The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-01

eAcuSo me IRON speaking upon sn"e ouoJsc''
! Great laughter
Gentlemen say, that if those of us who re-
tired from the caucus, upon the proceedings OF
which my colleague has animadverted had re-
manned, the resolution offered in that caucus by
my friend from Kentucky, Mr.. Marshall, or
that offered by myself, would have passed.
affirm, in reply, that if passed at all, 1t would
have passed by Southern votes-Northern men,
bers being absent, or present loilh mental re-
seruation, as seems to have been the case in the
Congressional caucus at the beginning OF this
session Of Congress
! "Now, there il the whole of it. These reso-
lutions were ruled out of order by the chairman,
and that ruling was sustained by the meeting,
! both upon my resolution and that offered by
| the gentleman from Kentucky Mr.. Marshall ]
| Ii is also true that the chairman did say that
after we had got through with the legitimate
business u The etening, If we chose, we could
resolve ourselves into debating society, and dis
cuss the subject Laughter But it is still
further true, as | said that as soon as we had
resolved ourselves into such debating society,
gentlemen would begin to get very sleepy, and
there would have been no one left but ourselves.
| That would have been the practical effect of the
whole matter. The great object in introducing
that resolution was to get Northern Wings TO
meet Southern Wings upon aprlncpie OF action
which we deemed 10 be important to the peace
and harmony of the country and the preserva-
ton of the Union, and an Indispensable means
of maintaining the unity of the Wing party as a
political organization extending over the whole
country-North and South"
| In the above extract it will, of course, be I'M
derstood that did not mean to give the Ian
guage of the chairman but my understanding
of he ket nd aof ofh io decisions
"Mr Cabel. have but word to say in
addition to what has been said by the gentle
man from Tennessee, bIr. Gentry, in relation
to those who seeded from the Wing caucus.
9" 1t has been stated that if the gentlemen who
retired from the caucus had remained, the COM
promise resolutions would have passed. That
statement has been replied to, in part by the
gentleman from Tennessee, Mr.. Gentry. But
| in this connection | wish TO state, that, at tn
! first caucus which assembled, the chairman, in
! reply to an interrogatery from me, said he would
rule OUT Of order any proposition, aohaterer might
be, san ing that Of firing he time and place for
holding The conpention During the interval
which trnnspired between the first and second
caucuses, it was minated that the chairman had
changed his purpose 10 that respect. When the
second one assembled, rose and asked the
chairman or rather intimated TO him. that it had
been stated he would change his purpose in this
respect. In reply to that suggestion, the chair
man stated to me and the caucus that his opin
ions were unchanged, and that he woutd rule
every proposition om Of order ercept that for fac
ing he time and place for holding The National
conuentioa
{" | deem this statement one of some import
ance, for the reason that, in the official publica-
ton of the proceedings of that caucus, it is stated
that the chairman decided that he would receive
the proposition of a gentleman from Tennessee
Mr.. Gentry as substantive proposition
though he would not receive il as an amend
ment know not from whom the statement
comes, but it is not altogether truthful Itdoes
not state the Dhole truth II omits TO state the
declaration of the chairman in reply TO me and
Others disinctly made that point, and The
chairman told me, as other members of the
caucus will bear me witness, that his opinions
had undergone no change, and that ! was mis-
taken in that respect.
"Mr. Richardson. The gentleman fiom North
Carolina, Mr.. CIingman, by yielding the floor
to other gentlemen TO occupy it, the Chair de-
Gliding it to be out of order, has lost his right to
the floor
"1he Chairman. The Chair would have de.
cded in the first instance, had the question been
made, that the gentleman could not yield the
floor to any gentleman to make a speech; but
the question was distinctly put to the committee
whether there was any OF lection to the gentle.
man from North Carolina Nr. CngEan] yield
| ing to the gentleman from Tennessee, Mr.
Gentry No objection was made, and the ar
rangement was consented to by the committee
and the gentleman from North Carolina Mr.,
| Clingman] now claims the floor, and is entitled
to it.
"Mr Clngman. Under that | will answer
briefly the question put to me by my friend
I from Florida Mr., Cabel] 1t is in lelation to
this point of order. But three or four minutes
are left me before the expiration of my hour
and in half that time can answer that question
and then make my motion understood Mr.
| Mangum, both in the caucus and since--and
have had several conversations with hinl--to
say this, in substance He regarded everything
which did not relate to the time and place Of
| holding the National convention as out of order
both as an amendment and "a substantive
proposition; but he also declared, that after
that matter was disposed of, if this motion was
made, and if majority Of the caucus saw fit tc
entertain it, they might and he hoped they would
do so bnt he should be obliged to hold that i
was not in order if the point were made. HI
would, however, appeal to them, and individual
| ly would be gratified if the majority would con
sent to act upon it, and decide it, understand
this to have been his position all the while"
1t will be seen that there is exact concur
renee of statement among those from whose
speeches, in the House, have made the above
extracts Those extracts describe truly the oc
currences Of the two Wing Congressional eau
cuses. Mr. Mangum has not contradcted, anc
| am sure will not contradict, the statement o.
facts in embraced in the above extracts. Ye
his card is so worded and phrased as to make
the impression, upon the minds Of men mex
perienced in parliamentary proceedings, tina
he intended TO deny the correctness of those
statements He says in his card
"The Chair ruled both Mr.. Marshall's and Mr.
Gentrys resolution out of order, as amend
ments to the resolution offered by Mr.. Stanly
The Chair, however, decided to receive Mr.. Gen
try's resolution az a substantive proposition i
il should be so offered"
To receive proposition is one thing-to re
ceve it and rule it to be in order is another anc
very different thing A failure to make this
distinction has led many gentlemen into mis-
understanding of the proceedings in the Con