Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-02-09
Volume XXXII.--No. IS.

"AIr. }. Y Mason said az The ro,.e
parate' he hoped they would render an act of smne
justice 10 one OF ts members, by passing the resolution
TO pay The Hon Robert p. Lcchcr his comnensa,;on a.
the last session. lie moved suspension Of the rule in
o'ucr TO take up the resolutions The motion was agyeed
us resolution proposing TO direct payment TO MIR
letcher for attendance at the last session. was read
which was agreed 10. r''''
the question being on the motion of Mr. r. M
10 amend the resolution by embracing the name
Mr Wilde moved the previous question, which was
~econded; 60 to Co. 800" ~
Mr. n lin question ordered (on agreeing to pay
49,. aD ane was taken by yeas and nays: whep
rfsfs appeared, ayes 10, .se< &. -r-.s,n, y,enh
,us.ng to yottuSugh present, the ground that il
NO quorum voting, the resolution was lost
0enueinen certainly cannot object to their own wit.
the ineigencer, was published after the first attack mn
IN nat Journal charging the House with the loss
OF recent attack made in The Senate -
Sueh Mr. Speaker, is the record of our proceedings s
reported Tor the intelhgencer. The very first question
no.cea IN mat report AFTER the committee was appointed
is The Cumberland Road bill And on the retprn of tbs
committee, What was the condition of the House, The
CHAIR calling upon members 10 assist him i'm
order and decorumthe gentleman from VIRGINIA RISING
ana making appeal TO House swhich was yLo,, -
separate" before the return of The committee Ia
yea SIR we near gentlemen who would sacrifice the n
terest OF country because the words armv and
w arensefted In IN mendment; who are alarmed at the
siightest deviation from the rigid constitutional
FORMS denouncng chairman of committee for not re-
porting and submitting appropriation of SSOOOOO at
he ota
was announced on the Letcher Iesoution to the ar-
ment OF quorum of dissolved BODY In which the
peaker wos mol able to preserve order and decorum,
on u was at no time practicable make the re port af
Ter the committee returned from the conferences re-
turned to the House just in time my vote in IA.
vor oil the resolution TO pay Mr. Ietcher IL was five
and twenty minutes after that before the result was m
nounced and 1t was known that 10 quorum had voted
The question actually before the House then WINS
whether quorum could be obtained for the purpose
oil passing the resolution TO pay Mr. Ietchcr? Had
quorum been obtained, the question would have
hnt Inf IL l..l.
oiils been ready 10 be reported, the friends of Mr.
Lelcher never would have given way ut that hour
OF the night Bot no quorum ever obtained from
'at 'ine i ibe adjournment OF the House. and the only
motion IN order a motion adjourn That motion
was made by the gentleman from Maine, (lr Jarvis0
ana tae yeas and nays again ordered voted
against adIonrnment SILL anxious obuin quorum but
no quorum voted Thus, sir another FIVE and twenty
minutes exhausted Another struggle commenced for a
quorum to pass the resolution pay Mr. Letcher Tel
icrs were appointed to count the Hoasc-the Speaker
requested Itnn whether there WINS ororn,n
present SIR 1t Is impossible 10 describe the scene
AtIrngth, abandoning all hope of obtaining a quorum
'Ile iiouSe prepared second time to adjourn A
gentleman from Maryland (Alr. Johnson) was permitted
to report mere resolution of inquiry of the War Depar
ment-the gentleman from Florida (Mr White) TO Law
on the table copy of Of that territory; and the
speaker asked leave TO dispose of the communications
upon his table On motion 20 print tho last of these
wnch was" letter from the Postmaster Genaral, vino
eating himself from aspersons, &C." there was no QUO
rum yoing, and the journal states the letter Sas
not further acted on Sir this business reparatory to
adjournment was all that done after the passaee of
the Cumberland road bill till The adjournment of tho
House at about o'clock in the morning Not one dol
lar was voted, amendment of the Senate was agreed
TO, and act of any description was passed infer the
passage OF the Cumberland Road Bill NOTHING waa
done but to hear reports from the Committee Enroll
cd Bills and to send and receive messages to and from
the Senate and the President
have been charged, MIR. Speaker, with another un-
PaTdonabie offence Although objected to measures to
compel others 10 vote after ~ clock yet voted myself
on every question ailer that hour and agninst the
motion TO adjourn Sir, the gentleman from virginia
might nave gone back for fifteen years and found my
name recorded on every question till the hour of adjourn
nent believe that our constitutional term does xpire
at * CLOCK Dul have had scruples about remain
ing and attending the closing forms of this body and
even OF voting for laws in of indispensable neces
siy II there any offence in this sir have no apolo
gy but in the universal usage Of all legislative bodies
and believe that my opinion and my practice has been
the opinion and practice of majority of every Congress-
elected since the adoption Of constitution Whether
after the hour Of twelve we have quorum or not de-
pends entirely upon the number Of members who choose
voluntarily TO remain in session
The gentlon makes another praye chnrge;hat w.
had the power to command quorum and that the bill
was lost ny intrigue of the friends of the Adinstra
non ON ths hoor, who declined voting. Sir deny ut
terly deny that the refusal was party measure
or mat the want OF had any reference what
ever 10 the forticaiion bill the three million appro-
prlation Was the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr.
Harding who fret inquired 'if the House was not vr-
tualy dissolved friend Of tIe Administration, Was
the gentleman from Georgia. MIR. Gner) who declin-
ed voting the Cumberland Road bill a friend of tho
Adm'n'StralIon; Was another gentleman from Geo.
(Nlr Joncs) who moved adjournment while the con-
ierees were still in session friend of the Administration.
pa these gentlemen intrigue to destroy quorum on
10 prevent IL from reaching the
President TO shield him from responsibility Sir the
question Of quorum had nothing whatever 10 do with
The Publication bill The struggle commenced on tho
Cumberland Road BILL ii continued by members of
both parties on the judiciary bill Forty members had
retired alter The passage Of the Cumberland Road bill
ana before The resolution to pay MIR Lecher called
Ups the number reduced ON ia to 1874 IL was
TIE struggle between the friends Of Mr. Ietcher and
MIR Moore which destroyed the quorum Subsequent to
that, no quorum could DC obtained even on motion to
Print The Postmaster Generals letter vindcang himself
As well might II be said, that the of quorum on
that proposition was owing to intrigue among the
/ friends Of The Administration.
! Mr. Speaker, il after that vote had been .aken
on printing the Postmaster Generals etter-aIler the
Speaker had disposed of the business on his table me-
Foratory adjournment, and with perfect nowledge on
the part Of the Senate that the House had been more
than one hour in vain struggling for quorum aud that
.hey were 'nahing ina preparations for adjournment
was, SIR under such circumstances, and two in the
morning, the following extraordinary resolution was re-
ccivcd from the Senate of the United Suites:
- Rcsoired, That message be to the Honorable
The House 81 Representatives. respectfully remind the
House Of the report Of the Committee Of Conference
| appointed on the dsagrceing votes Of the two Houses
senate to tie bill respecting The Qualifications Of the IT,
When that message read, sir 4 stated what now
repeai, that when into the House from the con.
ference, the clerk calling the yeas aud nays on She
resolution 10 pay MI beicher which there was no
quorum That on subsequent proposition 10 adjourn
The ycss aud nays called and again there was M
quorum. Undcr such circumstances did not feel au-
thoTiscd 10 present the Honce an appropriation of
5OONUo dOiiWs That the House had discharged is du
" 20 The country by twice vcting an appropriation ~
three millions for It's defence which tho Senate bad
twice rceced that The bill evidently lost and the
Senate must take the rcsy9nsibhfv Of aavin0 fbe
] a..a| .fasf fr.Na. ~ ..f "a