Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-01-20

II. Whicl' protest, Mr.. Mo0t,gn.
Consli tonal right, should ' be nIs as
o The Journals of this House. Tbe On
l4fsr OF this House refused to arow - pe's,
/ protest TO be placed upon the rso or, ss.a
! mus usurping to himself an arb;,rsr,'
! power u kno"n te law, unacknowleda.ss
ny custdin, and directly snbsersive Of 1 iss
rights of''the minority, and of that r." '
sti'utlon which all the members Of ,b;s
J mouse a, nave sworn 10 protect. -.
The rights Of tie Speaker are de6n.s
oy law-ihs powers are limited 81 III.
constitution; and when he transcend.
those rights, he trarnples upon Iaw
when lie exceeds those powers. he ahro
gates the Constitution; he violates ~.
privileges Of the members Of this House
which ne. ought to foster, and chances
hlnse! from the elected Speaker Of De-.
| lucrative: assesnblage Of ffeemen 70 II.
! self constituted despof over body Of men
who, ii they tamely submit TO such ~
outrage, should abahaoa The name which
their 1iorelarhsrs have transmitted 10
them, and brand upon their brows
the e1lhets, HsyQs and Scr. *
| Croinwdl with drawn sword entered
the HaiisOf Lsg!siiffot Of his own conn
try, and with loud voice Commanded
the Representatives of the people to dis
perse; tjrror-stricken, they aobeyed bis
mandate, aad from that hour when ",he
armed siidsafs trod on the trembling Sen
ate's slaiisii mhtes," the liberty Of Eng
land existel but in. name. We view
| THIS FIRST el,croaehmem upon the rights Of
the minGriiy as the entering wedge 10 a
worse iiisn military tlespotism; and in the
name Of freedom, and in behalf of the free
America's citizens whom we represent,
we soinsnniy protest against such an
usirlA'l;3n OF authority.
2. Tie majority OF t!li5 House did, on
the Ith: Day Of January, a. D., l847
| when al, appeal had been taken from The
decision. Of the Speaker, refusing to al
low the! said protest, above recited, 10 be
placed Upon the Journals of this House
sustained the decision OF the Speaker and
decided that the said protest should not
bccome!a part of the records Of this
House. Tie ID section Of the 4th article Of
the Con:stij ution reads as ialIows. to wit
Erery; member Of the General .9sseo,Uv
shall h5re he Liberty 10 dissent from or
protest '|s4inst any aet or resolution uhich
he nay flank injurious 10 The p,uil,c Or IN in
dipidaaf .c,sd hstre HE reasons for his dis
sent rat|9ri On The Jouruals." Tie t,a-
MRS ofout Constitution seem to have an
ticipalea that in times OF high political ex
citemsrta crisis might arise, in which the
rights I'D privileges Of the minority, and
through Hen! OF The citizens wl:om thew
represented, might be put in JEOPARDY;
and 10 poet such crisis, gave the minority
If ills Il use OF any member eff the same
right net onl y to raise his voice here
against such measures, bat to stamp his
protest and his reasons Tor the same unon
ehe Journals Of this House: from whose
pages TIE alarum bell should ring out lis
warming tunes, beard alike by all-.by the
rich and the poor--the i,ihabitart Of the
walled town and the dweller on the lone
ly prairie. They placed in The hands Of
the minority, the shield Of the Constilu.
ton, by: their prophetic vision never anti
'cipateJ what the minority Of this House
have s=e,-that egis torn from them aid
trawpl.l in the dust. Why was tits
right gwen TO the minority? What was
the possible evil that this was intended 10
renedi: The maj rity make their own
Joufn"ls--keeH record Of their cHr
proceedings; the minority ave but sgec;a-
tors, atj might become the victims OF the
n"just se'ion OF lLe majority. Tie sc.s
and wishes of the minority t:1ight he Lcp,
from the record and their every wish and
PrupoEitian be suppressed and silsM,lv
laid upon the table; md the CARRIED, dis
torted. and false Journal be made libel
npon .he)r conduct. 70 remedy aud pre-
vent uch evils, the unrestricted Vie Ii o!
objection and protest Was given to the mi
nositN, or 10 any member The riga;
was rot given to the mgjoJiy-it w4s MT
secured to the House, as a body, but 10
iadi0tduo! members; and the Constitution
does not limit or circnmscribe the discr;.
fion OF tie protesting member THIS
House did hot confer the right, no. can
IL t"hS ~ AWAY. j. Il thSilDtf dDNS2 ItlS
right, he is responsible only TO his con-
siltuents and his Constitutional oath Tie
majority Of this House cannot dictate ii
Their The subject matter or The reasons 70
be assigned; and when they attempt TO
say TO protesting member, tEat his cause
Is frivolous, or his reasons unsou1d the
violate that Constitution which they haze
sworn 10 supportj they assume 10 decide
a matter which the Constitution has sail
the Asserting member alone shall deter
mine. They say TO him, if yom objec,
lions are not contrary &c our views and
your opinions are III accord nee with our
wishes, then you may protest: and yodF
protest shall De placed upon tie Journals
but they claim the privilege Of deciding
these questions, before obey fecoguze the
| right. Whose protest is thai. whose ex-
istence depends on the will Of he moj o.'-
| ty? It's in vain 10 argue such p.opo-
sition. Tyraats of every age ard 81 e"H'
| ny cline have tranpled upon all right
I the blood of the vic, inns to their rnhalloH
cd last for power, has flowed universal
deluge; and what reasons have ,hee given
| f>r : l. -; - ,,tr,re.S WIN -, .o~;,,, f ihis