The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-08-15

| and alone" with southern members who voted for
| that amendment He satisfied that the object
OF some who voted against IT was In order that the
| minority might avail themselves sometimes to pro-
Crastinate the business of the House. Their object
might be procrastnaton, to avoid coming To di-
| rectvote upon questions which would endanger the
union of the States For himself he was for letting
| il come, and come whenever the North might press
il upon the South. If the North were oppressive,
| let disunion come, and come quickly. His con-
stituents desired not that this question should be
/ procrastinatcd They want TO know whether they
can depend upon the majority of the coniederacy
| for justice and equity. They want to know whc-
Their there was lberality enough in Congress to dis
| charge the duty which he held the American Con-
| gress owed 10 the people under the Constitution
of the country. He desired no such procras-
tination, which would prevent them from show
ing their dispositions and relations to these inn
| portant questions. He was among the southern
| delegation who believe that there is yet be-
rality enough in the bosoms of northern men
| 10 come to the rescue, and prevent the viola
| ton OF our glorious Constitution. II he was mis-
| taken, he wished TO know 1t now, and then he
would be prepared to go and meet his constituents,
! and present things to them in tangible form, 80
| that they can take hold Of them His peo-
Pile demanded that the Constitution should be
strictly observed and expected that this would be
the result II it was not to be the result, they
wanted to know it, and to know 1t quickly. He
was for doing every thing that could be done to
conciliate and bring about harmony. II that could
be done, let disunion come. He did not desire
TO procrastinate the hour II they took the vote,
and if there not magnanmty enough to sup
port the Constitution let 1t come now. His part OF
the country ripe for resistance, if resistance
should be necessary but if not necessary, his part
| of the country would stand by the Constitution.
He desired not that amendments should be handed
| round and round to prolong debate, and there
fore he had voted for the amendment to the rules
Mr.. THOMPSON of Mississippi, noticed
| mark Of the gentleman who preceded him, that it
was the object OF those who voted against the
| amendment to leave the rule as it was, to
| produce procrastination. The gentleman may
have had such views for himself, which he ascrbes
| to others For himself, he repudiated them. He
believed that the five minutes rule 1t existed,
was the best which the House had. 1t was the only
! reason, he said, why we can be rcconced to the
previous question: applied to the Committee of the
Whole as breach of parliamentary privilege be-
cause the five minutes rule enabled gentlemen to
explain their views on amendments, after the gen
eral debate has been closed. He stated his objec-
| tons to the amendment, and said it was adopted
because it was thought the five minutes rule would
| be made use of for delay. Now that you have
| complished your purpose, you have thrown diff
culties in the way Of Legitimate debate You have
hampered the five minutes ule, which would give
rise ridiculous and absurd eclsions by the Chair
! man The rule before it was amended, was more
conducive to the business of toe House than any
other.
Mr. vINTON replied to the gentleman, and spoke
| in support Of the amendment ma &c to the five min
ues rule the effect of which, he said, was to pre-
vent the abuse which had heretoo existed.
Mr.. MORSE said that he had voted under
| n.
| tive, for the amendment, thinking that it was on
| the motion to lay the proposition ON the table. He
desired to ask the Chair whether he could now
| change the vote.
| The SPEAKER said that it could be done only
| by unanimous consent.
Mr.. ROOT remarked that such thing lad never
| been done under such circumstances, ard he OBJ
| jected-the gentleman having accomplished his
| purpose.
MIR MORSE desired to say that he had never
| known the courtesy refused since he had been
| member of the House, of allowing gentleman to
put himself right The gentleman from Ohio said
that he could make remarks to set himself right;
| but these formed no part of the Journal. Ii was
not because he wished to avoid any responsibility
that he made the request, but merely 10 put him
| self right.
Mr. ROOT said that he did not make the objec-
ton of disrcspect the gentleman but because
! he conceived that it would be most mischievous
| precedent to change vote given by mistake.
| Mr.. MORSE should be very sorry TO form such
opinion of the House, that this would lead to
disastrous result. He apprehcnded that no man,
not lost to selfrespect, would make statement not
| founded in truth, and that no man would desire
| correction, unless he voted unintcntionally.
Mr.. CRoWELL wished to inquire whether a
member who votes under msa apprehension has not
right to ask that his vote be changed, without the
| general consent of the House?
. | The SPEAKER thought not.
MIR. PRESTON KING asked that the rule as it
originally stood, and as it was amended, be read.
| Instead of restricting debate to five minutes il
would be seen that il prolonged it to twenty and
this the reason he had voted against the amend
| ment.
| Mr.. MORSE remarked that he had made a per-
sonal request and stated that he voted under mis-
| apprehension, and directly contrary TO his opinion
thinking that the question was to lay the table
when, in fact, IL was on the adoption Of the amend
ment. Yet the gentleman from Ohio objected 10
change Of his vote. The gentleman from New
i York, (Mr. p. KISG,) who last addressed the
| House, made statement to show that twenty min
utes are now allowed under the new rule, and only
a. a.. a. 81. az.
| question: This was no answer to him, (Mr. M
He was opposed TO all measures which curtail de-
bate. The hour rule, the gag law, was adopted
all rules are, by controlling majority, TO do par
ticular thing. As Senator then said, eve did not
come here TO talk, but TO do the public bidding"
solitary member had objected, and prevented him
from changing his vote, and now he demanded the
! privilege n right.
Several gentlemen appealed 10 him To- permit
the pending motion TO be disposed Of. lie accord
ingly gave way, when the question was taken, and
the motion TO reconsider the vote by which the
amendment 10 the rules was adopted was laid on
| the table.
QUESTION or PRIVILEGE.
| Mr.. MORSE now rose 10 question Of privilege
/ lie stated on the vcracity OF "A gentleman, that lac
| voted for the amendment under a total misappre-
hcnsion Of the fact believing that he was voting TO
lay il upon the table. lie therefore asked the pryi
! lege Of changing the vote.
! The SPEAKER would ask the opinion Of the
House, az the question Of Importance. He,
however, had no difficulty in deciding the ques-
! ton. The Chair ruled that this not question
Of privilege, privileged question, and that mel
tbcr thc gentleman from Louisiana nor the House
has power 10 change the record. When the Jour
nal IL correctly made up, and members name
10 reported differently from tho fact, motion to
correct the Journal ~ order; but in this instance
the Journal IL made up as the facts occurred. The
gentleman voted in the affirmative, as he admitted.
II he had stated as il very frequently the case that
his name had been entered improperly, the Chair
would have entertained the motion in the morning
The Speaker knew of no instance where the Jour
nal had been corrected the ground OF lnisapprc-
hensiOn. A motion TO correct the journal can be
made only by unanimous consent
Mr. MORSE inquired whether the proceedings
thus far would be entered on the Journal.
| The SPEAkER replied in the negative
Mr.. MORSE said that tho only way, then, that
he could have statement OF the facts placed upon
the Journal was by appeal; which lac took
from the decision OF the Chair.
The question taken, and the decision Of the
Chair sustained.
BUSINESS ON THE sPEhEER's TABLE.
Mr.. AsHMUN inquired whether the morning
hour had cxprcdY
The SPEAKER having answered in the affirma-
, tive,
MIR. AsHMCN said, that there we're important
| N. -