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


sent Jul IN consequence of their conscientious
pies lie rccoeced the instance of gentleman from
Georgia, (Mr. Gimer,) man conscientious and as
intelligent as any member of that the present House
who, upon keng called refused to answer and gav as
ms reason that he was no longer of the
people, and. immediately after the vote taken,
out OF the House ut that door aud yer returned IL
was not therefore, the want of sufficient number of
members present. but from the conviction
oil SO large number OF the members reduced the
mainder TO less than quorum that they had no right to
vote on any thing in the House. Amer tina, took place.
The COMMITTEE OF Conference returned to the House but
no report was made aud what was the reason Because
mere was no House. The roll called and no quo.
rum was 10 be found.
lie said that he did moi consider the cons,;t,,;o,,,
"'m vi Two years, assigned To the members of the
House OF Representatives md the term of four years
durinE which the President of the United States holds
ms oiice, commences or expires at midnight The SER
vices OF two and of four years unnno from
me time when tlie memLers of the first Congress assem-.
oeo In commence the operations of this Goyernne nj
under the Constitution of the United States which was
on The fourth OF March, 1889, at noon The two years
from that timc expired, the third of March i7gl
az midnight but on the fourth of March, at noon. The
expiration OF year is not from noon TO midnight but
rom noon To noon IL is so, automatically by the law
Oh nSure The time at which a day shall commence
ana terminate is matter altogether arbitrary and con-
ventional Some nations have in their ci, computa
Ton commenced the day at sunrise and some nj
some at midnight and some noon. Astronomers and ma
vigaors always reckon the day from noon TO noon and
why should not the computation time fol-
low The same law which the law of nature: The prnci-
pie once established could be attended with no sort Of in
convenience, whereas the compute from noon TO mid
gnt must De subject once every a solution OF
continuity for twelve by the non.exis,cnce of
Rouse OF Representatives. and once in every four years
70 an nterregnun or vacancy III the office of President
OIL Inc United States; emergencies might asily be fore
perhaps even precontryed in which either those
events would be attended with very great npblic ncon
venience. Aonarclica governments always guarded
WIN inc utmost possible against every Solution Of
continuity Their kings never die II would be n ra
aicai defect IN every Republican Government not 10
be invested with the same official iomoral,y-tbe
office always filled, however frequently the ;ndv;Jvi
incumbent may be changed 1t was therefore INV on;
mon that The House might have iransacng business
uii noon OF The fourth OF March, and accordingly INV
name WIZ be found aud recorded every taking of tbc
yeas and nays until the adjournment after il WAS an
nounced that the Senate had adjourned
Mr. A. said that was his opinion then and he had
,en expressed 1t to the House, but it was not the opin-
ION oil large number of members of the House The
members were in the House ready TO vote but in their
opinion the time had passed. Now whatever was don,
al That time III the House might have been known ~
every member OF the Senate IL they had 10 make
the enquiry IL was perfectly known that after thai
time no quorum OF the House could be found No voic
was taken The House de facto dead But in thai
state oil things, after the House was a i(tess cornse
me following message sent from the Senate which
MIR. a. requested the clerk To read:
heSo'eed, hat message be sent to the honorable
.e Rouse OF representatives, respectfully TO remind
The House OF the report of tie Committee of Confer
ence appointed the disagreeing votes of the two
Houses ON The amendment OF the Senate the bill re-
sPeetng the Qualifications of the United States
MT a. appealed to the Speaker one of the oldest
members OF TIE House, and in his official capacity as the
guardian aud vindcator of the honor of the House bo
er IN ms experience in the legislation of this counrv
ne had any recollection of such message having passcd
between tie House OF Representatives and Senate?
message reminding the House of their dutv ren;ndna
The House OF what they had to do; remndi1o the Uouye
OF the particular business which il their duty TO take
npand ACT upon lie asked the oldest me mber in the ousr
whether nc mad any recollection of any such message hav
ing passed between the House ofRcpresenlayes and the
Sehaie-he asked The youngest member and paused for
reply lie heard none, and under these circumstances
he took upon himself say, that no such MESSAGE vss
to be found on the journals OF Congress since tho
uoh OF me Government Here branch of the
he faSk H.
read IN holy writ OF judge of Israel who undertook 70
teach The men of Succoh-and it was by scotrginy en
WIN the briars OF the Wilderness Since the DAYS of
Abimelech there has been no such teaching ne iL} h.
te Senate to the House ofRepeseniaves ofhe United
States. Wv i'eN
lie dwet on this subject, because if there was To b
any such thing as harmony between The two Houses in
The discharge Of their duty the People of the
he hoped that that message would stand nc sl;,ny,
monument and warning, be repeated lie bonea
mat such message would 20 from the House IN
.he senate. lie hoped the House would always be
courteous enough to suppose that the Senate of The II
Statesmen what their duty and would discharge il
accordingly.
MIR, A. said that such example existed ON In. ;su
mas OF te House OF Representatives, but he was aware
that there had been instances of the Kind in tbe
ment OF Great Britain, and they referred to in Mr.
Jefferson Manual as follows " When bill il semi he
one House 10 the other AND Is NEGLECTED. thew maj
send message to remind them of it, But if il he merc
haehlion II is better TO have i, done informally by
communications between the speakers or members III he
two Houses" " 'iie
From this it would be that the only cases given in
~" "cic WIeIe the House lad neglected to
on Dill: he had consulted all the cases in Iatzell and
Gray and others referred 10 by Mr. Jefferson in The
manual aud lie found that the instance adduecd NJ
'a' KIND, even IN the British Parliament was i'm 1921
one hundred and hileen years ago; and all the cases
seVeraiy referred 10, such messages never were ent
uess thee was violent misunderstanding between the
Two Houses, and when the neglect othe bill was xtree
injurious such was the nature Of the mcssape which
nc hOPeu never would be repeated in the be
tween he TWO Houses OF Congress But TO complete the
ue character OF that message, lie inquire at Ina,
he II was sent: 1t was scntat two o'clock the morning
~ was sent at a time when ii known both i'm lie
House ana the Senate, that quorum be found
Wheh lhal message delivered, he must confess If
ever ieens oil shame and OF Indignation had filed his
BOSOM II was at that moment He felt it as an insult 10
he immediate representatives, Of the people; aud if had
oeeh sent AT moment when the House vet xsed win
The power to resent unprovoked insult he verify belev
ca bal INITIATING the example of Congress in some
h"dt Sia case, during the revolutionary war he shoud
nave moved that message be by two members Of
le Iiouse TO cast the Senate message their floor and
ueh .neih that IL was not the custom Of the House 10
receive t1Stfeat messages 1t was, perhaps well thai
he had no opportunity give vent TO those Gelin0s
Nhht were The feelings OF tie other members il was moi
LOT MN 10 say; and he did not know that lie had ever
S"ihncaled ms own To any member OF the IIouse for
ne sI" th"l me Insult was committed dead BODY
anotheF Achilles, dragging around the walls Of Troy
his PROSTATE and liecss foe! IL was said cir ~
bere had been thrilling and pied eloouence of
Indignation nj this conspiracy Of man worship serviIfv
ana corruption, displayed by the House of Reprcscnt
auVes, ~ That appropriation of the three millions for
the contingent necessary defence or the eonnt,y f
SHOWN To The satisfaction Of this House that all thai
eIoqhence was grauitous, and all that INDIGNATION
"astluny squahdered away some small portion of
wn'ch might nave been prOlitably expended upon The
ioiegh treaty Dfeukefs, under whose injustice our own
country was smartiDg This Indignation and tl,e fem
per with which Was sted h.. IL. =.