Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-12-13

u'eC""'Hc w my IVY Uosl 'tiUC'dn'Iy
performed, | call upon the ma ori'y. that
majority which has the power, to organize
the House.
FeIlow-ctzcns. we have been recently
told, in the oificnl organ of the presen,
administration, that there is n ma lori'v Of
the House, without the members Of New
Jersey, or counting them "a adverse.
to the administration. And not only has
the official organ stated this fact, but it
has given the precise number OF that ma.
iorlty ms one hnndredj and twenty one -
Now, ! call upon those l2l members to
organize the House. | call upon them in
the name Of their county, viii not saw
in the name Of the Administration. for
have no right to speak in their name-- but
| call upon that majorily.ln the name
of that in,eres. ard policy which they think
is the interest and policy Of their country
to organize; and offer to the assembly
the following resoIution--a resolution
which lies on the table of your Clerk, but
which. like many others, Is there in the
limbo Of vanity and paradise of foos-be.
cause the clerk has repeatedly said that he
will not put the question. A member, q
friend Of mine from Kentucky. (Mr Under
wood this morning offered another resolu.
tlon and there are a number on the table
which may 90 to the end of time and lie on
the table, for the clerk says he will not put
the question to any one of them. We
cannot control the clerk ; he is here des-
pot. So he hns acted, and co he will act
unless you by that native power which
you possess from the people of the Un,'e ed
States set aside al, his decisions and act
tor yourselves,
commenced this address TO You. fellow
citizens, with declaration that | should
be under The painful necessity ofappcaling
from The decision of he clerk TO he house,
and call upon the house and the majority
of the house to set aside entirely his decs
ions, and TO act for themselves. ! have
no doubt of their power to Go it. There
fore in submitting this proposition. | have
no reference TO the clerk, nor TO any opin-
ion of his.
| propose that the house itself chou ID
act. 1t may, il 1t pleases, choose a TEN
porary clerk. It may take what course it
think proper. | put this matter to the
house, and to the majority OF the house
and tell them that It is their duty to or.
game themselves, and that no decision of
the clerk can force upon them the organi.
Zaton OF the house IN any manner he NAV
think proper. 1t is in the power of the
house to set the clerk aside; but it is not
in the power Of the house to obey his die.
ta'es, despoic as he is determined they
shall be. The house is not under the ne.
cessity of submitting TO them, and call
upon you TO set him aside. speak not
personally toward him; speak nf his acts
and OF the situation in which he has placed
the bouse--a situation in which it is I'm.
possible for them to act. sn long as his
decisions stand. he had taken ques.
ton on the resolution which was drawn
up by a gentleman from Kentucky. Mr.
have now brought before the house. !
should not have spoken. But one by one,
these resolutions have been laid on the
table. They might as well be put in the
fire. The clerk tells US he cannot pu,
the question upon them -tha, it is The die.
tate of his dury. hope TO have no more
of the benefit Of his agency, at least until
he has gone through The process of re
election. repeat, offer this resolution
in ITS present form it is not II inc origin
ally, but 1t answers my purpose, and it will
fleet the organization of the house. That
is all ] ask and appealing TO this body
now, as an independent body, a body
possessing powers entirely independent Of
the clerk, | call upon them to act upon the
resolution in such a manner as they may
choose. ANY member may propose an
amendment and those who think that the
call of the New Jersey members ongh, not
to be made, can propose an amendment to
set aside hose members. Let us see what
the will of the majority is. The clerk has
rendered It impossible for US to do SO IN
the usual way.
In the first place call unon you. in The
name Of the people of the United States to
save them from from the evil, and | may
add, the d,>ccrdJt Of our beng here o
whole week, ard perhaps a whole month.
without organ Zi'lon: | call upon you in
the lame of the ueoplc Of the United State
that people, towards whom we have had
so many wonderful manifestations Of regard
and affection. " nat will they s0yo What
!
constituents say to me, for suffering this
house to waste four days in IDLE, useless
debate, when he first of It's duties was to
organize, aud at time when it was in.
possible to organize, without resort to
some extraordinary measure? Fellow cit.
liens, | am willing that the clerk under his
! sense of duty should be held responsl,
bic to the people for four days wasted in
idle debate. do not say idle because
there has been no good sense, or wisdom,
or reasoning IN the Arguments, but because
none of them came to the one great point,
that is, to the actual, practical organization
ofthe house. That was our duly-not to
be debating here, for four days, IDLE qnes
tions. which the dictator in that chair said
he would never put. say he is respons-
bic for that. wish he may answer the
People of he Uni,ed States how he has
,,l To-. r., a. |