The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-07-07

some future CAV. Lle Had hu uiSpOehS'i
was sure his colleague had no disposition to leopard
the passage of the tariff or any Of the great meas
ures before Congress; and he therefore preferred 10
retain the decision OF the question within thei o"n
hands. AT the same time, early as the progress
of the public business would allow, he was reauy "
fx day TO adjourn. -, ,,...,.
Some conversation took place, in which MessIs
ORDER, HOUSTON, Of Alabama, GEN ihi
KING, OF Mass, and SCHENCK participated -
Mr. HENLEY in conclusion, addressed hlmseh
70 the democratic part, flor It was soIneuihes n'eee
sary TO speak in party sebse') was uielo any
dem ocrat The asked) who stood more sronsy
pledged 10 an early adjournment OF Congress than
be3 YET with cheerfulness, with pleasure, he now
came forward and voted TO postpone aeuoh upon w.
became he believed it for the good Of the country,
and for the greater security Of those important meas
ares of reform 70 which the democratic party were
pIedged and which had been carried out 10 80 grea'
an extent by this House.
M JoSEPH ]. MCDOWELL inquired il this
resolution would be operative until the Senate
adopted it| He was willing TO let them take the
responsibility; the House had discharged theirs
Mr.. HENLEY rephed in the negative to the IN
quiry. But did not the gentleman Know 'hat u Iney
sent this resolution TO the Senate and they couid oy
hook by crook suceeedln geI'lng Il adopted, ney
having no previous question: no parliamentary rules
which enabled the msjority so certainly to command
the business oftbe body, the opposition might sue
coed in defeating action upon the tariff and upon the
other great measures Of the session MS lltle mt
nority in this House actually embarrassed business,
and defeated the attempts of the majority to press
along; but there they were nearly equal. fesi ex-
acty equal on this .anf question:; and did not the
gentleman from Ohio know IL this resolution was
adopted by prolonged debate, by calls OF yeas ard
NAYS by motions to adjourn, and by other means OF
delay they could staye off action until the day OF
adjournment Gamer And then this bill would be
defeated and If Il was defeated, would not those IN
hn yafed the resolution TO adjourn
be in some measure responsiblel
In conclusion, he renewed the motion LAY on the
table.
Mr.. g. s. HOUSTON appealed to Mr.. IL to
withdraw this molten, in order that the demand Tor
the previous question might be seconded, ana theh
the subject be postponed.
Mr.. HENLEY waived the motion at the request
Of
Mr. MCKAY, who said he would not waste the time
of the House by repeating the arguments when had
been pressed with so much force by the gentleman
from Georgia, Mr.. COBB, and the gentleman from
Indian, Mr. HESLET.l There were one or two
other considerations, however, which he wished 10
bring to the notice OF the House, which he thought
would have some weight in the decision OF this
question by this House We met here on the LIST
December last. What then was the condition OF
the country? Were there not various grave an I'M
porant questions presented for the action OF Con-
gress, not only touching the domestic policy OF the
country, but also our foreign relatons' You had
the annexation Of Texas to complete. You have
had controversy existing between the United states
and Great Britain for TIE last thirty years respecting
the territory on the northwest coast OF America
By the deliberations of Congress, IN conjunction
with the action Of the Executive (no matter who Is
entitled to the credit of 1T if the wings have had some
agency in bringing it about) that long-pending con-
troyersy which was Just about disturbing the peace
Of two great nations Of the earth, has fortunately
been brought to close. A neighboring republic
has been incorporated into the Union. II Is true II
has been followed by war.
The SPEAKER interposed, and stated that, UNI
der the decision he had before made, he must con-
slider this course Of remark on the part OF the gen.
tleman irrelevant
Mr. MCKAY did not intend to violate the rules
of order. BE was only referring to the subjects
which had excited the attention Of Congress during
the present sesson-the tariff, the warehousng bill,
and the graduation bill; all these measures touching
the domestic policy of the country. has this SEES
sion, in which all these important questions have
been considered been unusually long, Know
gentlemen feel anxious about adjournment; am as
much SO as any one; | am always IN my seat at
tending to public business, and DESTROYS, as far as
in nv power to expedite the business Of the coun-
try On that point have nothing to reproach my
self. | am prepared, and | think II the House
will act up to the requirements upon them-we
can bring this session to close by the I'd of August
You can do it.
: But how, let me ask gentlemen, does this session
compare with the LIST session of the 9th Congress-
when the wings were in a large majority here IN
both branches Of Congress- Did you bring 1t to
close in MONTHS as you now wish! In eight NO.
You met on the lst December, and when did you
adjourn The middle of JULY The Sd Of August
No. With all your wonderful zeal for economy
with all your wonderful anxiety now to bring this
session to a close, when did you adjourn On the
3lst August And is this alp No. you not only
continued the session nine months, but you had az
extra session, commencing the 3lst May, and ending
some time the latter part of September. But here
gentlemen Of the whig party are raising this clamor
for the termination of the session. Some change has
come over the spirit of their dream, and they are
found now loudly clamoring that this session must
be brought to close long before the public business
Is done.
MIR STEWART rose to withdraw his motion to
reconsider. II not received. Mr.. NICK de-
Ginning to yield the floor.
There las great confusion in the hall. The
Speaker raped loudly to order and requested Mr..
Mex. to suspend his remarks until the House came
to order. Order having been restored in some meas
ure, Mr.. Mex. proceeded
Mr. ROBERTS (interposing) was UNDERSTOOD 10
inquire Of Mr.. Nick. whether any proposition was
made by the wings in Sl2, at the called session to
reduce the pay OF members
Mr.. MCKAY replied, not that he had ever heard
Of.
have here (sad Mex list of the duration of
the several congresses from tnt VI
the government, The 5th Congress met on the 18th
November, 1897, and adjourned July 49, l795 be-
ing in session eight months and three days; Here,
when this country was Just in its infancy, when our
population was small when there was not great
deal of legislation required the session of Con-
gress was eight months and three days in duration.
Again, at the commencement Of the war with
Great Britain, Congress met on the 4th November,
1911 and it was not until July 1st that they ad-
journed This session, them was moi unusually long.
But we are all anxious to adjourn. believe we
can adjourn on the Sd Of August-perhaps on the
9th July What want is, that my friends who
are anxious bring this session to close should
retain the decision Of this matter in their own hands;
and now propose to my friend from Indiana, in or
der to prevent the gentleman from Pennsylvania
[Mr. STEWART from playing the trick-,he would
not use this phrase for he would conhne himself to
parliamentary language-but from practising the
tactics which he had intimated very clearly he would
do, Iof withdrawing the motion 10 reconsider, thus
leaving the resolution in force, and without the
power of the House. call on my friend from lndi-
ana to make the motion to reconsider We can then
move to postpone it to this day two weeks and If