Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-04-25
CONVERSATIONAL.
SPEECH OF Mr. RlNES, Tor \RG,Nn,)
q" Mr.. Benton's Erpmging Re'o'nfions.
MoNpAY March Is

Mr.. CLAYTON moved that the resolutions q
the Senator from Missouri should be taken ny, II
order that the discussion upon them might pro
coed. The motion being adopted
MIR. XIV rs then rose, and addressed the Sc
nate, in substance, as follows:
II no other gentleman, MIR. President, be dis
posed to do SO, will avail myself OF the opportn.
nifty afforded by the motion of the Senator from
Delaware, to trouble tho Senate with some re-
marks on the subject nov under consideration. In
dolhg So, do not propose, al Tins time, To 70 into
the wade field and diversified aud interesting matter
opened for discussion bv the resolutions OF the Sc
naiorlrom Missouri. My purpose will be To coninc
msselt,at present strictly 10 the constitutional qucs-
'ion which has been rai>ed rs 10 the power OF this
bod y 10 cNpunge from lis journal an entry hereto
fore made upon il, trusting 10 thc indulgence OF the
Senate, in future stage Of the discussion, 10 be
permitted 10 present my views OF the other highly
important questions involved IN the general sub
lcct propose thus 10 limit my remarks Tor the
present, because the constitutional question is nat
uralls aud properly preliminary 10 all the rest,
standing lis, il the order Of discusslon well rs
htsi III importance for, however justly obnoxious
deem HE resolution ot March, 1881, to the va
loa, exceptions "n',h have been taken Ia II, IT
cefa " ought not {, be o,P""Scd, unless, under
the tuition, We have the riehtiu auIholi, to
ior the present, to tin, SINGLE view oil the subject
for the further reason that, as vet, the able aud
lucid arguments OF tina Senator from Missouri on
the other branches oi the discussion have remain
ed without any answer, On even an attempt 10 an-
swer them.
\ free People, Mr.. President, and especially
the enlightened People of ihi, country, are natural
" and wisely jealous uftle Observance OF their fun
damental law, anl acutelv sensible 10 any VIOLA
ton, actual or mcdnatrd, ol It's provisions. Hence
II Is that. IN the warfare OF parties, appeals
frequently made TO this patriotic instinct IN the
public mind and alarms, often groundcss and artl
hcial, attempted To be raised IN regard to the
cuIits Of the Constitution. Hence II was, | prc-
sumo, that in the memorable contest of which this
chamber wasthe theatre i've years ago, the President
was denounced usurpcr of unefantcd power,
as u ,uttor oi the Constitution and the laws OF
his country when, if all lla WAS alleged by his
adversarlcS could he sustained, II world have made
but case OF the miSapphcaIion or abuse OF power
granted both by the Constitution and the laws.
Hence IT is, too, suppose, that, on the present oc
casion, a mar pdnic i, attempted To be- raised, b,
holding up the image of nutilalcd records and
violated Constitution, and that the exercise OF
lawful discretionary power over their own Journals
and proceedings, which has boon known and adj
mittcd since the origin OF legislative bodies, and i,
bodies exist, is represented something mon
strons iuiQ,itnuS aud yen iclonlou,. II gentle
men Npcct thus, 10y the use of strong language,
bold assertion, and vehement dcnuncation, 10 car
~ the public Judgment hv storm, llley viii, IN nv
humble opinion, find themselves woiully deceived.
HE public mind is, at tbs moment, calm, SELF
balanced, ScrunAlnC, lnqnsIlIvc aud, instead OF
mere assertion and vagu. denunciaiion, it will re-
Quire reason, argument, proof.
1t is in this spirit, Nr. President, that | shall
proceed To the examination of the objection which
has been made to the proposition under consldcra-
ton, the ground thii II demands act To be
done which is forbidden by the Constitution What,
sir, is lhc argument of gentlemen ON this subject,
SO far as argument has been attempted II Is,
that as the Constitution requires that leach House
shall keep journal of ITS proceedings an ent,,
once made upon that oulnal can never there
alter be, IN any manner, touched, altered, OF
removed that, ii We do 50, we fail, from that mo
mcnt, in the language olihe Constitution, To keep
journal of ON proceedings" The connection
between the premises and the conclusion IN
this reasoning is, ] must confess, Mr.. Presi-
dent, to nay mind incomprohcnslble. II this
body shall, by formal resolution, entered on its
journal, direct n previous entry, mprov violently,
wrongulv or enormously made, 10 be corrected
OF removed, docs it follow from thence that do
very proceeding, in being entered on the journal,
and embed, ing the whole history ri the lransac-
ton, is itself itiGlmcnt of the constitutional in
junction in its true and well understood sensc-
that OF writing down, from day, TO day our daily
transaction, rs Hey transpIrc.
But is not NY mt nlion. Mr.. President, To dis
cuss this question the nIcclcs verbal criticism.
choose rather 10 take IT up on broad views OF
the common sense and practical meaning and opc-
ration Of the Constitution. While the Consiini-
ton requires thai each House shall kccpH journal
Of lis proceedings, it does not direct h0D that Jour
nal is To be kept. The manner of keeping it,
hat is TO be I,rt upon II, what not the nature,
form. the iulncss of the entries, are all matters
Il for the regulation and control of the bod
whose duty it Is 10 keep the journal. In these re,
spects thrrc Is oeat diversity of usage among lc-
cisla,ivc bodies. BY the entire bill presented
for It's rrion is spread Oh the journal, as was done
during Jhr two Gt,t Congresses under the present
Constitution ~ this body. BY others, the title
of tie bin only is enc red on the Journal "a. is now
the practice both of this House & the other branch
of Congress. By some, the reports OF committees
are entered IN full on the journal, as was done by
the old Congress under the articles OF concdera-
ton, and is still practised, | believe, by the Lee
giSatnrc Of Virginia BY othe :, the resolutions
only, reported by committees admitted TO a
place on the journal. According to the rules and
practice Of some legislative bodies, as for examplco Of
this, proceedings in committee of the whole, are
entered on the journal while in Others as in the
House OF Representatives, no notice Whatever ap-
pears on the journal of what has been done in
committee of the whole | might mention, also,