The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-03-06

stand executive business 10 be mere business in connex
ion With the President OF the United States any
sage be may send TO But executive business is that
relating exclusively oar own action aud whick does moi
require the oo-operaon OF the ohes bx~nsb AZ contra
d'snsa ssDd from legislative action. whichg legislative
business feqsises ihs on OF both Aou<es Asy b<r
thefetDss Inch VIC age co 10 pcrpsm wx
are competent TO do either with closed doors open
aoos ~ we may ,nnk PIoRst Any business We are
does ho requHethe cooperation OF any olhe, tsaach
the gov es stnsi sexeealivs busnsse Ills the perform
aace o. business complete within itself a. our own
body put sif, think apart from that think, wish
out gong back further for precedent think so far
the action OF this body is concerned. and the decision
OF the CHAR is coneeraed-ihe matter was settled yes
erday we met IN open session, without any proposition
to close the doors-transactng business which had no
regard at all 70 The message OF The President or any com
muncauon ne might make 10 us We seltled the prece'
dent yesterday for ourselves Apart from almost lima
merable precedents cited from the former action OF the
Senate VIII only refer TO the action of the Senate 10
l549-the longest executive session that held
1t nearly double the length OF time of any executive
session ever held befoe and than half of it, II is
well known, was held with open doors, In which there
Mr.. HALE. will detain the Senate but minute
want SIMPLY to correct a mistake which | think The
senator from Wisconsin [A1r WALKERl has fallen INTO
in calling this an executive session OF the Senate. The
President in the proclamation calling the Senate together
has not lntimated that il executive session.
hold ~ my hand the summons directed to me
In The preamble he gives the reasons that have ope
rated on ms IAind TO call the Senate together tie says
Whereas divers and weighy Causes, connected with
executive business necessary to be transacted create an
extraordinary requiring thai the Senate be con-
yened, you are therefore requested member OF that
body 10 attend meeting thereof to be holden al the
Marcb s ay Il Msd %oe The PesaeD,
does not undertake intimate, and he did would be
asurpaiion-he does not intimate that this is an exec
utiyc session. II he did, II assumption not
warranted to that it Is an executive session OF the
Senate. 1t is session of the Senate competent to
the discharge OF all duties which devo We upon II un-
der the constitution They may, as they have done
heretofore, adjourn day after day without attending
TO executive business They may adjourn day after day,
as in The year si9 without going into the consideration
done in the year lS4l vote OF the Senate must be
taken 10 make it executive session before il becomes
Mr. BRIGHT The honorable senator from Wisconsin
[Mr. WALKER1 has read clause OF the constitution.
showing that we have two classes OF
and executive or secret sessions Under the acts oil Con
gress made in carrying that constitution, power is
given each legislative body has not the House Of Repre-
senlatives TO adopt rules os Their own regulation
is SAID thai rules are made tor The benefit Of the MINOR,
upon the proposition that is intended TO be offered tof
that intend TO assert my rights under the rules
as understand them Now, the irst rule which was
made under The constitution The President having
taken The char, aud Quoru beng present. the journal
OF the preceding day shall be read 10 the end that any
mistake may be corrected that shall be made 10 the
tries" Al the meeting Of the Senate to-day, notice that
great many members are absent whom saw here yes
tefday and apprehend II they had been hese they
would not have zen their seats. several othei
gentlemen here that have not seen before. do moi
know, officially, that these gentlemen are entitled to vote
here Ii they have been sworn IN here, desire that the
aud hence ask for the reading OF the journal ii It IS III
read it in open session, the Senate can say 50
Before move to proceed 10 the consideration Of execu
tive business, believing have no right to act upon
business thai executive ia It's character, ask ina
the journal Of yesterday may be read to the end that We
may know who are senators and who are not 40 not
| know that am a senator here yet sas H 81
i Mr. ATCHlSON, Tin his seat) The record does moi
prove the identity OF The man. .,5a.l..
Senate to be this The honorable senator from North
Carolina MIR. BADGERl, offers a resolution which the
Char considers IL mol proper 10 receive until the doors
OF the Senate chamber closed II asserted, in sup
port of that proposition that first duty to read The
journal of each day under our rules Well, sr agree
to that the journal Of the preceding day Is to be read
ceedings which by our rules TO be read. then the
doors be closed before be read and ], Be
record OF the proceedings which were transacted IN
open session. there be for closing the doors
OF the Senate read the record OF the proceedings which
were transacted with open doors Now. then, appIe
bend this 10 be the state Of the fact; The honorable
senator from Indiana Mr. BRICHT calls Tor the reading
OF the Journal think under The rule, he Is entitled 10
have it, think the Chair will agree with me that Their
nothing IN that Journal that requires inc doors OF me
Senate be closed during the process OF ITS being read
That me the sorl OF difficulty IN which we have
The PRESIDENT. The Chair has but one remark to
make Almost all the precedents which have been read
apply particularly speak ing 70 the organization oil the
body That read BY the senator from Kentucky Mr. CAr
Knows Wen, udViuS OteH ia
at the tae II was PfotrAcied debate upon the orkan-
za,on OF the body consequence OF the question
arising with regard the senator from Connecticut taking
his seat one Of the members oil the body. The Char
goes upon the that yesterday the body organized
The did not pretend hatthe journal would
not have been read this morning without any steps being
taken clear the galleries. but soon as the journal has
been read the Char considers that he would not be al
liberty any proposition, not Knowing what ITS
character might be- unless related to the transaction OF
business unless the doors had been closed and he
stated. The journal OF yesterday legislative 1t is the
nzaon Of the body, and would have gone upon the
open journal II any question bad arisen with regard TO
the night OF senator proposing 10 be qualified, would
have in session. because until The body
rxauIzsd proceed TO the console ration o
ecutve business For that have been called together
The Chair mag be wrong rexafd TO the objection TO
any proposition until The organization had taken
places but the doors being closed with references 10 the
transaction executive business, then would have been
in the power OF the Senate TO open the doors upon any
proposition not particularly connected with executive
business. However, the Chair has stated he may be
Mr. BERRIEN VIII the Chair permit me 10 make
one single suggestion | understand he suggests the
10 the organization OF the body That was necessarily
disc nssed with open doors But the Chair will Tecol
lec the proceedings which took place in ls4 that was
case relating the dismissal OF the public pnniets u
did felale to the organization Of The body Twas
by the honorable senator from North Carona,
fMr MANouM ! and was discussed with open doors The
| proceedings upon the leg lsative journal.
| The PRESIDENT, The Chair understands the case
read The journal does not say whether The doors
were opened by the Senate upon motion, or whether
they he'd gone into executive session previous to It's IN
PRODUCTION
/ Mr.. BERRiEN, (interposlng) fthe Chair will per-
nit me, the Chair is perfectly aware there an execu-
live and q lea aIave clerk and legislative and