Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-03-16
TIE FORTIFICATION BILL.

Wc published, in our last, an interesting artic
from the National Intoigencer, relative to tn,
causes Of the loss of the Forthcation Bill at th.
critical uncture in affairs. We extract the fol
! lowing from subsequent article in the same paper
| From the National inteUigeneer, MarcA7.
| "On the House of Repre- ontatlves must forever
rest the responsibility of stopping all the work, o
Ifortlhcation just at this moment throughout tn,
United States. Whatever may come of it, OF
whatever may not, the Administration party il
that House must rest the blame or the praise O,
defeating the bill for carrying on the Notifications
and (per compromise for placing at the dispose
OF the Executive three hundred thousand dollars 70,
| srmlng the the Notifications, and five hundred
thousand dollars for repairs and equipments Of
ships Of war.
"'rho only defence now set up for this mannuvrc
10, that the twentythrd Congress ceased to exist al
II o'clock on the night of the Sd of March, and
could not, after that hour legally transact any bl,.
s'ncss This new argument for defeating and null
iylng one-haIf Of the business Of the session ha,
no foundation in the Constitution or the Law
The First Congress under the Constitution came
into existence al IL o'clock meridian. on the 4lh
day OF March, 1889 AT IL o'clock, M President
Washington was sworn into office; becoming. nv
that act, President of the United States At 70
o'clock Cor lhcreabouts) on the 4th of March at
every succeeding interval of four years, the sue
cessive Presidents have been sworn in At -
O'Clock on the 4th of this month, had the 24th Con-
gross been convoked to assemble on that dav tho
members Of both Houses would have been called
over, and not before that hour. The twentvtbird
Congress was IN existence, or might have been if
SO minded, IT not up to the hour of l2 on the 4h
day OF March, at least until daylight of that dsv
judicial decisions have, we believe, settled the
question IN that way as TO the term of a court and
CRIMINALS nave been cap,tey convicted and pun.
'shed IN some OF the States, who were found 0 uiltv
ana sentenced between IL at night Of the last lesnl
day OF term, and the following morning. So
much for the lar on the subject.
The usage has not been uniform. In sevc,a,
cases, however, within our recollection, the House
has heretofore sat on the last day of the session I'm
one O'CLOCK and later. To obviate the inoon,.
"fnee OF such late hours and hurried legislation.
RUE VIZ, was adopted, some years ago. forbdding anv
OF" oe'ng sent to the President for his signature m
.ne las. day OF the session; in consequence Of
Wheh, Tor several of the last Compressed, the two
houses have merely met, early in the mornino of
me sd OF March, in the alternate years to receive
oacK bills from the President, sc. This vear thu,
rule was Suspended, because of the Great nressnro
o, business, which suspension again brouoh, hal
e old question about tho legality of sitting after
Il clock. On the night Of the 8d. some of tho
most important of all the legislation Of the country
mas been perfected after that hour u, the close Of
ns Congresses within our own knowledge and
''s'e was, IN our view, no sufieies, ius,lAestion