The daily union., 1852-08-13

oi The practice OF the Senate without this rule il will be
found necessary do something in prevent the
appropriation bis iron being loaded down with private
clans,
Why, sir there peculiar proprety in provision OF
this Sort 10 prevent from attempting 10 offer private
claims amendments 10 general appropriation bill for
the result OF il would he tisthal any committee may
pass whatever private claim chooses. But when We
take up private claim separate upon pTi-
vae bill day. II we do not understand IT. II requires IN
yesgaon. ask that il may he postponed nnl wa
can have opportunity 10 Investigate il; whereas il it is Of
iered as an amendment 10 an appropriation BILL we can
make no such reqaesi; cannot ay appropra-
ZION bill o the purpose OF having opportunity TO
anime y. No, must take the word of the commit
Tee which offers ~ and we must vote without any ex-
psnaon and without being afforded adequate oppor-
iuny 10 examine the claim The result is tnat any
mee may put any private claim which II chooses upon
a general appropriation bill
But, sir. this the OF it, General appropna-
lion bills will become sort OF "omnibus and we snail
have log rolling arrangements in relation TO private
claims One senator will say will not vote against
your amendment, because may have that | want
il private claims are allowed to pass This body by way OF
amendments 10 appropriation bills. We shall pass claims
in this manner winch never could have been passed as
separate and as independent measures
Now, sir, if the honorable senator Mr.. BADGERl
wishes to prevent the evil let him aid in doing some-
Thing make rule definite, il is suf-
icieny definite for his purpose. The whole objection
which he raises amounts 10 thisthat you cannot give
any definition 10 private claim which will be sufficient
ly distinct enable the Senate decide arising
under without difficulty l. too, acknowledge that il
is subject of difficulty; but admit that we
canno, give definition distinct enough to enable the
Senate practise under such rule. Sir, If he would
give his that work, think that by lit
tie practice we shall be able TO define what are private
claims, in such 10 get rid OF all dspate in
reference to their believe do it by re-
ernng TO what should constitute general appropra-
ton bill general appropriation bill should make pro-
lions incurred by law end By treaty. and for the current
service OF The year And if sir. instead of saying that
no private calm-l do not recollectthe precise words Of
The ruleshal be offered an amendment, il were said
that additional should be offered m
less II were to provide for some obligation created
by law. or by treaty, or by the current service OF
the year, then, SIR the rule would define itself and
believe we should be able to practise under il without
difficulty, and with great benefit to the despatch Of the
I business before the Senate.
Ii this provision of the rule is stricken out, and we
nave no restriction at all ~ relation TO this matter, know
not where shall end We shall go on adding private
claims 10 the general appropriation bills until the Senate
feel the necessity OF doing something to guard the bust
ness oil The country against this improper admiyture.
Then we shall have to go the whole subject again,
and will probably end in the enactment OF other
rule. think u would be better 10 amend this for the
senator from North Carolina know that il is i'm
proper to put private claims upon general appropriation
bills. and that unless have some rule to guard them
there will be constant efforts made to do it. If we adrn
claim, it will be considered favorism not to admit
an maj may he offered and thus the only portion of the
business that is conducted with tolerabe certainty and
despatch by Congress will be embarrassed that proba
! bly, IN the end il will fail altogether,
Sir The House OF Representatives may well object to
such course. They send us the general appropriation
bills relating 10 the general interests OF the country; and
shall we load them down with private claims and send
hen back SO that no appropriations be made for the
general public service OF the country without passing this
or that private claim This is sort of coercion of which
they may well complain, and OF which they would in the
will be transacted, and no claims will be acted upon ex
cept those that put upon the general appropriation
bills These bills will break down, like everything else,
and all business and all legislation will become almost
blank. say this because oresee the consequences OF
repeating thai rule know that have hee subjected
TO some IN Its operaon and presume that
we shall be subjected to some little Inconvenience under
The rule in defining and settling its meaning; bat be-
lieve we have passed the worst of il, and be.
eve that by little practice under the rule shall
be enabled 10 make 1t sufficiently Understood as TO
avoid difficulty and be able TO proceed with business
before with despach and to do such business as shall
promote the public interests OF the country.
! recolect well. sir that before this rule was estab-
lished, half oil the debate upon amendments offered to
The appropriation bills upon that very question: first
whether they were private clams and could be offered
amendments; and, secondly, if offered whether they
were such private claims ought 10 be construed
ceptons We certainly got rid OF all that last branch
OF the discussion by The enactment Of this rule Il
question, however for the Senate decide and If the
prefer TO go on withou, it, have nothing further TO say
on The subject
Mr.. BADGER Mr. President, the rule which have
proposed 10 strike out is only two sessions old in the
Senate The senator from Virginia MIR HUNTKRl SAYS
II the amendment which have proposed prevails The
general appropriation bills will be loaded down by prl.
vate claims, and that there will be system log roll.
ing introduced into usage by which viii vote
Tor private claim introduced by another consequence
sell brought forward. Now, the rst place ssy that
cannot conceive OF such thing that any member OF
this body will knowingly vote for anything that wrong
and therefore Consider The allegation not admssi.
be In The next place. II is refuted by the whole expe-
rience OF the Senate This role, before said, is but
two sessions old When have any of the appropriation
bills been handed down with private claims, the
aor supposes they will be II this rule is abroga,ed They
have been IN half century OF the experience OF
the Senate.
When thr amendment was proposed By the senator
from Virginia, mr. HUsrERl il for the purpose OF
relieving Us iron this dthculiy | did not oppose H. but
we Immediately found that we had opened up "A new
source oi discussion 10 the time OF the Senate
II was great deal worse than any difficulty which arose
upon the admission OF such amendments. The senator
says that have always had difficulty before and that
shall continue 10 have il hereafter IL this PROPOSE
tion is adopted shall avoid difficulty upon one dues
ton ,ha, did not have before which have
and that ia question OF order-a question whether an
amendment be considered This sir, is the question
which we have had sprung upon this is the question
upon which occupied two hours Yesterday in deter
mining whether an amendment In order or not
Now MIR President, | think, after striking that ont
the rule will be sufficiently guarded No amendment of
any kind be offered under the circumstances ndca
ted in the residue OF the rule and OF those circum
stances u that amendment shall be offered to gem
era appropriation bill unless be ordered BY one of the
standing committees OF this body; and think IL we
cannot trust ourselves 10 pass upon amendments pro.
posed to US by the standing committees OF this body II
obliged TO tie ourselves up so that we cannot act
upon propositions of this kind coming from the stand.
ing commiitees--l say think as soon as we come In
this, we shall have lost portion Of that respect which
we ought 10 have for ourselves and that
which we ought TO have Tor our committees However
have no personal anxiety about this matter served
In the Senate three sessions hpfore ,I.