, 1841-09-18

and oppressive privileges. how long Will
the Tory party continue in power in Eng
land? Just as long as the Wing party in this.
The seeds Of dissolution are sown in their
very assumption of power. They would
not have even a reign Of ninety days.
They will be scattered to the four winds of
Heaven, as the Wings are now being scat
tered in this country.
Extracts from a letter to the Editor of the
h~eltigencer, by the Hon. F. Mallory, a
Wig member from Va, in relation to
the proceedings Of a meeting Of a portion
of his Constituents:
did say, however, that the course of the
majority in Congress during the present ses-
sion, was worse sihan that of the worst and
most tyranical party which had ever exist
ed in any country protesting to be Free" In
making the assertion, which I'now deliberate
ly repeat, l had no reference to the some
hour rule" which this committee appreciate
so highly. 1t would seem, indeed, that moth
ing but gratitude for what the majority here
has done, restrained them from intimating
that all debate was a nuisance, and that the
majority had erred in not suppressing it al
together. ! have no garrulous propensity
which this 'one hour rule'' checks. Nor
did l ever make long 'vapid abortions" for
'.Bncombe." My associates on the
floor bear me witness that | but seldom ad.
dressed the House, and then only on subjects
to which the people Of my district are imme.
inte crested. have been in Congress
five sessions. and the whole time &C.
by me, in debate, does not exceed six
When | made this assertion, l referred
to that series of new rules, which enable a
majority, aided by the arrangements of a
Speaker, not only to suppress all
but all calls upon the Departments
for Information; rules so framed as to defeat
the very object o. parliamentary law, which
is said to have been instituted to protectthe
rights Of a minority. The institution of the
Of the Whole is as old as Parlia-
ments themselves, and the privilege Of re-
n subject in the committee as long as
a minority choose to debate it, has been val
ued in this country as being, next to tina, Of
the yeas and nays, the most impor-
iant which a minority could possess. The in
variable usage in the House Of Representa-
has ruled all tax bills to pass through
ordeal, on account OF the greater latitude
Of debate allowed in the Committee Of the
Whole. No party in this country has ever
attempted to wrest this privilege from the
until the present session. The
laws Of the elder Adams and of the sedi,ion
afford no precedent for such an act
And yet the dominant party at this session
nave introduced a rule which enables them
10 take a bill from the Committee Of the
Whole whenever the majority shall please.
With the aid OF a Speaker who will give
Them the floor to call the previous question,
they can not only stifle all debate, but pre-.
the minority from offering amendments
the house, where alone the majority can
be forced to call the yeas and nays. This
has been fruitful IN such examples
four days and a half were allowed for
discussing the Bank bill, and half of this time
was consumed by the friends Of the measure,
who are constantly crying out for prompt
and deprecating debate. The ma
.ority voted down all amendments in com
Of the Whole, where the yeas and
nays cannot be called, scarcely waiting, in
many cases, to hear them read, and often
understanding their import. Imme-
Oh Tie mtiouuCtiOH VI Tie Oil I'D TIE
the previous question (once so odious
the Wings, but now their constant r~esort)
vas demanded, and precluded not only all
but all amendments. The new bill
vas taken up under the "gag," and five hours
we're proposed as sufficient to discuss a fs-
al plan spread over SO pages, and which
vas only seen by US that morning. But this
vas a little too barefaced, and it was after
wards altered so as to give $50 members of
Congress nine hours to consider a bill con.
the most important which any Con.
,ress can be called on TO decide. The ma.
ority are thus not only supreme, but wholly
responsible, and those functions of an op-
position which all, except perhaps this scom-
will admit TO be useful, are entirely
destroyed. And how is it in relation to
he facilities afforded an opposition by these
lew rules to investigate the condition Of the
and the conduct OF the Execu-
i've in executing the laws and disbur.ing our
1t used to be reckoned as oTtho-
lox, in Wing doctrine at least, to throw open
he door 10 such investigations. By the
as they heretofore stood, and as thew
low stand, one hour is given to resolutions
nd reports from committees. In point of
.----