The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-08-18
THE UNION.

Lord Clarendon relates tina, the first Of protests
w..n easons 10 Engand, ioii, before which time they
usually on SET down their names as dlsscnent 10 vote
tChl'y's Noeson biaekslone's Comb
This is Sir William Blackslones account and though
he uses the word 'tsave" yet only FORM and the
right was absolute, but still only attained by going
through form The asking leave was in the sense OF
giving notice. and must be done before the vote, 10 AVOID
hSndeeorum OF rejecting upon the act OF the House
rejecting upon measure alter the House had voted upon
il and made II their own To avoid this thedissentng
lords asked the leave before the vote; and
dun 70 that elect was entered the journal and then
ney drew UP tbeiT reasons afterwards Al FIRST they had
time to draw up reasons, but afterwards the time was
limited TO TWO o'clock OF the next sitting day, and the
dissenting lords entered what they pleased, without
showing II TO the House. and the only remedy Of the
House was to expunge it, if found TO be dis
respeeuu-a remedy frequently esoried TO- as the books
show Lord Clarendon is more full than Blackstone,
privileges OF every kind were closely canyassel and per
tectly undersood-about the year l640-a memorable pc
rod ~ The history OF Great Britain Lord Clarendon in
his History OF the Civil Wars, called by him the rebel
lion, says OF The beginning OF this CUSTOM and Of the de-
gree 70 which had degeneraed in his time, referring %
| the House OF Lords:
It's an old custom and privilege Of at House that pom
any solemn debate, whosoever not satisfied with the
conclusion and Judgment of the House. may deDaad
TO enter his Proestaon which must be granted, The
original OF tins was IN jealous times when desired
for avoiding the III consequences OF any there thar their
dssents might appear aud very don practised but
when they conceived religion or the Crown enched upon
insomoeh as you shall find the journals Of many
aam ,, one ploestaon entered and Ihe number OF
lord desired that his is, his dssn-nght
be n'efed.
His dissent" sir. That his way of saying nay,
and nothing more. Then it did not amount al all 10
what is understood by the word protest--a word of
solemn and almost authoritative mport--and no reasons
were given 1t was merely entering negative vote
This was in the beginning. But Lord Clarendon con-
linues
And oten;imes when have dissenpd from the general
opnion above have entered his proleation. Bat
since this Paamenl they altered the
of high coneernnent 70 e most trivial debates the minor
part ordnay enerng tletf prteaiton, To the end that
their opinions might be taken notice. and who oppo
site 10 tEc whereby the good and the bad lords were
known and published. they altered the form, and IN
bate TO be su nmednl and thereupon their pioestaon
" that they were not 70 be answerabe or any inconve
by reason OF this or that resolution" So hat from
Tor the particular indemnify Of the person that made It, il
grew to be reproducing and arragnin9 the OF the
house by any iaciions number that disagreed
This is Lord Clarendons account; and it shows the
natural progress Of all such things. In the beginning, it
was merely TO put the Of the dissenting lord upon
the journals under the word nay; in the end il degene
rated to the summing up OF the matter OF the debate
side and that by any member VINO pleased and by
many as pleased thus putting their speeches in the
journal Lord Clarendon has qualified this degenerate
praclcethis real abuse-by the factious BY any
factions member that pleased TO arragn and reproach
the house. and to accuse IT, on the face OF It's own
cords, OF mlschevous and unconstitutional conduct
That is what to; and everybody became heartily
tired OF il in the British House of Lords and they have
expunged many protests from their journals untrue, dis
respectful frivolous Ii because this thing was
well understood by the trainers of our constitution, that
they took exclude il, by giving matter of
right to fifth OF the members present to demand the
yeas and nays, which was the original protest in Great
Britain. We see, then that the right OF protest
exists IN Great Britain is degeneracy and abuse
OF The original right which was nothing but the right TO
say nay on measure; and il we begin that business
here, is it TO be supposed that human the
same always, aud that alter little time shall not per-
ceive members, or single member, makiag condensa-
pf
he delivered presenting them all 10 the Senate and having
them entered on the Journalist and so 10 have the advan
tage over all Others by getting the substance of his
guments spread on the journals
Now, see how IL stands with the British House of
Commons. The practice OF entering protests there has
been introduced, but its introduction has been at
tempted Long since II attempted SIR but efec-
tualy was II rebuked when IT was attempted that 2l0
years have elapsed without, repetition of what was
considered in that House offence. II about
the year 1910, during those struggles between the King
and Parliament which ended in the civil OF Greai
Britain, that this effort first made in the British
House OF Commons Ii was upon the occasion OF the
remonstrance adopted by the British House of Commons
and which might be called manifesto against the King
an Impeachment OF the King at the bar OF the people OF
the Kingdom, for il enumerated all his misdeeds-ali
that were real and many that were maginary-and to
that remonsranee, that the hrs effort made in the
British House OF Commons 10 enter protest Ii was
about strong occasion could be presented,
The Commons instead OF sending their emonstrance TO
The House OF Lords for sent it TO the people
for eXciement-io rouse them against the kng-to put
On MS before the peoples " IN TACT
indictment against him. IL was great move, that re.
monstrance and brought The civil war, which ended
IN The overthrow OF the monarchy the death OF the Hing
and the establishment oil the Commonwealth. twas the
work OF master spirits and for great purpose. and gave
rise TO great struggle in the House OF Commons,
memorable debate and the incident about the attempted
protest, for which recur TO il,
The House met O'Clock in the morning
earlier than the present hour-and the parliamentary
leaders on the opposition side began TO consume lime on
ordinary matters not touching the remonstrance Oliver
Cromwell, who was al that time but little taken notice
OIL and who was man OF action and not OF words asked
Lord Falkland why they did not take up the great sub
eci at once, giving as his opinion that there would be
no debate, OF but sorry and wished TO bring on
early in the morning But the parliamentary leaders
knew there would be furious debae-,ha, the remon-
STRANGE could not pass without great struggle and the
most perseyerlng exerlon and that time element
Of success bat the impotence of Cromwell prevailed; the
debate was brough, and Lord Clarendon says of II
Bat he quickly found he was mistaken for tho next
morning. the debate being entered after nine
O'Clock 81 the morning II continued all thai day and,
dies being called for when dark (nFitber side being
very dcsrou, adjourn al The day, though 1t was
evident very msny withdrew themselves Of pure FAINT
aud disability attend the conolusion) the debata
continued tall after h IL o'clock, wh much passion
passing IT, IL carried W the Affirmative by nine voices
aud more aud as Il declared, Mr.. Hamp-
den moved that there mtgh be order entered tor the
printing OF to, wb prodnor d debate than
The former i appeared, hen, that they did intend
send the House Of Peers for their concurrence, buf
that d upon the matter appeal to the people, md
TO inuse eaouses into the public minds all OF which was
uged by ar Hyde with some warmth, the mo-
made for the printing olit And he said he did be-
eve tue printing Of u IN that manner not lawful and
feared would produce nschievops effects, and there
fore desired the leave OF the House. that II the question
should be put, and carried in the affirmative he might
have liberty 10 enter his protestaton . which he had