Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-07-08
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

II v. appointed
member of the Committee Foreign Affairs, vice Mr..
DEAN, resigned.
Mr.. FULLER asked consent to report from the Com
mtee Commerce bill for the erection Of certain
Mr. LETCHER. object.
Mr.. FULLER. | hope the gentleman win withdraw
his objection.
Mr.. LETCHER. The custom houses have sunk one
bill already, and do not want them to sink another.
Mr. PHILLIPS asked consent to offer the following re-
solution:
Resoe That on and after the 10th of July instant the
House of Representatives win the transaction Of
| business at Ill o'clock A. M.
/ Mr. JONES, of New York, objected to the resolution
believing that better arrangement could be made than
that proposed in the resolution
THE CIVIL AND DIPLOMATIC BILL.
The House then proceeded consider the motion made
yesterday by Mr. Orr reconsider the vote by which
the House rejected the bill making appropriations for the
civil and diplomatic expenses Of Government the year
ending the 80h Of June, 1858.
Mr.. ORR said that the action of the House yesterday
IN rejecting the bill excited great surprise in his mind
He supposed there could be question the minds Of
members as to the of what would to be
extraordinary vote namely the rejection Of the civil and
diplomatic bill He had no doubt in his mind that this
result produced by the incorporation into the bill of
appropriations, amounting to six hundred
thousand dollars for the completion Of certain custom
houses He opposed to these custom house appro-
piaons himself and nothing but the pressing exigency
and urgency for the passage of the bill would have in
duced him to hayesupported it with these appropriations
inserted in it.
He did not propose enter into any general de-
bate. lie thought the time had when they should
proceed to vote and to debate. The plan he had
matured after consultation with friends, for the
purpose ofrelevng the House from the embarrassing
dision in which it found ITSELF this: lie pro-
posed if the motion to reconsider the vote rejecting the
bill should prevail to move to reconsider the vote by
which the bill ordered to be engrossed for third
reading; if this motion should also carry then some gem
enan who voted in favor of the custom house appropria
tons would be prevailed upon he trused to
consider the vote by which they incorporated into
the bill.
Mr.. COBB inquired how the gentleman knew motion
to reconsider that vote would be made :?
Mr. ORR had no doubt, if the two motions he had
indicated should prevail that motion would be made by
gentleman to reconsider the vote by which the
custom-h ouse amendment inserted.
Mr.. PRESTON imputed if the gentleman certain
that any member could obtain the floor to make motion
TO reconsider the vote to which he had referred!
Mr.. ORR replied that it privileged motion, and
could be made at any time, the gentleman
Mr. CLINGMAN inquired If it would not be more ad-
vsabe should the vote rejecting the bill be rsconsidered
to to recommit it to the COMMITTEES OF Ways and
Meanss The COMMITTEES could then report it back in
whatever shape they might think would meet with the
views Of majority of the, House.
Mr.. ORR replied that he satisfied, if there
majority of the House willing to pass the bill with the
custom-house amendment in it; the plan which he had
indicated the shortest which they could pursue
to attain that result.
This was an important bill. If the House should not
pass it, they would stop the wheels of the Government
Every civil officer from the President down the lowest
subordinate, dependant for his salary during this
year on the passage Of this bill
Mr. PRESTON said that the gentleman would halt at
his motion to reconsider the vote by which the bill
rejected, he could pass it but if he should 60 beyond
that he would involve the House in embarrassment The
house appropriation the only thing in the bill
| which had given it strength
| Mr.. ORR inquired why the amendment did not
give strength to the deficiency bill
Mr.. PRESTON replied that he believed the second de-
fciency bill was more costly than the first which
tanned appropriations for the completion Of various
houses He would vote to give the gentleman the
first reconsideration but he would not be willing to 60
back beyond that point He desired the bill to pass
it The Government had recommended these custom
house appropriations the Senate and the House had
also recommended them. They had been discussed in
the House article by article, clause by clause and on
different occasions had been twice inserted by yeas and
II the gentleman could obtain three votes his
side of the House. in addition those which yes
terday cast in its favor, the bill could be passed.
4 Mr. McMULLEN said that if an attempt should be
made to clog this bill the deficiency bill cogged,
he trusted there would be srmness and independence
enough to defeat it. If the House had been full yesterday
the bill would have been defeated by much larger
orty than it He hoped the House would repudiate
and put down this system Of log rolling
Mr. ORR said in reply to the remark of the gentleman
from Kentucky Mr. PREsroN) that this bill strength
cned by thes cnsom-housc amendment that he had
only to point the honorable member the action Of the
House the deficiency BILL These custom-house appro
priaons insertedin that bl and the result was
when the bill reported to the House, but fifty three
votes given in its support II all those gentlemen
vino voted put this amendment in the civil and dplo-
matte bill had stood firm and supported the bill its
passage the House would not have been involved in this
embarrassment The whole difficulty had grown out of
the fact that portion of the House had inserted amend
ents which were odous to large majority, and then
refused to vote for the bill its final passage.
He appealed to oil sides Of the House who Gid not de-
sire to ebarrsss the operations Of the Government.
vote against retaining these appropriations
in the bill Let (said he) have clean BILL one that
is legitimate and fair He had cause Of quarrel against
any gentleman who voted against the bill in consequence
Of this custom house amendment The civil and dipo-
matte bill should only include those items which were
vded for By generalav the bill should be defeated
and another have to be framed and acted on the House
would be able to get to the point which thsy
in ten days, and what time would remain for the
consideration Of other business?
Q Mr. STANTON of Tennessee wished to know how the
gentleman could maintain that the house amend
odious to large majority Of the House wher
it sustained by majority the yeas and naysl
Mr.. ORR explained that he had intended to say thai
the amendment odous to large number Of gentle
without whose votes the bill could not be passed
He demanded the previous question.
The previous question seconded and under its oper
alton the motion to reconsider the vote by which the bill
j was rejected was agreed to- without division.
On motion by Mr.. ORR, the vote by which the bill wa
ordered to be engrossed for third reading was then re
considered: Yeas IS, nays go.
y Mr. STANTON, Of Kentucky, moved reconsideratio
Of the vote by which the custom amendment wa
agreed to. He said that he had voted for IT, and was
favor OF the appropriations which II made for the
pleton Of various custom houses But finding that
the number who voted with him for that amendmer
seventeen voted against the bill its final passage
had the conclusion that they had better saorc