Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-12-09

MIR. Woodbury. presented the petition of Benja- I:
min Conner, pra wing for alteration in the mode
of surveying the public lands; which ordered
10 lie the table.
STAN DING COMMITTEES OF THE SEN
ATE I
Mr.. Noble moved That the Senate now take up
the resolution which lies upon the table, ia rela-
ton TO the appointment Of the Standing Commit
Tees and procecd 20 the consideration Of the same
lie said il was not his intention to press the subject
upon the Senate at too early day, but the doctrine
OF rereachinent had been preached, and had gone
the rounds, both IN private and in public. Re-
ttenchment, to those IN office, meant the saving Of
time, and time meant money, in the pubcservice.
II people have received the belief that retrench
ncnt was the order % the day, he would leave il
to the Senate TO say. whether they would now
take up the resolution and proceed TO The election
| OF the committees IL was uniInportant TO him, at
what time the business was done. II had been
the constant practice IN the Senate, for the mem
bers who were most convenient to the Capitol 10
| be absent, while those al distance, and some of
| whom were seventeen days their Journey to be
| on their posts and because the Senate was not
full, although there was quorum, and a cons,itu-
tionai quorum assembled, they must wait until the
seats were filled. TWAS the province ofmembers
10 be in their seats, and they absent they are
accountable to the Senate and 20 their constituents
| ~ eight dollars day TO members, was a mat
Ger to be saved TO the Uuted States he called up
on the members 70 put their fingers upon this reso-
luton. They received their pay for Sundays, as
well as Tor other days, and If necessary they
should meet every day. All days were alike 10
those who served the Lord.
III economy was the principle upon which they
were 10 act, he called upon the members to meet
10 morrow, tthis dsy,l and not only TO morrow,
but every Saturday, and not, as had been the Gus
tom Tor many years, adjourn over to Monday; if
not, let them account for il to their constituents
1t might be that lac had yesterday acted with
seeming indecoruIn, when lie wished The rcsolu.
ton TO be laid upon the table 10 be called up at
sny time lie challenged any member OF the
senate 70 point out the occasion, any time for the
last ten years, when the committees had been ap-
pointed upon day that the Senate was full. Ii a
gentleman from The State of New York chose TO
bargain his seat in the Senate for the office of Go
vernon OF that State, and ii member from Ohio
chooses 10 give up his seat for salary OF eighteen
Thousand collars let them 60 to their constituents
ana settle that matter. Ii designations had taken
place in that body, it was the business of the
states TO MI them, and not OF the Senate to wait
untu they were filled He belonged to neither
party and with-whatever zeal he acted or yyhate-
yer insinuations might be circulated respecting
nm, he had the qualification Of knowing that he
actec property IL was matter OF perfect indif.
ference TO him, when the business was done but
upon the principle OF retreuchment he s,iouId ACT
Let Monday come, and let the people O! Indian,
present themselves here, as they have been here
before, and let the Senate do their business Last
year this Cumberland road bill was beIore tho
Senate; now is before us again let il B.. settled
ECONOMY and retrenchment is the order of the day
ana let US now see who shrinks back and who
comes up 70 it. II is now in order to call I'D the
resolution, and it is in order to- but viii not call
TOR the yeas and nays
, MIR. Eaton said he was willing 10 be called up
on ana nc wished that the yeas and NAYS were
taken upon every question which came before
them. 1t had never been the practice of fbe Sc
nate 10 appoint their standing committees so early
IN the session. The gentleman's argument seems
10 DE OF an individual character and TO reflect up
ON the members OF this body. He believed the
members were responsible 10 no member of the
fGeD1le IN pliOp: hut Al.
oy. They had not done, for ten years. what was
50 Perunaciousy insisted upon by the gentleman
rom Indiana Last session we met upon the third
nay oil the month, and the committees were not
appointed until the tenth; and the practice has al
ways been, 10 wait few DAYS after the day of
meeting Was it not courteous, lie would put il 10
Tie gentleman from Indiana was it no. courteous
10 wait lew days and few days was all that was
| asked. The records of the Senate did not produce
| single instance in which the committees had
been appointed upon The fourth day OF the session
some members were absent-he did not know
why-he was not the inquisor, to go round and
ask gentlemen about matters for which they were
responsible only to the Senate, and TO their con-
sutuents. lie was for waiting reasonable time.
Bad roads, sickness, and other causes might be ia
Ken as the reasons for fhe absence OF the members
III was important that they should be present. II
was proper that every man should have a voice in
tle choice OF tile committees Of the Senate.
Mr. Noble said, he must insist that his remarks
were not TO be considered of ind yduai charac-
'0 '"e' U'u eAist, uat Tor ten years, the
Senate had never been full. For some wears there
had been no general rule Of practice There was
time when the Committees were appointed bv
Tie President, but now, for some reason they are
: CHOSEN by ballot. He should like to know what
gave The Senate tile right 10 appoint the time az
which they would do their business or what gave
them the right to wait until the tenth for that
when should have been done az once? ! move
U!di ms resolution be taken UP and consider
Ell. III gentlemen wished IL postponed and would
bA upon Il reasonable day, lie Womb nj 70
PFoViuedt was not too remote But whv not act
upon II on Saturday, unless we are 10 adjourn over
III Monday, as has always been the case, Let rs
now proceed to business that we NAV ret ron OH
the business, and, short the session is nv con
stituenis have what they ought to have had wears
ago.
The motion 10 take Up the resolution for consid
GRAFTON was lost! MIR. Noble immediately renew
ed H. and called for the yeas aud nays. I
Mr.: Eaton sand, be would submit il to the Sen
ale whe'her 1t was decorous, and IN order 10 call
up his resolution upon the very instant dat tho
Senate bad determined aganstil
me President said, he had never known such
an instance, and lac doubted whether such an cr.e
had ever happened before.
Inc question on now considering the resolve
was, on motion Of Mr. Noble, taken by yeas and
nays, and decided as follows:
=, ftAS.--Messrs. Barton, Bell, Foot, Hendricks
Knight Noble, Prince, Ruggles, Seymour SiIs,
bee, and Wiley Ii
NAYS, NAYs-Me'srs; Benton, Branch, Chambers.
chandler Chase, Dickerson, Eaton, Ellis. John.
son OF ny, Johnston Of Louisiana, Kane Kiny
McLaue, Marks, Robbins Rowan. Sanford Srnitb
OF Md, Thomas, White, Williams, and Woodbl,rv.
So the Senate then refused 10 con.iser tho ,es,.
luton moved By SIR. Noble
Mr oodbufy then offered the following reso.
luton '''''S 'esS'
Res0lved, That the Senate will. On nfoDd.,
nest proceed 70 the appointment Of lheir Standing