The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-06-05
principle Of parliamentary law, or even under his
own expressed view Of the narrow and limited
powers of that Congressional caucus"

principle OF Parliamentary law, or even unueT MS
own expressed view Of the narrow and limited
powers of that Congressional eaucus"
ITO receive a proposition is one thing; to
receive it, and decide il to be ia order is another
and very different thing. In a public career.
that covers period of nearly twenty years,
do not remember single instance, in any de-
Lucrative body of which have been a member
IN which the presiding officer refuse TO receive
any proposition submitted by a member. To
refuse 10 receipe proposition is the EXTREMIST
discourtesy-the strongest mark OF reprobaiion
that deliberatiye assembly can visit upon
any proposition submitted TO its consideration
1t is never resorted to by any deliberative as
sembly, except for the purpose of stamping and
branding its reprobation upon an offensive pro-
position in the strongest and most unmis,akable
terms
!" BY reference to the extract made from Mr..
CABLES remarks, in the debate of the l7lh in
slant, it will be seen, that during the debate
which took place in caucus, upon Mr. BRooKss
appeal from the decision of the Chair, ruling my
resolution out of ORDER Mr. CABLE distinctly
proponnded the question TO the Chair, whether
he adhered TO his original decision, that every
mtng pas out Of order, ercepe firing The time and
place for a National Com eriiion; AND THE CHAIR
REPLIED THAT HE ADHERED TO THAT DECISION"
1t was during the debate, upon Mr.
BRooKs's appeal from the decision of the Chair,
that Mr. STRoTHER, of Virgins, responding to
that decision of the Chair and describing to a
reference Of my resolution to a debating society,
to be formed and organized after the legitimate
business OF the caucus should be disposed of, to
take into consideration matters and things which
the Chair, sustained by the meeting, had decided
n L.. ,llA, - 4
and, therefore, out of order in a Wing Congress
sional caucus.
"lf Mr. MARSHALL and myself had submitted
our resolutions to such debating society as
that described by Mr.. STRoTHER, we would have
been guilty of the absurdity of asking the gen.
tlemen who. constituted that caucus to rebuke
their Chairman ard stultify themselves; be.
cause the Chairman had decided that those res.
oiutlons were not within the legitimate powers
O! That caucus and that 10 assume jurisdiction
over the subjects embraced by those resolutions
would be naked usurpation and that decision
of the Chair had been sustained by a large ma.
jority Of the meeting.
g i refer MIR. MANGUM's memory, and that of
every other gentleman who participated in those
proceedings, to these facts, TO make it clearly
manifest that 1t cannot be true that Mr. MANGUM
at any stage Of The proceedings, ruled as prcsi
ding officer, that he would receive, and decide IN
be IN order, MIR. MARsHALL's resolution, or that
offered by myself, either az amendments or as
substantive propositions 1t is not my object to
reproach or assai any gentleman whose inexpe-
rlence in parliamentary proceedings has eau sed
him to misunderstood and msstate the occur
FENCES of the Wing Congressional caucus But
1t is my object to make it impossible for those
occurrences to be hereafter misstated without
subJectng him who may make such misstate-
ment to the responsibility of willfu and delbe
rate misrepresentation. Myself, and those who
co-operated with me on that occasion, are will
ing to abide all the responsibilities which can
attach to the line of conduct which we deemed
it our duty to pursue Other gentlemen ought
to be equally willing to abide the res possibility
OF their action upon that occasion Certainly
no gentleman can wish the truth to tie misrep
resented or misunderstood, and rest his vindca
ton upon such Misrepresentation or misunder
standing In MY opinion it would be unfortu.
nate Tor Mr.. MAEGuM to permit it to be under
stood that he had, at any stage of the proceed |
lngs IN the Wing Congressional caucus, changed
the position assumed by him at the fret meeting
of that caucus-viz: that the duties and powers
OF the caucus were restricted exclusively to the
single matter of fixing the time and place for !
holding the Wing National convention. If he
should depart from this ground-if he admits,
or if it shall be admitted by his friends, that he
changed the decision which denied to the caucus
the right to do more than fix the time and place
for holding the Wing National convention, no
plausible defence cen be made for his decision
ruling out of order Mr. MARsHALL's resolution.
or that offered by myself"