Washington sentinel., 1854-05-24


excusing the gentleman, withdraw the demand
for the yeas and nays
The SPEAKER, (pausng moment) The
Chair hears objection, and the gentleman is ex-
cused by unanimous consent.
PETER III. BELL
Mr.. BELL. l have no particular excuse 10
render. have absented myself but one hour out
of the last twenty, and that happened 10 be when
call the House was ordered have no furiher
excuse.
Mr. KITTREDGE. move the gentleman be
excused.
There being no objection, the gentleman was
excused.
HENRY BENNETT.
Mr. BENNETT | staid here as long as was
able and went away. Laughter.l
MIR. JONES. of Tennessee, lin his seai9 He
was able 10 get away then, was he
By unanimous consent, Mr. BENNETT was ex-
cused
THOMAS II. BENTON.
Mr.. BENTON. / have sir, to make my excuse
to the House, which hope will be satisfactory 10
gentleman when they hear II. II was neither on
account of age or inhrmties that was absent,
for never felt better. Nor did pair of with any
person, although several good and true men oier-
ed TO walk off with me, in whose company
should be proud to be found. But TO pair of was
not within my view of parliamentary rules and
have done il, and do not mean, AT this late
day, TO begin 10 learn anything new Afitiqnas
rias--the old ways--is my motto.
was absent, that is true, but without disre-
spect to the House, and without the least design
TO impede its business or to prevent the complete
| transactions of the business, such as II was, In
4 which the House was engaged. Laughter.l
/ hope to be allowed, Mr.. Speaker, 10 say, in
the presence of this House, that have admired
the decorum, the urbanty, the dignity, and The
4 impartiality with which you have presided, and
1 the precision with which all questions have been
| put by the Speaker. No real transactions could
| have been conducted with more absolute proprl-
ETY. and gravity than the Chair conducted the bus-
vhF,la M ha In
evening. / was greatly gratifed. ! went away;
i taking survey of the House, and seeing good
and true men sitting all around and enough to
keep up a quorum carry on the business OF Inc
House, such as it was, lLaugater.l saw ina,
nv absence would make no difference al all, ana
therefore went away, aaimns reuertendi, laugh
terl-wi,h design TO reiurn-not 10 escape. tne
business OF The House but to return TO It refresh
ed and invigorated, and take my share, and slt II
out: 10 tell the exact truth TO husband ana save
| some strength for pinch when il should come I;
for did not think we had yet got TO the tlghtest
1 place. II was therefore 10 be able 10 serve the
| House better when it should more need service,
that took brief repose.
| In making this excuse TO the House, do not
wish 10 be considered as having been absent until
| now-until this hour. have been waiting long
time al the door, and am entitled TO credit Tor the
time was kept out. [Laughter.l | was not
brought back by the Sergeant at-Arms, but re-
turned voluntarily. and was stopped at the door,
and long debarred of entrance. Striking balance
between the time / was voluntarily absent, and
the time was Involuntary kept out, II would be
pretty lear even worked out upon a fair equation,
and my delinquency would be very small Taking
4 il in that sense am entitled TO the decision of the
House that the account is nearly even, and at all
events 10 a decision that there has been no dis
respect to the House; being free from disrespect,
and from all desire 10 impede the progress of its
business. l hope this will be satisfactory 10 the
House, and that / shall be excused, especially as
declare that will do better for time 10 come.
The SPEAKER. If,here be no objection, the
gentleman will be excused.
| No objection being made, Mr.. Benton was ex-
cused.
/ SAMUEL CARuTHERs was next called.
Mr.. PHILLIPS ! rise TO question OF order.
| Will il be in order TO move TO suspend all
further proceedings under the call II is evident,
after what has taken place, that the House does
not intend to lnfict penalty upon any one OF the
absentees.
The SPEAKER The motion would be in
order.
Mr.. PHILLIPS Then move that all further
proceedings be dispensed with.
Mr.. WHEELER object.
Mr.. PHI iLLIPS. Well make the motion.
Mr.. WHEELER When the consent OF this
House was given that the doors should be opened
and the absentees be permitted 10 come IN, y was
| npon the express understanding that each absen-
tee should be called 10 the bar of the House, and
| render his excuse.
The SPEAKER That was the order of the
House but il is competent for the House 10
change its orders.
Mr.. DRUM ask the yeas and nays upon the
motion.
! Mr. WHEELER. / expressly asked il that
was the understanding when the consent OF the
House was gwen; and had i not been SO under
stood should have objected to the order.
The SPEAKER. II there be no objection, all
further proceedings under the call will be dis
/ pensed with, by unanimous consent.
! Mr.. WASHBURNE. of Illinois object.
The yeas and nays were not ordered.
The question was then putt and decided in the
affirmative.
So all further proceedings under the call were
dispensed with.
Mr. HUGHES. move that the House do now
adjourn.
Mr.. WHEELER. demand the yeas and nays
upon that motion
Mr.. INGERSOLL. call for tellers upon the
yeas and nays.
Tellers were ordered; and Messrs. BAYLY, Of
Virginia, and WAsHBURN, of Maine, We're ap-
pointed.
The House was then divided and the tcllers
reported thirty in the affirmative, Ia sufficient
number)
So the yeas and nays were ordered
Mr.. HOWE. desire 10 be excused from vot-
ing for The reason that last night paired off with
/ Mr.. SINGLETON, who stated that his family were
(! unwell, and who is still detained from the House,
i presume, from the same cause. do not, there
fore, feel at liberty 10 vote. But sir, find that
by the rules of the House that if | am here am
required to vote, unless excused by the House.
| have no wish 10 violate the rules of the House,
/ and therefore ask to be excused.
/ The SPEAKER. The Chair decides that the
| gentleman from Pennsylvania cannot be excused
| from voting upon motion 10 adjourn. That is
| the rule the present incumbent of the chair has
| uniformly adhered TO. He believes il to be cor
rect rule and he therefore decides that the motion
that the gentleman be excused cannot be enter
4 tanned.
Mr.. HOWE. But should like TO know how TO
act. My honor with the gentleman with whom
have paired off is at stake upon the hand, and
in conforming 10 the rules of the House upon the
other
The SPEAKER. The gentleman must settle
that question for himself The parliamentary law
knows nothing of the principle of pairing off.
There is nothing of the in the books; and ii
is practice which prevails, perhaI 5, in no other
legislative body upon the face of the earth except
this. If the gentleman has paired of, he had be-
ter have stad off, The Chair makes the sugges-
iion in perfect good humor. The rules of the
House require him TO vote, If he is present; and
| ifhe precludes himself from voting by agreement
with another member, the best method he can
| adopt is 10 stay away from the House. IL is,