Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-02-09
"ihc confusion in the House increasing.

AT length,
"hlr j. T. Masen sad, Us the House was about to 81
parh'e' ne hoped they would render of simple
justice 70 one OF It's Members by passing the resolution
to pay the Hon Robert p etche his nsation for
Tue st sess'h Tie moved suspension Of the rule in
order 10 take up the resolution. The motion was agreed
TO- and Tie resolution proposing TO direct payDcn 10 Mr.
Lelchcr: for ate adancc at the last session was read
:. Mr. Vanderpoel moved 10 strike out the preamble;
which was,agrsed TO-
" The question being the motion Of Mr. r. M.
Johnson TO amend the resolution by embracing the name
Of Tho;nas p. Moore,
Ms. Wilde moved the previous question: which was
seconded 81 to Is.
The main question was ordered ION agreeing to nav
MIR. LeLcher.) and taken by yeas and nays when
there appeared, ayes l3, B. several members re-
tusIng to vote thong present, the ground that it
was past u o'clock
| No quorum voting, the resolution was lost"
Gentlemen certainly cannot object to their own wit.
ness particularly the evidence here extracted from
the lnclIgencer, published after the first attack ap
Pearcd in that oarna charg ing the House with the loss
of the ratification BILL and almost in the very language
| OF a recent attack made in the Senate.
Such, MI Speaker: is the record of our proceedings
reported for the nellgencer. The very first question
noticed in that report after the committee appointed
is the Cumberland Road bill And on the return of the
committee, what was the condition Of the House, The
Chair calling upon members assist him in preserving
Order and decorum-tlc gentleman from Virginia rising
and making appeal loa House (Which about 10
separate, before the Of tho committee. And
yet sir, hear gentlemen who would sacrifice the in
tcrcst Of our country because the words army and
W inserted in amendment who alarmed at The
slightest deviation i-orN i1e most rigid constitutional
forms, dcnouncing chairman Of committee for not
porting and submitting appropriation of $500 600 at
one in the morning or il that before the vote
was announced Oh the leteher resoulion) to the ag-
mrnt "f GIora1n Of dissolved body, in which the
Speaker not able to preserve order and dccorum
SIX it at no time practicable to make the report at
ter the committee returned from the conference. re.
uratd TO the House Just tlr TO record my vote in IA
rOf; I'M 10 or II
and twenty minutes after that before the result
nounceh, and 4 known TINT quorum had voted.
The question actually before the House, then,
Wh9tlcr quorum could be obtained Tor the purpose
Of passing the resolution TO pay Mr.. Letchcr; Had
Gao.nm been obta!ns2, the question would have
been that resolution and, sir, had ten ioEtlcaon
bills hccn ready to be reported, the friends OF Mr.
LctcIeT would have given way at that hour
Vi the night. But quorum ever obtained from
that time lthe Adjournment OF tic H"use and the only
motion in order was motion TO ADJOURN. That motion
was made by the gentleman from Maine Clr Jarv!s(
and the yeas and nays were again ordered voted
against 1urnmcnt, st!aaos 10 obtain quorum, but
quorum voted. Thus, sir, another five and twenty
minutes exhausted Another strugg e commenced for
quorum pass Tic resolution to pay Mr. lctchrr. lei
rrs appointed 20 couat the Housc-the Speaker
rrGuesedrto ascertain whether there was quorum
present Sir it is impossihir 70 describe the scene
AT lrngtk, abandoning al! o1,. o obtaining quorum,
the House prepared second time to ad jnurn. A
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Jolnson) was permitted
60 porta resolution Of inquiry Of the War Depart
n,sni-tLr gentleman from Florida (Alr. Whe) to lay
the table ccPy OF an act OF that territory and the
Speaker asked leave dispose Of the communications
Upon lis table On motion TO print the last OF these,
WHICH lctscr fron the Postmaster Genara Vinal-
eating himself from nspcrsons, &C.. there was no quo
runnrong, and the journal states, the letter 'was
o,nhci acted on" SIR, this business preparatory to
Adjournment all that done nitrr the passage oil
,s irnbcrlapd road bill ill the adjournment OF the
House at about o'clock in the morning Not one dol,
lar vas Voted amendment o.. the Senate was agreed
IT, .l, act of any description waS passed alter Tie
passage Of the Cumberland Road Bill. Nothing was
done but hear reports from the Committee Oh EnrGi!-
ed Bills and to send and receive messages 10 aha NOM
the Senate and the President
have been charged, MIR. Speaker with another UNI
parduiable offence. Although ected 10 measures TO
compel others after II clock yet voted myself
every question after that hour, and even against the
motion to adjourn. Sir, the gentleman from Virginia
hight have gone back for fifteen years and found my
recorded every Gucstio: AZ, the hour OF ADJOURN
mcnt believe that our constitutional term does expire
II clock, but have Ind no scruples about remain.
ing and attending to the closing forms of this body and
of voting for laws, OF indispensable ncces-
str If there any offence in this, have no apollo
~ but in the universal usage Of all Legislative oodies
and believe that my opinion and my practice has pech
the opinion and practice of orty of every Congress
elected slrsc the adoption OF OFT constitution Whctes
after the how. of twelve have quorum or not, de-
ponds entirely upon the number OF members who choose
voluntarily TO remain IN srssion
The gentleman makes another grave chargc-that wo
had the power 10 command quorum, and that the Dill
Lost by of the friends oil the AdninslIa-
ton this floor. who declined voting. Sir deny, Ut
try deny that the refusal TO vote party measure,
or that the 81 quorum had any reference what.
TO the ratification bill or the three million oPpIo'
priatlon. Was the gentleman from kentucky, (Mr.
Harding who first inquired "l the House was not VIZ
tua.y dissolved friend of the Administration Was
the gentleman from Georgia, (Mr Gilmcr who declin-
ed voting the Cumberland ROud BILL friend OF the
| Administrations: Was another gentleman from Geo
mir Jones who moved adjournment, while the con-
tcrrrs still in session. friend Of the Administration:
Did these gentlemen intrigue t" destroy quorum on
the lorication bill to prevent It from reaching thc
President, 10 shield him from responsibility: SIR, the
question of quorum had nothing whatever to do with
| the ratification bill. The struggle commenced on the
Cumberland Road bill; it continued by members OF
both parties the judiciary bill. Forty members had
retired after the passage Of the Cumberland Road bill,
and before the resolution pay Mr. Letcer was called
| up, the number reduced loGl lIl TO I|l IL was
the struggle between the friends Of Mr. Letcher and
Mr. hloorc which destroyed the quorum Subsequent 10
that no quorum could be obtained even on neuon 70
print the Postmaster General letter vlndlcatng himself
AS we'll might it be said that the want OF quorum on
that proposition was owing to intrigue among the
| friends of the Administration.
| MIR Sneaker it was after that vote had been taken
on printinr the Postmaster Generals ettcr-afer the
Speaker had disposed of the business his table, pre-
puraory adjournment and with perfect knowledge on
the part Of the Senate, that the House had been more
than hour in vain struggling for quorum, and that
they making final preparations for Adjournment
it WIS., sir, under such circumstances and at two IN the
morning, the following extraordinary resolution was re-
ccired from the Senate OF the United States:
Resoircd, That message be sent to the Honorable
the House of Representatives, respectfully TO refino TIC
House of the report Of the Committee OF Conference,
appointed the dsagrceing votes of the two HOUSES
the amendment Of tho House to tho amendment 81 te
Senate to the bill respecting tie Publications OF Tile u
Statcs'
When that message was read sir stated what now
rcpcat that when came into the House from tne con-
ference the clerk calling the yeas and nays On 'he
resolution 10 pay Mr. Lctchcr, on winch theio was no
quorum; that subsequent PloPos.t'"" 49,, ..u 49,