The Whig standard., 1843-12-14
W A S II | N G. I @ N .
THURSDAY MORNING, DEC. IA, ls4s
THE NEW EXPUNGING PROCESS.

The House Of Representatives has been en-
gagged most of the time since il convened in get
ting rid Of and expunging from, the journal the
protest of the minority in relation to the mem
bers elected by general ticket. The Clerk, in
making up the journal Of Monday, the first day
Of the session, had omitted to make any entry Of
the offer Of Mr.. Barnard, Of New York, to read
the protest. and of the motion for leave to read
it, and of this motion being overruled by the
House. Mr.. B. on Tuesday morning, when the
journal was read, proposed a resolution 10 amend
the journal by stating the above facts, and con-
as the paper he had offered to read to the House,
thus making the protest part of the resolution.
There was obviously an omission on the journal.
Still the dominant party were not willing to see
the protest, which, though an able and respect
full paper, was, from its ability and fairness, an
offensive paper to them, spread upon the journal
even in the resolution Of Mr. Barnard. A mo-
tion was therefore made by Mr.. Gilmer, Of
Virginia, (who seems to be striving to curry IA
vor with his newly-acquired Locofoco allies
TO amend the resolution by striking out the pro-
test. Before this question was decided, the
House adjourned, and the next morning the
Clerk, in making up the journal of the House,
read the whole resolution of Mr.. Barnard, which
thus spread the protest on the journal. This
the Clerk was compelled to do, as the question
on the resolution was yet undecided, and as he
had no power to give part Of resolution on
his journal, and leave out another This has
always been the practice in making up The jour
nal in similar cases. The Speaker, (whose duty
il is BY the rules to eranine and amend the Jour
nal before it is read 10 the House,) on being in
terrogated by Mr.. Dromgoole, stated that the
journal was made up in that way by spreading
the protest on it, as part Of the resolution with
his appreciation, and that he had examined va
rious cases. and had ascertained that such was
the uniform practice in making up the journal of
the House. This decision Of Mr.. Speaker Jones
was too fair altogether for the Hotspurs in the
House. On Monday last they no, only struck
off the protest from Mr.. Barnard's resolution, but
after adopting the remainder of il as an amend
ment Of the journal, they proceeded to order the
Clerk TO amend the journal Of Tuesday, BY stri-
king out the protest, where it had been inserted
under the direction of the Speaker. In other
words, TO use the language of some Of the majo-
rity, he was to erpurgate and erpunge the pro-
test from the journal.
In obedience TO ORDERS the Clerk (wbo, it
seems, according to the phraseology of some Of
the majority, is nothing but the goosequM Of the
House), on Tuesday last, had expunged the
Protest from the journal wherever it had been
inserted Now it will be remembered that this
Protest formed part Of resolution which had
been received, debated, and acted on, and upon
which the ayes and noes had repea tedly been
called. 1t had been entered on the journal ac-
cording to the acknowledged usages of the
House, and under the appreciation and direction
OF the Democratic Speaker. In addition 10 this,
il is obvious that the Protest should be thus IN
serted, to show what was the question the
House was debating, and upon what they were
called to vote, and thus the Protest necessarily
formed part Of the journal. Nor is this all
The Constitution requires that each Hons,
shall keep a journal Of its proceed,ngs" Mr.
Jefferson, whose knowledge of parliamenar,
rules certainly ought to be equal to that of some
of the unfedged Democracy of the House, il
the article in the Manual, under the head O
/" the Journal" give an Interpretation to thai
provision of the Constitution in these words:
In both Houses of Congress, all questions
whereon The yeas and nays are desired by one
Nth OF the members present. uhefher decided
eDrmdfirely,. or negatively, MUST be entered in
the journals"
Now II any one thing can be palmer than
another, il is, that this Protest, constituting part
Of resolution received, debated, and acted on
IN The House. was properly entered upon the
journal according to the sworn duty of the
Clerk, the usages of the House, the direction Of