The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-03-30
SPECIAL SESSION OF THE SENATE.
TussDAY. March %. 1853.

purpose OF folding and transmitting documents
ASSISTANT AND READING CLERK.
On motion Of Mr.. ADAMS, the Senate proceed
ed to the consideration of the resolution of that
gentleman. heretofore submitted, authorizing the
Secretary OF the Senate to appoint a clerk, who
shall, under his direction, read at the desk of the
Secretary, and discharge such other duties as the
Secretary may assign him, and who shall receive
the same compensation as the principal clerk.
he eaid ne understood 1t was the duty Of the
Chief clerk to keep the minutes and make up the
records; but his duties at the desk were extra and
II the resolution should be adopted, it would re-
ileve him. 1t authorized the proper organization
OF that desk, and proposed the reasonable compen
| be no serious objection.
| Mr.. MASON submitted whether it would not be
proper to let the matter go over. The Senate did
| not now want a reading clerk, but may need one
should be a reorganization at this time He had
| heard good deal on this subject, and had read
| something. Hereafter he thought it would be
found expedient to take the subject of reorgani
mittee; and if no other Senator should, he would
move the appointment of committee for that pnr-
pose during the next session To test the sense of
the Senate he moved that the resolution be laid
| upon the table. -s.-. =, ~s 81. ...-. -.
The motion disagreed to. *
Mr.. BUTLER was sure that such officer was
| not now necessary. Neither the desk the Dusi-
ness OF the Senate required the appointment at this
| the Secretary might select from among his own
clerks, or was it because somebody wants office?
| Mr.. ADAMS replied the resolution authorized
| the Secretary to select whom he might think
proper. - -
Mr.. BUTLER supposed the Secretary had an
intmation whom the officer should be- If the pa
| tronage of the Senate was disposed of as he would
it, the gentleman selected for the place should
| be some aspiring young man, with salary of fif
teen or eighteen hundred dollars year, to be em
ployed in the library man of literature, and not
one merely identified with party. But at the close
| of session he did not like to appoint man for
the employment of whose services there was no
occasion.
Mr.. CHASE was quite satisfied that such a clerk
was not needed at the end OF this session, and he
moved that the further consideration Of the reso-
| luton be postponed until the first Monday of De
ceEaber next.
Mr.. BORLAND thought the appointment, of an
additional clerk was not now needed, and that the
consid Grafton of the subject more properly belong
ed to a full Senate. They could deliberate on the
matter at the next session, before business accu-
| mulates in the Senate. He was opposed to unne
| cessarily increasing the expenses of the body.
Mr.. ADAMS remarked that not one man out of
ten thousand could be procured suitable for the
discharge of the duties intended to be assigned to
the person authorized to be appointed by the reso-
luton He therefore desired to give the Secretary
ample time to make his selection.
Mr.. WALKER supposed case If the Sccre-
tary shall exercise the power now to employ a
reading clerk, three -fourths of whose annual sal
airy Wouio accrue Dy the meeting OF the next Con-
gress, what would the Senate say? They would
visit with punishment the officer who should do
the wrong. And the Senate at this time proposed
to do the very thing for which they would, in the
event of q proceeding such he had supposed
censure the Secretary What did the Secretary Secretary
want with more clerks: He desired to submit an
amendment, as follows: "And that the desk of the
Secretary be heightened five, five and half, or
six feet" [Laughter.l This would be necessary
to afford room, read Senators during the nine
months they scattered all over the Union.
MIR. BUTLER said the Senator from Mississippi
had remarked that there was not one suitable per-
son in ten thousand for such Office as the reso
luton designed. He supposed it authorized the
Secretary of the Senate to select clerk now, that
he might come here during the nine months of
the vacation to rehearse. Laughter And everv
Renewed laughter.]
Mr.. ADAMS repeated that his object was to rive
the Secretary ample time to make proper se]ec
ton.
Mr.. BUTLER did not think the public Service
was so urgent as to require the appointment. The
Senator wanted to give an opportunity to the Sec
rotary to look around. He would advise the Sec
retary to attend the theatre, very often persons
are found there with good voices but, to tell the
truth. he thought there very little necessity to
look round, If the man is already decided uDon
They might get man who will talk louder than
the present clerk, and can halloo across the ferry
OF the Potomac river, Laughter, who will speak
faster than shot rolling down the hill of the CAM
toll Renewed laughter
Mr.. DOUGLAS said that as an ATTEMPT had
been made to ridicule the proposition, it would be
better to meet 1t at once. reform in the reading
department was necessary, and he believed the
Senate thought So There was complaint thu the
reading Is not distinct and ineligible, and this
might as well be acknowledged Concealed
Mr.. MASON suspected that his nerves were as
sensitive to the propriety of reading as were those
OF the Senator from Illinois. He had never had
occasion to complain of the manner in which pa
pers or documents are read. There officers at
han
propriety OF tone which it is difficult to attain
He had learned the name of one man proDosed far
this place He had heard this man read great
deal, and to more discordant nasal "a vino fonas
he had never listened. Laughter He had no
idea who was to be placed there; he had no doubt
the Secretary would make as judicous selection
as he could; but he should very much appreheud
that, instead of reform, they should have an al
teration for the worse.
Mr.. WALKER wished to Join with the Senator
from Virginia In bearing his testimony that the
reading at the desk the best he had ever heard
II the Senator frIm illinois could not hear distinct
~, let him complain of those who stand behind
him and talk, and not of the Secretary. 1t was
difficult to get better reader than they now have
he never saw person take up different handwrit-
ings, and read them with little hesitation The
only mistake he had noticed was in reading the
word s.raiircad" email route" and that was dur
ing time the subject of Pennsylvania iron was in
agitation, He did not wonccc. that these two sub
Jects Jointly occupied the mind of the reader
NAf, lI1ELTS COnGuffe0 win the Senator that
| the difficulty of not hearing distinctly vas not at
the desk. 1t had grown out of the practice of Der
| hitting conversation and confusion by the intro
duction of persons who have no business in the
chamber. There was no necessity for action in the
premises at this time. -;
Mr.. SHIELDS did not agree with his colleague.
(Mr. DoUGLAs,) that the reading here is bad: on
the contrary, when contrasted with that of the
House, it is good. Laughter There they have
bawling and shouting. Here there was reading,
and the clerk reads like gentleman
After further debate, the question was taken and
the further consideration of the resolution was
postponed until the first Monday of December
next-yeas Is, nays I6-as follows:
YEAS.-Messrs. Badger, Bayard, BorIand, But
Ter, Chase, Clayton, Evans, Everett, Fish, Fit
patrick, Houston, Hunter, Jones of Iowa, Mason.
Norton Phelps, Pratt, Seward, Shields, Smith,
Soule, Summer; Thompson of Kentucky, Walker,
and Wright-35. 49,.
NAYS.-Messrs. Adams, Atchison, Atherton,
Brodhead, Dodge of Wisconsin, Dodge of Iowa
Douglas, Hamlin, Norris, Petit, Rusk Sebastian
Stuart, Thompson of New Jersey, Toucey, and
Weller-l6. ~
HOUR OF MEETING.
On motion of Mr.. WALKER, the Senate TOOK nm
the resolution submitted by him Yesterday. that
the daily hour of meeting be ten O'Clock a. M. Till
otherwise ordered. WAL
Mr.. MASON said the resolution was particnlarlv
lnopportune just now. The Senate were called
together principally to deliberate IN Erecnt;ua