The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-02-16

oeoa,s' ana long before that time the gentleman
Mr.. GlDDiNGS requested Mr.. Williams 10 re-
duee his point Of order 10 writing.
Mr.. WILLIAMS not evincng a willingness to
do SO, as the reporter understood.
The CHAIR said the gentleman from Ohio Mr.
Giddings, would proceed.
Mr.. G. then went on to express his heartfelt con.
yitlon that the SCI Of Government could not remain
in this District and that for that reason he protested
against this appropriation. He spoke of the abhor-
renee Of the Northern people for the slave trade of
The horror with which they contemplated the idea of
The sale OF intelligent beings under the hammer OF the
The CHAR interpoSed, and intimated that IL was
mol 10 order 10 discuss the merits or dement's Of the
slave trade.
Mr. G. said he would then 60 on to his facts, 10 his
reasons why This money should not be appropriated
Mr.. T. then spoke Of the ears OF the people Gas
they walked up Pennsylvania Avenue) being saluted
with The sounds Of the Voice and The hammer of the
auctioneer selling men, women and children and
again alluded TO the circumstance Of band of ndi-
yiduals passing through the streets Of III s. chained
| &c.
Mr.. HOWARD rose, and called the gentleman
10 order explicitly on the ground of irrelevancy In
debate.
The CHAIR requested the gentleman to commit
his point OF order TO wriiing and, some
having followed, decided that The gentleman was
| bound 10 do so.
From that decision Mr.. HOWARD appealed,
contending that the rules required the point of order
10 be reduced to writing only where exception was
1 taken on Fne ground OF PERSONAL IetUdIhS
MIR. BOULDlN hoped gentlemen would suffer
| the business TO go The whole OF The precious
time allowed would be lost, and the interests OF the
whole District sacrificed, SO far as Congress was
/ concerned If the debie went on He did not, and
could moi like the terms in which the gentleman
from Ohio Mr.. GIddingsl had spoken but still he
did not wish the interests Of the people OF the Dis
| trict TO be sacrificed.
Mr. GLASCOCK said that the chairman Of The
Committee for The District of Columbia Mr. Bou-
DIM could not better subserve The interests Of The
people of this District, Than by sustaining the char
acter OF the petitioners who had been so grossly as
sailed by The gentleman from Ohio; and he Mr..
G should feel il TO be his duty, were he the chair
man of that committee TO vindcate their character
| from the foul aspersons which had been cast upon
| them He hoped he should himself have an oppor-
tunity to say few words in their behalf
The point OF order was debated by Messrs. TAY-
| LOR and BELL; Mr.. b. contending that tn.
true construction OF the rule was, that The point OF
order should be reduced 10 writing only In cases OF
personal remark, and not where member was
merely called TO order for rrelevancy in debate A
contrary construction, however had been erroneous
ly given to the rule, as well on previous occasions
as the presen--erroneously, as he believed. And
| this might be proper occasion TO correct 1t.
Mr.. ADAMS inquired whether the gentleman
from Tennessee Mr. Bell intended TO introduce
into this House when in Committee of the Whole,
the principle Of arbitrary power in the chairman
to set down member, when speaking, on The ground
of irrelevancy1 Mr. A. knew he had himself been
repeatedly put down. because the Speaker consider
ed the matter irrelevant, but he knew also that the
Speaker had refused to put down the grounds upon
which he made the decision And he took it for
granted If this present matter was taken out of COM
| mtee into the House, that the Speaker would so
decide; and from the complacency which the ma
| jority had always shown towards the decisions of
the Speaker, Mr. A knew what the result would be.
But had the gentleman from Tennessee ever
| known such principle introduced into Committee
| of the Whole2 He asked that gentleman whether
he had not entertained the Committee of the Whole
during this very session for hours together on mat
tiers utterly irrelevant2
Mr. BELL rising to reply
| MIR. ADAMS said have not yet done sir. As
chairman of the Committee Of the Whole in the
seal which you now occupy, Mr.. Chairman, have
| heard the gentleman from Tennessee entertain and
instruct the committee hour after hour on matters
which had infinitely less irrelevancy to the question
than the position taken BY the gentleman from Ohio.
isay his position is relevant. 1t is perfectly logi-
| cal ~u '@.a r
Mr.. MALLORY called Mr. Adams to order
| Mr.. ADAMS proceeded in his remarks, with
view, he said, to show that Mi. Giddingss argument
was relevant gag @..#~&
Mr. THOMAS called Mr.. Adams to order
| Mr.. BRIGGS called Mr.. Thopas TO order.
Mr.. HAMER called Mr.. Briggs to order.
Mr.. ADAMS said he was only speaking to the
appeal
| The CHAIR having here inlerposed, and e1-
pressed his opinion that Mr. Giddings had wandered
from The subjec and that, in adverting TO the sub
ject of slavery the slave trade, he was out Of
order " a...
Mr.. HOW ~" MD, that being the case, he
| would withdruw NJ aPPeal
| Mr.. Q. Fl. WILLIAMS inquired whether, as the
gentleman from OHIO had been pronounced out of
order, he could now proceed without leave Of the
committee.
The CHAIR said, no.
Mr.. G. II. w. said he should insist on leave being
| granted before the gentleman proceeded.
Mr.. BELL hoped he would be permitted to say a
| few words in reply TO Mr.. Adams.
| Mr.. ADAMS hoped he would be permitted 10
| finish what he had to say, and from which he had
been but off by the gentleman from Maryland, Mr.
I Thomas. ..5-
The CHAIR said there was no question before
| the House. ...-.
Mr.. sLADE appealed from the decision of the
Chair, that the remarks OF Mr. Giddings were out of
| order.
Mr. FILLMORE inquired on what ground the
Chair had decided The remarks to be out of order?
The CHAIR said, on the ground that he was
| speaking of irrelevant matters.
| Mr.. FILLMORE applealed from that decision.
| Mr.. SLADE said that the appeal had been already
| taken BY himself ..n-
| Mr. NEHEMIAH said that the gentleman from
Ohio wished to make brief explanation, and asked
| that he have leave TO do So.
| Mr. BYNUM said the gentleman from Ohio
ought not to be permitted to do indirectly what he
| could not do directly.
| And leave was denied.
And the question Shall the decision of the Chair
Stahd py the judgment OF me cotnulllee was theh
taken, and decided in the affirmative by ellerS ayes
| l03, nays2l.
| S the decision OF the Chair was affirmed
| Mr.. ADAMS said that, as this decision introduced
a principle, he should wish TO know 10 what
manner il would be brought before the House.
The CHAIR said, not at all.
Aud the question then recurring on the motion 10
strike out The enacng clause Of the bill
! Leave was denied TO MIR. Giddings TO proceed in
| his remarks. 80
After few words from Mr.. JENIF'ER, which
were not distinctly heard, but which were under,
| S,pn ha Al tha fayp