Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-06-08
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,


After the journal Of yesterday had been read, the
FIRST business in order the following resolution Of
fered by Mr.. Wise on Monday evening:
RESOLVED, That the standing rules and orders OF the
last House of Representatives be adopted the rnles
and orders of this House for the next ensuing ten days.
and that committee of nine members be appointed 10
revise said rules and ORDERS and to report thereon with
in the SAID ten days.
Which motion Mr.. Underwood had moved 10 amend
as follows:
Strike out all after the word "RcS0red," and insert,
"That a committee of nine be appointed to revise,
amend, and report rules for the government of thus
House and that, until such committee make report,
and the same be finally acted upon, the rules and
ders of the last House Of Representatives, shall be con-
sidcrcd as the rules and orders OF THIS House
Which motion Mr.. Adams moved to amend by in
sertinr after House of Representatives" the words
uexce ptng the 2lst rule which is hereby rescinded
The 2lst rule is al follows:
"No petition, memorial, resolution, or other paper,
praynr the abolition Of slavery in the District OF Co
umbia or any State Territory, the slave trade
between the States and Territories of the United
States in which it exists, shall be received BY this
House or entertained in any way whatever
And the question being this amendment,
Mr. WISE suggested the propriety Of postponIng the
further consideration of the resolution for the present,
in order that the House mig respond to the courtesy
Of the Senate, ctc, and especially as the gentle
man from Massachusetts, the mover OF the amendment,
was not then in his seat.
After some debate of conversational character, in
which Messrs WISE, PICKENS, and MCKAY par
ticpated,
Mr. ADAMS appeared and addressed the House at
considerable length, in support of his amendment
As regarded the proposition of the gentleman from
Virginia MIR. Wise TO adopt the rules of the last House
until further ORDER he said he confessed he felt very in
different. He had known this House long enough to
be assured that it Of very little consequence what
the rules were. The rule was, and would be, the will
of the majority; that probably the best Of all
Heretofore, down to the last Congress, twohrds were
required to make alteration in the rules but now
he believed, majority alone ficient to change
all the rules He was therefore, indifferent as 10 wha'
the House might do with its rules, with the single
cepton of the 2lst rule because, whatever rules sn
be adopted they would always be suspended whenever
there was majority favor of suspendng them. ANA
if the journals of The last House were consulted, ne
doubted whether it would be found that any one niea-
sure of the House had been adopted unaer Inc regular
application Of the rules.
Mr.. A. here gave the results of his experience IN re
,t;on to the improvement OF the rules oy referring
,bem to committees He believed that simple rule
nrovidnq that all the proceedings ofths House should
no according to the of the majority, would proba
bIv be better than the volume had compiled, and
which il seemed was 10 +. further added to-ano
which, it seemed to him, did thing but consume sc
much of the time of the Hous every day as was ne
cessary to their suspe nslon.
The 2lst rule was passed o. the 25h of January
1910, and majority of the House were well acquainted