The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-12-20
THIR rIETH CONGRESS.
FIRST SESSION.
House Of Representatives.

House Of Representatives.
SATURDAY, Dec. Ia, lsH.
RAILROAD OREGON.
Mr. Hunt presented the resolutions the
ofNsw York. in favor of the construction of railroad
ing the plan of Whitney aud asking for the pas
ssgs Of Law effect theobjsct The resolutions were
ordered to be printed and referred to the committee
roads and canals
Mr. C. J. INGERsoLL, from the COMMITTEES on the
ruersported substitute for the thrtish rule that
memb hall occupy mors than hour and half in
the privilege Of opening and closing the debate And
when debate shall close by order of the House. Ave
minutes shsn be allowed to any member who may offer
Mr.. PoLLocK--wiil it be in order, Mr.. Speaker, to
amend the last substitute reported by the committee?
Mr. Houston, OF Alabama in his sstt) -ertsinly you
hsvs right to offer amendment to the substitute
The SPEAKER Ito Mr.. Pollock)-It will be in order
Mr. PoLLocK-l move, then, to strike QUE the words,
"aud hSf' sothat no member may occupy more than
an hour in debate. No member should occupy more
than an hour and We should oil see the utility Of such
rule He believed very few members spoke an hour
to their own satisfaction or to the satisfaction Of the
House
The SPEAKER The question is on the amendment of
the gentleman from Pennsylvania
Mr. CoLLAMER proposed verbal amendment to insert
the word on,n to read any member reporting q
measure to apply both to members reporting msa-
surss, and members reporting against measures.
Mr. Truman SMITH sensible that the liberty of de-
bate on many occasions had been abused abu
sed; but this Incident to free Institutions
the liberty We enjoy under the Constitution and our
form Of government Whenever it shall be necessary
We can pass an hour rule aquarter of hour rule
here That's faotnl Measures carried into effect
after private consultation and not in
Mr. PoLLocK again took the floor He did not believe
that tbs adoption Of the hour rule would infringe the
principle Of the Constitution that Congress shall make
Law abrdging 1.-The freedom ofspsech of the press
He regarded the adoption of the hour rule originally
this whs House repeal it, II the privilege
ofspssking should DO extended to an hour AMI half
the time would q. be ~ a up But as sanitary rssa
vduA desires to be heard he mus exert all the power
his voice; and this may produce bronchitis. Why,
them endsnger the health of members The gentleman
from Connecticut said that speech in Ave hun
drsd influenced the sotion Of this body This certain
~ does not furnish argument why speeches which
be delivered in Ave hundred hours should occupy
hundred and fifty hours. The usual mode has
what he has say benefit his
and to operate, not on the members here but the
Mr. WOODWARD was Of the opinion that the question
to debate hour two hours had nothing to do with
the freedom of speech expressed in the Constitution
The article Ia that nstrn Ii to protect the people
entertaining their sentiments and to declare them
publicly on all OCCASIONS it gave to men the right to
that for which Calico was put to the rack No hss
natural right to speak, and make every listen
The privileges is merely conventional He in favor
limiting the time, the greater number members may
enjoy the privilege OF expressing their opinions and
permit the few to deliver long wnded haranguSs sud
Mr. HrsLrv said that the one hour rule good
the vhts tbs ds%oe ats driven because th.r
was such . mania for speech making, II gentleman
do a subjaOt hour, friend
take up the thread of bis remarks, and nsh them
Jefferson franklin, etc, made short speeches, which
were sasiy understood ard soon read and this House
may follow their example with profit.
Mr. CoBB remarked that so tar there any glory
IN passing the hour rule he washed his hands OF it. He
voted against the rule when IL was first proposed ne
would against and he believed that the
Mon Of the rule altogether would the debates TO
BE- brief He would go for an hour and half by
way Of accommodating gentlemen, but would prefer to
see the several propos lions rejected
Mr. SMITH. of indiana, thought that an hour and
AU a a a v
desire to occupy If this should be agreed to- he hoped
gentleman would feel bound to consume all the time
II he could finish in less The hour aud half PROPOSE
ton intended as compromise of the committee on
tho rules between the limitation of hour and leaving
the time for debate unrestricted
Mr.. VINToN had been in Congress fifteen years and
for the last four years the hour rule has been in exist
snce He was very sure that the House had gained
nothing by it in tina transaction of business; and
measure of compromise, he would support the compro
mise of an hour and half
Mr.. ROCKWELL, of Connecticut, was in favor Of the
same limit and preferred the amendment as introduced
BY the COMMITTEES on the rules
Mr.. MoRsE, OF Louisiana, advocated the one hour
rule. An hour and half gave fifty per cent more OF
time to speak for Buucombs 1t is better that fifty men
speak during one hour than the most eloquent man
should consume the whole time. The opinions OF men
various their physognmies and they take diff
feren views and 1t important that they should all be
heard. Three four months occupied the Ore
gon question in the Senate but any one doubt
that the result would different II the vote had
been taken sooner than was? We would had 81
40 but the public sentiment was changed and the Ore
gon controversy was settled on the ns Of 40 Laugh
ter He had listened to speakers in the Chambers Of
Deputies in France and in the British Parliament. He
had heard such men as Sir Robert Peel. Stanley aud
Grey, and he had never, during residence OF two
years In Europe, known them to occupy over forty nj
him and the hammer had cut short his remarks
- Mr.. HOLMES of s. C.--Mr. Speaker
The SPEAKER-The gentleman from South Carolina.
Mr.. HoIMrs-To enjoy pure hour, and pure day.
and pure atmosphere, move that the House do now
The question was taken and the motion was disagreed
Mr. Tnoxr,or of Pennsylvania, would go for the hour
rule on one oondion-that s ths desks Of members
Mr. Gooorr moved that the report DO laid the ia
BILE but the motion not carried.
Tho amendment Of Mr. POLLOCK to strike out the
words "ant half" was then agreed to
The rule, as thus amended, was read, viz
No member shall occupy more than one hour in de-
bate any question in the House 10 comuittss but
q member reporting the measure under consideration
from committee may open and close the debate; pro-
vded that where debsts closed by order OF House.
any member shall be allowed In committee FIVE inmates
to explain any amendment he may offer Z"
The srEAKER stated that the question was now on
substituting this rule just read for that reported the
would shall is be Of the standing rules Of the
Houss?
The substitute agreed to- and afterwards adopted
The next rule was read asfollows, viz:
When any subject shal have been placed upon the
calendar register shall be kept upon VIII oh any mem
Der desiring to address the House In relation to said
jsot shall record his when his turn shall be de-
oidsA by lots to be drawn under the direction of the
Speaker provided that the gentleman reporting the
from the standing committee having 1t In charge
shall, at his option, open and close the debate
Aud this jected.
The third rule proposed by the Committee on the
Rulss"thst members may address the House from the
Clerks desk, or from place the SpeaA chair
WAS adopted, also . rule to the effect that
motion to suspend the rules shall be in order except
Monday Of each week. and the last ten days of the
sion.
The following rule adopted amid criss of good"
good !" viz
Whenever the Committee Of the Whole on the State
Of the Union, or the Committee of the Whole House,
finds itself without quorum the chairman shall cause
the roll Of the House to be called anu thereupon the
COMMITTEES sha rise and the chairman shall report the
Of the aosentses the House, which shall De
tered on the journal
The exed rule adopted.
I'm Committee Of the Whole the State Of the
Union, and In Committee OF the Whole all business
shall BE- considered concluded In the order or refer
ence 10 them by the House general appropriation
bills and, In time OF bills for raising money or men