Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-02-19
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.


Senate amendatory Of existing laws relative TO the hall
dollar the quarter dollar the dime and hafdime here
toore reported from the Committee Of Ways and Mean
with sundry amendments.
Mr.. SHELTON concluded his remarks in support o
this BILL and presented petition signed by the Governo
and large number of the members Of the Legislature
the State Of New Jersey, in favor OF its passage HI
hoped all the amendments would be voted down. ths
bill had been drawn with exceeding care and would in
his opinion meet the Of the country at the present
time. If the House would pass the bill it from
the Senate they would receive the thanks Of all the peo
pie throughout the country, for there scarcely
individual whose interests would not be promoted there
by In conclusion he demanded the previous question,
remarkng that he made this motion very reluctantly but
sense Of duty to his constituents and the country
quired him 10 do so.
Mr. BROOKS trusted the House would not sustain it.
he desired show that this was very dangerous bill
to pass.
The previous question however, was seconded Ayes
7S noes 40 and under the operation thereof all the
amendments reported TO the bill from the Committee Of
Ways and Means we're rejected.
The bill was then read the third time and the question
being on its passage
motion was negatved Yeas 90, nays Ill.
The bill was then passed
JUSTICE IN THE COURTS OF THE DISTRICT.
On motion Of Mr. KING, OF New York. by consent, the
bill of the Senate prevent in certain failure
deay Of Justice in the Of the District Of Columbia
was taken up, read three times, and passed.
FRAUDS ON THE TREASURY
Mr. KING OF New York, called up his motion TO re-
consider the vote by which the House referred the
committee on the Gardiner claim, &C. the bill to prevent
frauds upon the Treasury of the United State returned
from the Senate with amendments
And the question being TAKEN the motion to reconsider
was agreed 10.
The question recurring the motion TO refer the bill
to the select committee it put and decided in the
negative.
The question was then taken on the amendments Of the
nd hey N Wi three r
exceptions.
posi- oFFIcR BILL--cIvIL AND DIPLOMATIC BILL
On motion Of Mr.. HOUSTON, the House then went into
Committee Of the Whole the state Of the Union Mr
Orr Of South Carolina in the chair and proceeded TO
consider the bill making appropriations for the service Of
the Post Office Department during the fiscal year ending
the 30th Of June, 1854
The BILL having been read laid aside to be reported
to the House.
On motion Of Mr.. HOUSTON, the committee next took
up the bill making appropriations for the civil and dpo-
matte expenses OF Government for the year ending the
30th June, 1854.
Mr. yENABLE spoke at length in regard to the OBJ
structon Of the business Of the country, which he as
cribed principally to the conflicting character OF the
rules Of the House He said the House had for its gov
eminent hundred and fifty three rules besides some
twenty joint rules between the two Houses to which
added the general parliamentary law and in addi-
ton to all this, they had thousands OF conflicting
and contradictory precedents utterly unintegbe to the
most acute observer 0nefourth OF the session had been
consumed in deciding questions Of order which, when
determined were not worth button; for it frequently
happened that the very day the House reversed the
very decision. man must be wiser than Solomon
and have more experience than Methueh to understand
the rules and he in them the elements Of all the delay
and obstruction Of the public business Of which the coun
try so justly complained The remedy was to repeal the
whole Of these rules and substitute in their stead the
parliamentary Law.
Mr.. STEPHENS, Of Georgia, did not think that the
evils Of which the gentleman from North Carolina had
complained were to be attributed the which he
had assgned The gentleman had said great deal about