Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-12-14

, there WAS rot q subsisting order 70, the election OF
CHAPLAIN in the motion of his colleague. AS lhat re
lated 10 the organization Of the House, he supposed
would have preference over other business anu "
thoupht they had better proceed to 1t at once.
Mr.. BRIGGS suggested that, as petitions had pee
called, it would be necessary 10 move TO postpone thei
for the present. a.
MIR. GUSHING accordingly moved TO postpone tn
call for petitions in order TO go INTO the election oi
Chaplain.
The SPEAKER thought it would be in order to pre-
coed to the election, as it related to the organization
the House. a.
election of a Chaplain till Monday next; which m.
ton was decided in the afirmative-yeas los, nays j.
as follows:
Yeas.-Messrs. Allen, L.. w. Andrews, s., J. An
drews, Arnold, Aycrigg, Babcock, Baker, barnard
Blair, Boardman, Borden, Bolts, Bronson, NJ. brown
Calhoun, W. B. Campbell, T. J. Campbell, Caruther
G. Davis, Dawson, Dean, Deberry, Everett, Fern
Fessenden, Fillmore, A. L. Foster, Giddings, Gogg'I
p. G. Goode, Graham, Granger, Green, Hall, Henri
Howard, Hudson, J. R. Ingersoll, J. Irwin, Jamesaw.
c. johnson, J. P. Kennedy, A. Kennedy, Lane: Mat.
renee, Lewis, Linn, T. F. Marshall, Matthe' Morris
tocks, Maxwell, Maynard, Meriwether, MSs:ton, Pope
Morrow, Osborne, Owsley, Pearce, Pee.yway, Russell
Powell, Randall, Randolph, Rayner, REnton. /. Smith,
Saltonstall, Sanford, Shepperd, 81 T. Stuart. sum.
Snyder, Stanly, stokely, StrattSr. W. Thompson, Til
mers, Sumter, J. B. Th~ompsoTrumbull, Underwood
l%nghast, Toland, TriplsettiIer, T. w. Williams, L
Williams, 9. Il. Will. Young-los.
Yorke, a. Young Adams, Anterior, Barton, Beeson,
hays.-MessrBo yd, Brewster, Briggs, Brockway,
Bidlack, bowc. Brown, Burke, S. h. Butler, w. o.
Az. BroW. Caldwell, J. Campbell, Casey, Clinton,
6u,Ier, owen, Cross, Gushing, Daniel r. D. Davis
D0fioyd, G.. A. Floyd, Torrance, I. F. Foster, Gates,
Jerry, Gilmer, Gordon, Halsted, Harris, J. Hastings,
Hays, Hopkins, Houck, Houston, HUBBARD, c.. !nger-
soil, w. w. Irwin, Jack, Z. Johnson, J. w. Jones,
Keim, Littleficld, Lowell, A; Mcclellan, r. Mcclellan
Mckay, Mallory, Marchand, A. Marshall, }. T.. Ma
son, Medil, Miller, Newhard, Parmenter, Partridge,
Payne, Plumer, Profit, Ramsey, Reding, Reynolds,
Rhett, Riggs, Rodney, Roosevelt, Saunders, Shaw, w
Smith, Steenrod, A. ii. II. Stuart, Sweeney, Taliaferro,
J. Thompson, Tomlinson, Turney, Van Buren,, Ward,
-95.
Mr.. FILLMORE observed that, according 10 the de.
cision of the Speaker, any motion would be in order
that related TO the organization OF the House. lie
would therefore make a proposition for the raising OF
such select committees as might be necessary. MIR. +.
then submitted the following resolution:
Resolced, That for the better organization Of the
House, in addition to the standing committees provided
for by the rules, the Speaker appoint the following Sc
lect committees, for the session, to consist Of nine
members each, to wit:
A select committee on the plan OF finance recon-
mended in the Presidents message.
A select committee on the apportionmsnt Of Repre-
sentatiyes to Congress.
A select committee on the Smithsonian legacy.
Mr.. ATHERTON objected to the reception Of the
resolutions MS out Of order.
Mr.. JOHNSON Of Tennessee inquired of the Chair
if they were in order.
The SPEAKER thought that they were, inasmuch
as they related to the organization of lie House.
MI. JOHNSON of Tennessee appealed from the de-
cision of the Chair, on the ground thatunder the rules
Of the House petitions were the first bIlness IN order
and asked the Clerk to read the rule.
aThe SPEAKER replied that he hadno donbt about
the force of the rule the gentleman retired TO, but it
was superseded by the motion relating Il the organiza-
ton of the House.
MIR. JOHNSON of Tennessee said it struck him as a
strange proceeding to refer the message Or parts of it,
before the announcement OF the standing committees,
for he looked upon the resolution as tanamount to a
reference of portions Of the message. 1t was unheard
of, and contrary 10 all parliamentary uiage, for the
Speaker to have it in his power to appoin the commit
tees with reference to the business they were to con-
slider, instead ofthe House having it in is powerto Sc
lect what committees The business shouldbe referred TO.
Mr. PROFIT would also express hissurprise at the
fixed determination Of the gentleman foln New York
to have the committees appointed, after the reference
of the message, what would be the consequence II the
gentleman succeeded in his object, Why it would be
the Speaker: and not the House, that would have the
reference of its business and thus have reports made
to suit particular views.
The SPEAKER called MIR. P. TO order, and remind.
ed him that the question was not then on the reference
Of the message, but on the appointment OF special
committees.
MI. PROFIT continued. He considered the pro-
position as tending to take from the House the power
that belonged to it. 1t was an evasion ofifat response
biity which ought to rest on the House alone. lie sa%
the Speaker touching the mallet, and hoped he would
not take il up prematurely. Under the present rules
the Speaker, with that impartiality which he had al
wayo shown, tlaughter,] would appoint the standing
committees without reference, to the business ihel
were 10 consider, and the House would then judge
which of them to refer each item Of its business to as
came up in order. Suppose, said MIR. F., we should SCI
The Committee of Manufactures constituted without ont
Northern man on it, would we then refer the subject o
the Tariff TO il: So also with regard to the subject 0
finance, and to other important interests OF the coun
try, the House must see that the appropriate commit
tees are Justly and equally constituted before II cal
safely refer those subjects to them. Mr.. 7. concludes
by expressing the opinion that the proposition contain
ed in the resolutions was ten times more odious ina
was the, gag law Of the last Sc ssion.
Mr.. FILLMORE should not have risen 10 add on
word if he supposed that other gentlemen labored un
der the same misunderstanding Of the resolutions a
the gentleman from Indiana did. The House woul
observe that his proposition was not TO refer the mes
sage, but 10 constitute those special committees, whic
were obviously necessary for the business OF the House
1t was to complete the organization of the House, an
there could be no more objections to saying now wha
special committees there shall be, than to say VIVA
standing committees lneTe Slail Ut. Inc pIoPoeIHo
he had submitted, carried out precisely the views Of tn
gentleman from Indiana, because by 1.-THE special CON
mittees, like the standing committees, would be desle
mated by the House previous to their being filled up D
the Speaker. The resolution was offered for the pu'
pose of ascertaining what special committees the Hous
would raise, not for the purpose Of enabling IN
Speaker to control the references ofthe business OF tn
House.
MIR. CLIFFORD objected to the decision of tn
Chair, on three grounds, and he would state them a
concisely as possible, in order 10 avoid being mlsundel
stood. His first objection was, that the appointment
select committees did not pertain to the organization
the House under the rules as decided by the Speake
The Speaker decided the other day that petitions wei
the first business in order, and could not be set aside
unless by privileged one, which o .day he decided tn
pending resolutions TO be. Now he, Mr.. c., would pI
it TO the House whether this motion was a privilege
one.
Let it be remembered, Mr.. c. said, that the decisio
of to-day is to last as a precedent for the whole session
and not for the particular case under discussion. Sue
a decision, he ventured to assert, was never heard
before, either in the British Parliament, in this Coz
gross, or in the Legislatures of any of the States. II
deed, he had never heard Of such a one. If there eve