The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-25
CONTINUED FROM FIRST rAsE.l

quite imperiously tried to overbear Mr.. Miller, |
the Vice President said
The objection, in the opinion Of the Chair, was
not we'll taken It might be a consideration to
induce Senator 10 vote against the amendment,
but was not arquestion on which TO raise q point
Of order against its reception.
Mr.. Benton addressed the Senate in opposition
to the amendment Of Mr.. Clay. Here il a dec
laration, very proper, perhaps to be adopted in
a caucus, bat not belonging to the Senate at
all, by which the Senator asks that the Senate
shall cut itself of from its parliamentary rights,
Of Offering amendments 10 bills and resolutions
while going through the body. All this might do
in caucus but it viii not do in the Senate. " as
it ever proposed before to tie up the hands Of the
Senate by previous declaration that they will
not give opinions in advance IL goes beyond
what is before the Senate, and declares at once
that, no matter what amendments any Senator
may have in his bosom, no matter what may be
offered, the Senate will not consider them. Sir
it is new method of applying the previous ques
tiOn-a question never applied to this body. II
is new method Of applying the gag-a thing
never done in this body. Il is a new way of
stultifying the whole body of Senators, except
those who 90 out on the committee. Sir, all this
is new and is it not as impotent as it is new &?
Suppose it is adopted. Suppose the Senate re-
solves itself into what seems to me to be nothing
more than caucus, and adopt this resolution
What nsxtl The moment they have adopted it,
has not every member here parliamentary right
TO offer amendments on the spot, regardless OF
what the Senate has decided upon The attempt
is impotent. We have a right TO offer instructions
after instructions, and when offered, the only way
for the Senate to do, if it will not adopt them, is
TO refuse them; that, is to vote them down when
presented.
Now, sir, this great committee-we have had
their names in the newspapers, though they have
not yet been elected by the Senate grant that
they have all the wisdom of the Senate and will
carry it out with them yet the Senate is not
to declare upon this proceeding that it could give
them no instruction. They are not to adopt a
resolution which admits that the Senate cannot
enlighten them at all 1t is not for the Senate
to say that they would sit here in Egyptian dark
ness until the committee comes in and ilumi-
mates the chamber And now, if it should be the
fact that everything is ready, that the report is
ready, and that the committee have nothing TO do
in the world after it goes out but to come back
again-like the French king who marched up the
hill and down again-if such should be the case,
would it not better become the American Senate
that it should be produced and let US have the
y illumination from " &C. nev W osTd Ir noS DC
better to produce the report at once, and act on
this bill for the admission Of California it came
along?
Sir, the going out of that committee from this
chamber might excite alarm throughout the coun-
try What do we suppose if we see a physician
fastening to housel Why, that somebody is sick
there; but we are not yet alarmed Butif we see
two doctors going there, we suppose the case is a
difficult one. And if we see four five six, or
seven doctors collecting at the house, we conclude
Immediately that somebody isdying at that house.
Now, sir, if this great number of political doctors
are TO sit on the body of the Republic, what will
the country suppose, but that the poor Republic is
II. 81 - H. 81
to sit upon the case and save the patient. Sir it
is to alarm the country tell you from this pro-
ceeding there must be an alarm, or there must be
laugh. One or the other there must be From
the sublime TO the ridiculous is only step and
what in this case must have convused the country
in the beginning, has now got where step would
cover il with ridcule Now, sir this thing which
is called an amendment, but which is nothing
but declaration an independent resOlve--such n
one as would be perfectly proper to be adopted in
a caucus, but which cannot be adopted in the Sen
ate-this independent resolve that we will give
no instruction of any kind whatever to guide the
committee, why, sir, although the Senate NAV
vote it, they cannot prevent us from undertaking
to give instructions to guide the committee; and
although in point of fact one Of us may be able
to suggest an instruction that could guide this
great committee, yet in the parliamentary sense
We can-under the parliamentary law We have n
right to offer instructions to guide the committee
And who il it, Mr. President, that makes this
motion that the committee shall not be guided? |
hope no one of the thirteen who are to be on that
committee undertakes to maintain this resolution /;
now sir, although it may he true, true gospel,
that they are superior to the rest of the Senate,
and that we cannot guide them at all yet they
should not tell rs So 1t is we who should dis
qualify ourselves and no one Of that thirteen in
my opinion, should vote Delicacy, reserve, de-
Corum, should make them stand off, and refuse to
vote for resolution which would stutify all the
other members of the body. They should leave it
to ourselves TO stultify ourselves
Mr.. Clay. | am very sorry, Mr. President, for
this unnecessary consumption of the time of the
Senate but there are two or three remarks which
the honorable Senator from Missouri has made,
which seem to me to require some notice. The
honorable Senator has spoken Of n caucus, and in
tmated that there has been one On what author
ity does the Senator make such an assertion2
now pronounce it a mistake, an absolute and entire
mistake. There has been caucus that know
of; although, God knows would attend caucus
of any and every body to settle this most unhappy
question, which is now distracing the country; and
would attend it without any feeling of reproach
from whatever quarter it might be ventured to be
hurled. The honorable Senator speaks of his rights
Yes sir and other Senators have their rights also
and other Senators are just as well prepared as
the Senator from Missouri is to assert their rights
And the Senate has its rights Now, sir, put il
10 the Senate and the country, what has been the
progress of this matter The Senator from Mis-
souri, proposes an amendment embracing four
propositions, and, as a sort Of menace suppose
he shells out eight or ten others, and speaks of
his having others yet in reserve. Well my dear
sir-Mr. President | mean-has not this body
right to protect itselfl Has not the majority
of this Senate right to say whether they will or
will not create committee without any instruc-
tions7 The resolution will be adopted The SEN
ator offers his set of amendments-for the purpose
will not say because have no right to 20 into
the intention of the Senator-but the effect of
them would be delay, procrastination, embarrass-
ment and that effect is attempted or will be at
tempted to be produced against these distinct and
emphatic expressions of the opinion of the ma oriy
of this body The question, them comes to this
whether the Senate shall or shall not have the
power-l speak always of the ma GRITTY of the SEN
ate-to act2 say sir il ought to have it, and
care not by what name you call it. The previous
question l--ah, sir. not many years will elapse be-
fore you will find the indispensable necessity of
this valuable mode Of terminating useless and
unnecessary debate in this House la my relec
tions upon the past in respect to my parlamenta-
ry career-my Congressional career-I look back
TO none with more satisfaction than the introduce
ton Of that previous question in the other wing of
this building.
Sir framed this resolution deliberately, and
framed it for the purpose Of getting rid of the un-
necessary instructions which the Senator from
Missouri has proposed and to dispose Of any other
instructions which his ingenuity-and no man
possesses n greater amount Of il than he does
might suggest TO be brought before this body
Let my amendment be adopted, and let the Sena-
tor offer his other instructions, from TO ninety
nine, if he pleases, and we will see whether the
question Of order will not silence them all.