Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-12-13

NOW ttlioW-Ctiktuof ath tttce~< ~ -,
necessity Of appealing,io you. The Clerk
has said that be will not proceed IN the cali
according TO established usage and custom
| He has referred the question to a majority o.
1.-THE House, and then he refuses to put TO this
body that or any other question, with the
exception that. upon further consideration,
and having in the interim consulted the
Constitution OF the United States, he discov-
cred yesterday that be might put the question
of adjournment. He therefore, put il but
he gave notice that be should put no other
question. Fellow citizens, in what predica-
ment are we thus placed We are fixed as
firmly and immovably as these columns
around the House. We can neither 60 for.
ward nor backward and the Clerk tells US
that he will persist ia both the decisions he
has made. What then is our posiiion2 |
have waited here four days flor we are now
drawing TO the conclusion OF the fourth day.
with fixed determination not to enter into
this controversy 1t was my intention not to
have said one word on this question. At the
last session OF the last Congress. foreseeing
that the very case which has now occurred
would arise, offered resolution with the
design ofpreventing such an occurrence
II was no. the pleasure Of the House to con.
slider it and therefore, as well as for other
reasons (among which is the difficulty of
making myself heard, under which have
labored since the commencement Of this scs-
sion) determined 10 say nothing; and |
should have persisted 10 that determination
if | had not seen that under these two decis-
ions Of the Clerk it would be impossible
nay, that the House might meet and Say
here until doomsday, and not be able 10 or
ganize. This is our position. Now, il
seems TO me very extraordinary state Of
things Here is a body Of men nssembledto
represent the People. and more full and
complete representation of The People Of The
United States never did assemble, and prob
ably. never will again. within these walls
Here we are, and, as final Involvement TO
me to address this House. here we are also
under the injunction OF solemn duties.
The Clerk told us that he acted under the
conviction OF duty concede the point
He has acted and he has pronounced his two
decisions under the conviction Of solemn du
ty. | do not question even whether that
sense OF duty was correctly applied in his
two decisions, but say that zoe are placed
in position, and that ,re have solemn du-
ties too.
What is the .lirst2 To organize--to or
ganze in some form or other. IL there is
difficulty in relation TO any portion Of us, we
must do what Mr. Jefferson says was done
when Lord Dunmore dissolved the Legisla-
ture OF Virginia on a sudden. What did
they do2 They adjourned to a tavern
they constituted themselves convention,
and they acted as the Legislature of the
State or Colony. They actually. instead Of
being assembled in the place from which the
act Of the Governor had excluded them. ad-
journed TO another place, formed themselves
into convention, and there acted in the
name Of the Stale. This was Irregular
Well. Think that on the 4th day Of the sess.
ion OF the Goth Congress that is 10 be, il we
can ever ge. organized, it is rather late 10
make objections on the score of irregularity.
Iaddress myselfto you. therefore. call
upon you, in the name of the people, TO or
game; for you have not only duties to per-
form. but you are under high responsible
ty TO the People to perform tina; duty. Or
ganize. When you have done that, you
can undoubtedly take question as hereto
FORE
now call upon the whole House 10 dis
charge that duty, and. in the discharge Of
my duty most reluctantly performed, | call
upon the majority--that majority which has
the power-to organize the House Fellow
citizens we have been recently told. in the
official organ Of the present Administration,
that there were majority in this House.
without the members OF New Jersey, or
counting them as adverse, devoted to the Ad.
minis.ralion. And not only has the official
organ stated this fact, but It has given the
precise number Of that majority as one hun
dred and twenty-one members, and every
one Of them here One hundred and TWEEN
ty one? Now, call upon them, in the
name Of their country will not say in the
name OF the Administration, for | have no
right TO speak in their name--but call up.
on that majority, in the name Of that interest
and policy which they think is the interest
and policy of their country. 10 organize; and
offer this assembly the following resolu-
tion--a resolution which lies upon the table
Of your Clerk. but which. like many others,
is there in the limbo OF vanity and The para
disc Of fools-because the Clerk has repeat.
eddy said that he will not put the question.
A member, friend Of mine from Ken
lucky, (Mr Usherwood, this morning offer
ed another resolution, and there IRE num-
Der on the table which may 60 TO the end OF
time and lie on the table--for the Clerk
says he will not put the question on any one
ofthem, We cannot control the Clerk--he
is here despot So he has acted, and so
he will act. unless you by the native power
h xi. r.. l. n. l..