The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-04-19

the Senaie-whether upon an amendment to resolution,
sruciions Can you. when an amendment is offered to
bill, move to strike out the amendment and declare IN
substance, that amendment shall be made 10 that bill
Or can you upon resolution, where an amendment Is
offered 10 instruct to strike out those instructions,
and declare that other instructions shall be given
You have upon your tables several other instructions BY
/ the senator from Missouri for this committee.
i Mr. FOOTE, Tin his seat) Not offered yet isss
NE Mr M,LLER MIL Bn They hey, are are TO be offered
Jersey and i i the opinion Of the Chair that the excsp
The VICE PRESIDENT win the senator allow the
Chair to state the grounds for this opinion s
NE vcE PREpENT Issafa n. am.oamso, ne.
proposes to except from the action Of the committee
tain propositions, is moved 10 be stricken out That is
thereof the Senate does not deem necessary 10 ex.
press in advance, any opinion, or give any Instructions
either general or specific for The guidance OF the said
committee :; and the question must necessarily rise,
whether the Senate can adopt such an amendment rs
this The utmost that may be said, perhaps, for the
amendment. is that It declares nothing. And. il il ex-
pressed nothing but the mere motion, il would leave
the matter just where it left before the amendment
was proposed But, il that be the fact still il is not upon
point Of order e Gs ruled out i may b reason for
MT. BENTON. What has been called an amendment.
action which the Senate will adopt for itself II was OBJ
jeced to, being unpariamentay. at the moment it
read was 50 unfortunate as not 70 make the point Of
order shall endeavor to show and let it be seen-
Mr.. KING. rise to point of order Il the senator
intends to discuss question Of order he must appeal
from the decision Of the Chair Previous such an ap-
peal the decision is final and eyerybodyis bound
quesce it. II the senator satisfied that the decision Of
The M Char rN1n i Wnrong he can make an appeal
but am speaking the Senate upon the proposition Of
the senator from Kentucky to give reasons-very poor
ones i may BE- 70 be sure but st e give reasons good
in my estmahon-why the amendment offered by the
senator from Kentucky should not be adopted. think
MT BENTON SEN Here i er proposition, Or. as i
called, an amendment, in which is provided that the
Senate does not deem necessary to express in advances
OF specific, for the guidance OF the said committee
Now, Mr. President here Isl proposition Of decara-
ton to be adopted by the Senate-a proposition very
proper perhaps to be adopted in but not appro
pirate 10 the Senate of the United States at abby
which the Senate undertakes 10 determine to cut itself
to bills. All that might do for the resolution Of
caucus, but not for Senate "The Senate does not
deem it necessary Why not deem it necessary to give
have doubt. to consist Of distinguished
and leading" senator's as we have heard It frequently
SO declared here sir. although their names are not
they will have in their hands all the talent Of the Senate
and may be that when they out nothing will be left
in the Senate that there would be nobody in this cham
Der capable OF giving them instructions. ALI this may be
SO. sir but j is the first time that the American Senate
was ever called upon 10 make such declarations is
upon make such declaration II is not necessary"
to do il" in advance" Why not do it in advance Sir.
has not the Senate from the foundation Of the government
until this day, given instructions to committees And
this the first attempt ever made to tie the hands OF the
Senate by resolving that it is not necessary give any
such instructions in advance Well, then, sir, suppose
that the instructions may be given afterwards that is,
that the Senate may follow behind, and may in
what has been done In the place. not
y s % we
taken by the honorable senator from New Jersey, tr.
MnLERl that this goes beyond what before the Senate
and declares at that no matter may be offered here
after to the Senate, by way of amendment This. sir isa
declaration to be made to American Senate, and
one which, il il passes, will prevent from going
through The parliamentary forms sf legislation il g
new method OF applying the previous question. II is
sir. merely new method OF applying the previous
new way OF gaggng the whole body. except those who
60 out upon This committee. II is proposition that the
Senate should. as il seems to me- resolve iseli into
adopted Has not every member Of the Senate still
right to bring in amendment and call for the action
OF the Senate upon ts And II the Senate adheres to its
resolution and refuses 10 entertain it. what does il pove
except that the Senate has taken resolve against 90.
ing through the forms OF parliamentary poeeeding Sir
We have right 10 ofer instructions after instrucons
and when they offered, the Senate must determine
whether il viii give them or will not give them. This is
all that the Senate do There clear right with every
senator 10 offer them whenever he chooses. II comes,
therefore, 10 this points II Is the parliamentary right OF
every senator TO make his motions continuously on and
although they may vote them down. in accordance with
previous resolution, they do so; but they can only
by the regular forms OF legislation, and BY the yeas
and nays. If they are called for.
And now, why make preliminary declaration OF the
Senate ITSELF to cut OF parliamentary proceedings when
il cannot be done II is not only OF legislation
before attempted IN the Senate, but which
not be carried out II s assumption, the title Of which
has been known Now, this 10 10 be great CON-
mtee. Grant IT, II has its names in the newspapers
already, and told that is 20 composed OF the
"leadng senator's" II will be recollected by every
that these have all been made and re-
peated here; and the Senate is asked TO declare.
upon the face OF its proceedings that will give them
no instructions whatever--to adopt resolution which ad-
mts in terms that the wisdom OF the Senate rests with
the leaders who retire with the committee, and the
OF the Senate sit here in Egyptian darkness
until the committee returns and lights up the chamber
with the beams OF its superior intelligence.
Now Mr. President, IL all this s to be, and ~, as has
also been ntimaied this floor, everything Is already
cut and dried ready for action, and the committee has
nothing in the world TO do but 10 go out and come back
again. like that King OF Ffance who marched up h
and then marched down again noihng to do but 70 40
and inwoud II not better become the dignity
of the American Senate TO proceed at once and 40 the
business for seto produce the report at once and act
upon il in connexion with the bill for the admission Of
California Sir, a proceeding like the appointment OF
this committee Is calculated 10 alarm and ierrify the
country What do we think, sir, when we see doctor
going to housei We think that s sick, but
we are not very much alarmed nj the fact But il we see
two doctors going the house, think the case s dan
gerous; and II four. five, or six doctors
bling then Of course think that somebody is about
dying Now Mr. President, IL this great number Of po-
llfca doctors the body republic.