The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-12-23

iesol0ed That after the is day ofJanua next Fridays of
each week shall aside of private
claims and that those days private bills shall
| prioiily over ali other bills.
| The question was put the adoption of the resolu
ioa and The ayes and noes appeared be nearly equal
| Before a division was called
| MIR. PRATT said Mr.. President, | did not suppose
that ln's resolution would meet with opposition on the
part OF anybody but understand now that many sens-
tors are decidedly opposed TO H. Now was upon
the Committee of Claims during the las, session OF Con
gfess and have had the honor 10 upon the
muee at the present session During the last Congress
there were more than hundred caims-f my memory
serves me correctyTeported fayoIably upon by that
committee, and not one single OF those claims
acted upon By the Senate. During the same Congress-
there were more than hundred reported unfavorably
upoD and the reports were Immediately by
Senate. Anterior TO the last Congress- MIR Presidsnt /
consideration OF private claims. l was instructed by the
committee to ask the Senate TO pass that resolution and
thing Is certain. sir that the committee design ssk
the Senate TO abolish ths Committee of Claims one of
the standing committees OF this body unless their action
20 receive sc'as sssAsoa on is pari of The Senate
Now sir lei me ask any senator present, why is this
committee 10 labor session alter session investigating
private claims II their reports cannot be acted upon when
they are presented When say hope day
may be assigned 10 the consideration OF this business,
gentlemen oppose II, and hope the resolution will
pass What is prevent passage of this resolution
again Why, sir, it very clear that unless the Senate
agree to hX upon some particular day each week when
they Will c9ns'ds, private claims, they will no, be con-
session OF Congress shows that better to decline
do this duty, unless you will do justice 10 this commit
|
| considering what they have already done.
am instructed by The committee to ask the passage OF
this resolution and if the Senate will take action
upon what do, we do not intend 10 do anything more
but shall ask the Senate to abolish that committee
once as one OF Of the standing committees of this body
Mr.. DAVIS 1t is true, Mr.. President, that express
ed hope that this resolution would pass and did
it, sir because believe that it is neither necessary nor
udcious 10 have II adopted by the Senate, does it
hasten the progress OF business. do not know, sir.
how 1t would have been the of the session If
we should announce that every bill goes upon the
calendar as ii is reported, private well as public,
| we should get through them in their turn And If
should not reach Them, what would be the reason : Ii
grows out of another dsordery practice which have
the Chair will excuse for calling it SO, because it
TO to be so-lhe practice OF making special
sign menls of bushes. from day to day and from hour
hour. Now, think this is practice
creates conuson and does hasten the progress Of
business at all On the contrary, il We should 70
with the business in the order OF the calendar without
devailng from the regular order at ALL we should
| compsh more than we do now. ! have no objection,
Mr. President 10 the assignment Of day or days, if the
honorable senator from Mary land desires it, 10 the
slderaon of private bills; but instead OF selecting
tain day of the week for that purpose, would select
those and times when the public business does
not upon and would then asst certain days
for taking up those bills, to have the action OF The
Senate upon them And would prefer to do this for
another reason-and | think all gentlemen here who
have had any experience will agree with in the asser
ion-that you assign certain days OF the week to the
consideration Of private bs those days you will sell
dom have quorum in this body Gentlemen will absent
from the Senate because they do about
these mates they will abandon their seats here,
ana you Will ma WltDOuI quorum tnOSc
who feel interest in private claims will come here
and endeavor have them acted upon but all other
gentlemen will say do not feel any particular interest
in this business and find other employment
which is agreeable TO so will leave them 10
dispose of the matter 10 suit themselves. Now, sir,
think would be better have the business up
it stands in its order upon the docket, without any special
assignments OF particular days Tor particular thlngs-ake
them up and go on IN order SIR these are my reasons
do not desire to throw any obstacle in the way Of pr
vate bills; but desire 10 go in this way because
conceive that by adherng to this principle should
| compsh more than by any other course.
u Mr. PRATT | do not know that precisely compre-
hend the argument of the senator from Massachusetts
but if do his statement is this that the claims Of the
citizens OF this country against the government Of this
country for money due them public busnessthat
it is not business which demands the action Of Con-
gress He has objection 10 the assignment OF parhcu
lar days.
Mr.. DAVIS. Win the senator allow me to explain
did not make any such assertion; bu, made just such
discrimination as IS made here calling certain bills
private and certain bills public.
Mr.. PRATT The senator may not make the dstine.
on in name, but in reality he does What does he ask
of the Senate He has objection to the assignment of
particular days. provided that such days fixed upon
as do not interfere with the public business There
FORE although he does not in assert what stated
him 10 assert yet in substance he does Tor all these pri
claims against the government are 10 be superseded
il ANYTHING OF the class business which he calls public
should occupy the attention Of the body Now venture
to saw OF all the committees OF this body-and know ii
be in regard to that upon Private Clams-that not
claim has been allowed by them which has not been
investigated most thoroughly. am satisfied that
claims have been reported by them which ought not to
have been passed: the contrary one oil
them has been passed Now, say that when the gov
ernment OF the country IN debt 10 the citzen, as
much the duty of Congress to this as is TO attend TO
resoluons-which he considers public busness--such as
we have been considering from the commencement OF
4 this session | think that should have been more
properly engaged II had been doing justice TO
citzens-paying them debts honestly due themthan TO
be occupied the Senate has been occupied, passing
votes in reference TO people who have no particular
claim according my view, upon our attention. hope
the resolution will be passed is due to the claimants
many OF whom have waited long There have been claims
which for the last years have repeatedly been re
ported upon avoraby or the other branch OF Con
cress About the fact that the government owes the
money there is doubt upon earth But they have
never been passed for they have been reached.
hold il to be duty which the government owes 10 these
claimants fix upon day upon which we will con-
slider these claims and Tar pay these just
claims, which have boen so long delayed
| MIR. MANGUM Alter a good deal OF observation
satisfied that any departure from The ancient rules OF the
body tends obslfuct the public business Sir. II this
body will do what they did some yeats agoif they VIII
adhere TO the calendar. and they will suffer nohing 20
be taken out OF lis order-we shall get tbrough he Wboe
of it satisfactorily and properly lhefe IS struggle
here wards the close the session. ana very oeh az
an earlier period To get precedence 10 get up ar'cnat
claim in which one feels an interest 10 lhe peJu-
dice ol all others II the Senate will adhere TO the an
cen , and snaer nothing be taken Of its order,
I'VE sha he able to accomplish the whole OF II IN due
season am opposed to the passage OF the resolution
have seen this hing for the last twenty years attempted
al Divers fines The effect OF IL s this II you set apart
certain day private claims, as has been suggested by
,he senator from Massachusetts should scarcely get
a quorum Some OF the principal spol'atons that have
been committed IN my time upon The treasury have been