The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-04

} ia gone before The subject can be acted upon
Then, sir, can any man look at that matter am
{ not see that II carries upon its face such con
struction OF the law az renders that law entlrel
4; Iimpracticable . and know my friend, who is
!, distinguished lawyer, and ] am satisfied that tn
r rule of construction which has been UNIVERSAL,
, adopted by those who administer justice ur0l
, the bench, would never Justify such a construc
, ton upon any law as to render that Jaw imprac
, ticable.
Mr. PARKER. The gentleman misappre
hends my remarks if he supposed insisted
when that committee had made report TO thi
House, this House would not take action upoI
the report, and make what disposition they
z thought proper did not intimate anything L
that effect Far from it. My idea was this
that this committee was a tribunal not created
by This House, but by the law of the land
that the law prescribed their duties and the line Of
their duties, under the law, was beyond the con
troll of the House hope am now understood
Mr. VENABLE. This is precisely what
am coming to. Who are to Judge whether they
are or are not within the line of their duty?
Mr.. PARKER. Let me observe. whether
thew are or are not within the line of their duty
we cannot instruct them. We cannot instruct
them, because they are not our own committee
! There is portion of them belonging to us, but
that is not the committee. IL is tribunal. rs
. said before, constituted by law, and we must go
4 to that law to ascertain their duties.
Mr. VENABLE. Clearly, but they have
made their report to this House, as understand
the decision Of the Chair
Mr. PARKER. My friend from Virginia put
The matter in Il bold light, which would strike
any one at once Suppose we gave one in
structoD, and the Senate give another, only half
Of the committee belong to rs
| Mr. VENABLE The difficulty is imaginary,
and has no real existence. 1t cannot have es-
capped the acutcness of my friend, that the law
of 1896, to which he refers, recognizes the two
committees as having separate existence, and
only acting as Joint committee when directing
| the printing Of Congress as contradistinguished
| from the printing of each House separately.
The extra numbers ordered to be printed by
| each House are referred TO the members of the
committee OF that House. But we can displace
our committee. believe in the usefulness of
the power of negation, and II our committee
does not do their duty we can dispace them
| Clearly the House has the power to remove
them at any time they think proper Any other
! construction of the law referred to would re-
cognize power which never supposed scarce
| ly to exist anywhere, and certainly to have no
advocates in this House. i will state my view
of this subject This committee has made
report which gave the House jurisdiction, and
the matter is before the House by the volunta-
ry act Of the committee. If you, Mr.. Speaker,
were Judge, you cannot compel my colleague
from North Carolina, Mr. AsHE,l and the gen.
teman from Tennessee, to bring a suit in your
court but SHOULD one of them file his bill sum.
moning the other TO answer, the jurisdiction of
the subject is settled at once. You have the
parties before YOU This House cannot compel
the committee to report. They may be removed
by vote of the House, or they may be Gen.
sured but the report must emanate from them.
| You have no power to make il. When this
committee make their report the question of
! jurisdiction is settled The committee are be.
fore us, and tell us what they have resolved to
do and it is legitimate for us to say we do not
approve of what you have done, and we instruct
YOU to do another thing. This is every days
practice in this House. This committee, having
considered an order for printing an extra mum
Der Of documents, make their report recon-
amending that ten, twenty, or thirty thousand of
any public matter shonld be printed, does not
this House pass upon it?-and if the House
approve they order them to be printed. The
matter is thus by them brought before the
House, and, being brought before us, is settled.
There can be no doubt but that the House has
a right to express its opinion, as well as its
pleasure, to the committee. Let us put case
uron lower ground, that of my resolution,
which only suggests request of this House,
and will meet any difficulty presented. pre-
sumo that no committee would have the hardi-
| hood 10 do what this House expressly says il
shall not do. Suppo,e this House passes re
solution instructing that committee 10 do Ger.
/ q. Al: =. orI fba 4
ask If that committee would disregard the wishes
of this House Ii they did, | for one, would
vote for censuring them for so doing
Mr.. GORMAN ] have declared, again and
again, to the country, while speaking before
this House, that any directions that the House
might give to that committee | should make il
my duty, out Of respect to the House, to carry
ont as far as in my power
Mr.. VENABLE. ] so understood before. /
did not apply that observation TO you, bat to
your colleague, Mr.. PARKER
Mr.. PARKER. understand, but | think
you nisopprehend the remark of my colleague
lie says that villa ever instructions this House
might give him, or give TO that portion of the
committee that belonged TO this House, be
would feel himself in duty bound TO carry out
upon that committee, bat that he could mol carry
them out IL the three members Of this House
were one way, and the three members Of the
Senate another way.
Mr.. VENABLE. And then there would be
nothing done. If my friend from Indiana MIR.
PARKERl recoeets, said, putting il upon even
lower ground than the one taken before, that the
COMMITTEES would not, If they knew it, disregard
tic expressed wishes Of the House. ! know.
because ! heard The chairman Of the committee
state that he would not; and the resolution sub
mitied by me does not instruct, but simply re.
quests. ! know no committee would, aud If
they did they would expose themselves 10 The
censure of the House. | have no idea, in the
first place, Of violating clear provision on
your statute-boOk and whilst the law declares
that the committee shall, IN case Of failure by the
public printer to do the work contracted for,
take such sleps "a they may think proper 10
have the public printing executed, am sure that
should the House direct The printing to be LET
ont to tho lowest bidder, according 10 law, this
committee would do IT, The object OF the res
oluton is, whilst We have an existing law re-
unirinp fine priutinp 10 be executed nv the ioweat