Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-01-30

SENT but iii consequence. 0! t.'' nn,o.n,n fron,
nrs lie rccolrcted the instance Oh scnts''A'i io'.
| Eoo., (,Jr Gilmcr) nan as conscientious ana rs
;nlfsn rs unr member Of that or The present House,
who UPON trns called refused 10 answer anu s'Te as
t;alinn lint he longer rcprrst ntlt!vc ui the
49, and immediately amer the vote was taken, went
l,y IF i,e flonse al that duor and never returned IL
,s NOT therefore, the want Of sufficient number "i
members present, but from the conscientious conviction
of large humber Of the members reduced Tn" re-
maldrr to hess than quorum, that they had no right 10
vote any thing in The House. A:ier that took place.
the Committee OF Conferences returned To the House, but
report made, amd what was the rras;n: Because
there House. The roll was called, and no quo
| yum was to be fund
He said tha; he did not consider the constitutions"
tenn Of two years assigned to the IEelbers o. li!e
House Of Representatives, anl the term OF tour years
durinu which the President, of the United States holds
his Office c1nl:eucrs expires AT mlhn:ghl ne ser
vices Of aud oi four c"niehctG running HON
the time when the members nj the hrSl Congress assem-
BLEED to commence the operations 81 this Government
under . Constitution of the United States, winch was
M he fourth 81! March, 1!cI, at n"oil The Two years
from ;ln time expired! not on the third Of March, l.l
at ndniri but lie fourth d March: at noon HE
cyDra;:u IF year nt from noon tn midnight, but
from noon To- noun. 1t 81, asrCnoical!y, by Tie law
Of nature. The tirc al winch dag shall commence
and Terminate Is I.airr altogether arbitrary and
ve.tonal. s'o:i, nations have IN their civil conpuia-
ton couilpnced the day at SUNRISE, and some at sunset
some a midnight and some al Astronomers and IA
ygaurs always reckon Tie day from 10 noun, and
why susd M, tn. constitution! computation o time fol-
|
pc once established could be attended with sort Of in
convenience whereas the computation from 10 mid
night must be sub rct once every years to solution OF
continuity for Twelve Ii urs by the non-eXSrnce OF
House Of representatives., and once in every four years
to nterrrg vacancy IN tie office Of PRESIDENT
of the Uhi.ed STATES: emergencies g easily be fore
SEEM perhaps even precpn!rved ia which either OF those
events woulj br attended with very great public lncon
vcncncG MunarcIical governments are always guarded
with the ut&t possible against every solution Of
continuity Their kings never die 1t would be 4 "a
deal defect in every Republican Government not to
! he invested with the official immortality-thc
Office always filled, however frequently the individual
incumbent may be changed II was therefore, my OPT
MON that the House nlig M have sal transacng business
till noon Of The fourth Of March, and accordingly my
wall be found and recorded every taking CT the
yeas and nays until lac ad Jnu'nucnt, after was
nounccd that the Senate had adjourned.
Mr.. a. said that WIS his opinion then and he had
then expressed it 10 the House, but it not the opn
ion Of large number OF members Of the House. The
members in the House ready 10 vote, but in their
opinion the time had passed. Now. whatever doing
IL that time in the House mi ht have been known to
every member Of the Senate If they had fit 10 make
the enquiry. 1t was perfectly known that after that
time Quorum Of the House could be found No vote
was taken The House de- tuctO dead But in that
state OF things, after the House liclcSS CORPSE
the following message was sent from the Senate, which
Mr.. A. requested the clerk to read:
" ErSOlecd, That message be sent to the honorable
the House of Representatives, respectfully to remind
the House OF the report of the Committee of Confer.
ence appointed on the dsagrreing votes Of the two
Houses the amendment Of the Senate 10 the bill
svccng the Notifications of the United States"
Mr.. \. appealed to the Speaker Of the oldest
members OF the House, and in his otcia capacity, tie
guardian and r:ndcalur Of the honor Of the House. whe
rr in his experience i'll the leg slL.ion Of this country
IL had aGr recollection of such message having passt
between Tie il":se Of Representatives and Senate: \
message reminding the House OF their Guly; reminding
the House OF wat they had to d." reminding the House
OF the particular business which it was their duty take
l.,I
whether he had any recollection Of any such message av
ing passed between the House Of Representatives, and Tie
Senar-hc asked the youngest member, and paused for
reply lie heard none, and under these circumstances
he TOOK upon himself to say, that such message
to Dt found the journals OF Congress the tounda-
ton Of the Government Here branch Of the
Legislature turning the task masters OF the other. We
read in holy OF Judge Of Israel who undertook
teuch the Of Succolund by scolrging them
18th the brars OF the wilderness. S:ncc the days of
Abimeech there has been such teaching this by
the Senate TO the louss Of Reprcsentatres ohe United
| States
He dwell this subject, because, if there be
any such Thing harmony between the two Houses i'll
the discharge OF their duty to the People Of the Country
he hoped tat that message would stand solitary
monument aud warning never TO be repeated He hoped
that such hessaec would never go from the House to
the Senate. He hoped the House would always be
courteous enough to suppose that the Senate OF the u.
States knew what was their duty, and would discharge
accordingly
Mr. A. said that No such example existed on the Jour
mails of the House OF Representatives, but he
that there had been instances ni tic lind in the para.
ent Vi Great Britain, aud they referred 10 in SIR
JrcrSonS Manual as follows: " hen bill is sent by
House u the other, HLGLEcrED, they may
send message TO remind them o It. But ii il be
lnacnllCn, 1t Is better 10 'av" 1t tonc informally. by
communications between Tic speakers members o the
! two Houses.
From This it would lie That the only given in
the Manual where the House had nclccted to
on bill he lad CONSULTED al! The ia IIalzcll and
Gray, and Utl.r:& rrici! To by MIR. Jefferson in the
Manual; AMI liz found ii the id. instance adiuccd Of
that kind, even IN the British Parliament, was in lT2:
one hundred and h!trcn wears ago; and ia al the
sevcraiIy referred TO- snCn rSS"grs newer were sent
unless l!rc violent misunderstanding between lie
two lni&rS, and when the n,g;rc: oFtlc bi
~ injurious. :uci WAS the nature Vi the message which
he hoppe would it repeated in the intercourse be-
tie two Houses al Congress but TO complete the
true character of that mrSsa.r he mast inquire at what
time IL sent: il WAS sentative" c"ck lii the morning
TWAS seat q time "h"n 1t VAS known. both in The
House and the Senate that quorum was |" tc found
When that message was delivered, he must confess il
feeling OF shame and OF Indignation lad Filled his
bosom. il al that He r!t il insult to
tie in:edair representatives o! The people; and If II had
been sent at moment wiicn TIC House yc; existed with
The ,.rr unpruvokcd insult, he verify brlirv
ed that Initiating the rXamp Of our Congress III some
hat siiaI case, during The revolutionary he should
have moved that message he seut by two members OF
the House 1" cast The Senate message their floor and
tell them that 1t was not the custom Of the House TO
receive MSrt"t messages 1t WIS, perhaps, well tat
lac had no opportunity I" give vent 10 those feelings
What were tie feelings al the other members it not
Tor him 10 SAY; and he did know that hr had
communicated his % any mrIibrr Of the House; for
TX saw tia. the Insult was committed Il dead body
aHc'er Achilles, dragging around The walls Of Troy,
his pr'.strac aid l;trrSs foe! 1t said. sir, that
there had been drilling and uucxamped cloqucnce Of
indignation at this conspiracy Of worship servy,
aud corruption, displayed 10y the House Of Rrptrst mt.
atives in that appropriation Of the three millions for
Tie contingent NECESSARY defence of The country from
foreign aygrcstfon but trust that / have already
shown IL the Satisfaction Of this House. that all that
eloquence 'gratuitous. and all that Indignation
wasriulIy squandered away. small portion OF