The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-02-11

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the motion to reconsider had not been made. Thi
is correct; as, if the House wished retainthe mat
ter, it would agree to the motion to reconsider in
stead OF laying it on the table. Motions to recon
in the power of single member (voting ON tn,
strong side against his sentiments solely for th,
purpose of placing himselfin a situation to max,
the motion) to arrest business which majority
have determined to despatch.' rs
The SPEAKER. The question before the Hous,
was motion to adjourn. The motion to recon
slider was entered 1t could not be considered Their
at all. So the right of member under the rules
was saved upon the one side, and the right of ths
House to adjourn when it pleases saved upon ths
other.
Mr.. LETCHER Is it in order to move to lay
that motion upon the table?
The SPEAKER. That motion is already made
by the gentleman from New York, (Mr. DEAN.)
| Mr.. DEAN. call for action upon the motion.
Mr.. JONES, of Tennessee. wish to inquire Of
the Chair, If the question be put laying the mo
ton to reconsider upon the table and fail will II
then be too late to appeal from the decision of the
Chair in this case?
The SPEAKER. The Chair thinks it would be
too late, for the House will have entered upon the
subject.
Mr.. JONES. wish, before that question is
taken, to appeal from that decision i understand
the Chair to say, that the weight of argument and
right is upon the side of the gentleman from New
York, Mr.. DEAN,) who makes this motion, but
decides the motion to reconsider to be in order,
merely upon the ground that there was one pre-
cedent for it during the last Congress. The then
Speaker admitted to me afterwards that he did
not have confidence in that decision himself. / do
not know of but one solitary precedent.
The SPEAKER. The case referred to BY the
gentleman from Tennessee will be read if it be the
pleasure of the House. twas case precisely in
point, however, decided bymy immediate prede-
| cessor. An appeal was taken from his decision.
and the House sustained his decision. 4
Mr.. STEPHENS, of Georgia. Will the Chair
have it read? e
The Clsak then read, as follows:
april 26, lo5O.-The House having reconsidered
the vote by which it had refused to lay upon the
table the previous day the joint resolution of the
House (No. l6) authorizing the President of the
United States to accept and attach to the navy
vessels offered by Henry Grnnell, esq of New
York. to be sent to the Arctic seas in search of Sir
John Franklin and his companions.
| .sThe SPEAKER then stated the question to be
upon the motion to lay the said joint resolution up
on the table. },fslgsa
ssMr. JONES raised the question of order that the
House having, on yesterday, refused to lay the
joint resolution upon the table, and subsequently,
on that day, the question being upon its engross-
ment, and his colleague (Mr. SAvAeE) being en-
titled to the floor, the House having gone into the
Committee Of the Whole House on the state of the
Union, the joint resolution thereby passed from
before the House, and took its place upon the
Speakers table, to be taken I'D in its order when
the House should proceed to the business on the
Speakers table, and, consequently, that the vote
just taken to reconsider the vote by which the
House refused to lay it upon the table, does not
bring it from its place on the Speakers table before
stThe SPEAKER stated, that 90 far as he had an
opportunity of examining the precedents, it ap.
pears that in every instance where motion to re-
consider has been passed in the affirmative the
question Immediately required upon the question
reconsidered. He therefore decided that the al.
frmative vote just taken on the motion to recon
slider the vote by which the House refused to lay
the joint resolution upon the table brought the re-
coli inn hpf fha nd hot Io
now recurs upon the original motion to lay it upon
the table.
..From this decision of the Chair Mr.. JONES ap
pealed; and the question being ut,sShalI the de-
cision of the Chair stand as the judgment of the
House?' twas decided in the affirmative bs
$50 the decision of the Chair was sustained''
Mr.. STUART. Il only wish to see if / under
stand that case correctly i do not see that the
point was made that it was not in order to move
to reconsider the vote by which the House refused
to lay the matter upon the table. The point of
order made in that case was as to the question to
be put after the motion to reconsider had been
Icarried.
The SPEAKER. The motion to,reconsider was
acquiesced in, and the appeal taken from the ef-
feet of the motion to reconsider The Chair thinks
the same principle precisely is involved. The ar
gument upon the other side, in favor of the deci-
sion, is simply this: The gentleman from Wis
consin, (Mr DoTy,) by his motion, ia supposed to
be dissatisfied with the vote given upon the mo
ton to lay upon the table, for the reason that it
carries Q1e Dill 10 the SPEAKERS table, Wnere 1t Will
be taken up in its order; and it was in the best
place. as the Chair thinks, IF the table was gene
rally cleared every day, as used to be the case.
The gentleman from Wisconsin desires to prevent
its going upon the Speakers table to be acted up.
on in is place, to be laid by vote upon the table,
and diminishing its chances of passage. That is
the argument upon that side. ~ sz1 ssi1
The argument upon the other side is, that it is
proper to reconsider any action of the House
which they have taken, by which the bill is dis
posed Of temporarily or otherwise. The Chair is
inclined to think the latter is the more correct
view, and he is not disposed to change the prsc.
tice Of his predecessor and himself upon the sub.
ject. An appeal is taken from the decision of the
Chair.
Mr.. AvERETT. hope to be INDUCED in sim
gle remark My point is that the proceeding was
not correctly entered on the Journal. The motion
to reconsider was not announced by the Chair at
all, and the House had no notice of it. 40
The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Virgi.
MIA has right to move to correct the Journal
affecting this very matter.
Mr.. AVERETT. My objection to the Journal
is, that the motion OF my colleague Mr.. LsTcHER)
that the House adjourn, preceded any action of the
House, or any motion of the member from Wis
consin, (Mr. DorY,) and this wish to be entered
upon the Journal 81 a
The SPEAKER. The Chair has no objection to
such an entry, because it does not affect his deci-
Mr.. STANLY. The gentleman from Virginia
is mistaken, according to my recollection. His
colleague (Mr. LErcHRRl made the motion to ad.
j0urn, 1t Is true out there 10 no proof that the gen
tleman who was in the chair, (Mr. MAsos) 1.-THE
Speaker himself not being there-heard that mo-
ton, or recognised it; and, if the gentleman from
Virginia was trying to get the floor to make the
motion, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.
DorY) made bis motion to reconsider, and was re-
cognised by the Chair. l watched the whole pro-
ceeding, and / knew what the gentleman was
about. The Chair received the motion to recon.
slider, and then entertained the motion to adjourn.
4 The SPEAKER. The question is upon correct
ing the Journal. Will the gentleman from Vir-
ginia (Mr. AvERETT) inform us whether his
proposition is to change the Journal 80 that the
motion to adjourn shall appear before the motion
to reconsider? sg 81 - - 81 ~.
Mr.. AYERETT.iI desire the fact shall be
stated that my colleague made the motion to ad-
journ, and then it will be for the House to decide
whether they will have this other motion to recon.
sider want the Journal to tell the plain truth.
It does not now, for it represents the gentleman
from Wisconsin Mr.. iDorY) as making the mo-
ton to reconsider before my colleague (Mr.
LErcHER) moved the adjournment. In this the
Journal is not correct, in point of fact; and ven-
ture to say that not dozen of the members pre-
sent knew that the motion to reconsider was
entered at all. gfI7tetst 81 - ffH sa35Aeil
The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Virginia,
then, desires that the motion to adjourn shall pre-
cede the motion to reconsider. 9a $50 sa3t 4
Mr.. RICHARDSON. We do not know whatthe
facts are inrelaton to that matter ls it in the re-