 1t down rs an inyariable rule TO as
sumo no power in the least degree doubt
tnl: and to cOnfne himself 10 Just hut
fun exercise Of the powers clearly delcga-
ted. In conclusion, he rendered to the
Senate his sincere acknowledgements, that,
IN resembling the rule, such delicate regard
had been paid 10 his feelings in the debate.
ample justice had been done to the indus
try aud fidelity With which he had honestly
attempted TO discharge his ardaons duties
Deeming himself called on by the debate
that had taken place, to saysthus much, ii