The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-09-01

Question. Do you know of any matter or
hing further connected with the change OF
alteration of the bill spoken of?
Answer No.
Robert s. Sproule, sarorn.
Question Are YOU employed in the capac-
ity of a clerk Of the House of Representa-
tives?
Answer. / am, as one of the engrossing
clerks.
Question. Have you ever seen the orgi-
nal House bill here presented, No. 342?
Answer have.
Question State if any alterations have
been made in the third section of this bill,
since you first saw it, and in said bill after
it was engrossed; state all you know about
it.
Answer. The original bill, (342) with
the word 'Or," in the third section was ham
ded to me fOrcngrosslnent before it was pre-
scented to the House, in order that its pas
sage through that body should not be delay
Jed for want of engrossment. 1t was en-
crossed by me, except a portion of the last
section, which was engroSscd by Mr. Gal
pin, my hand becoming so tired | could not
finish it. 1t was then compared, and found
correct with the original Some time after
it passed the House, to wit, on the Goth of
June, and was handed by me to the Clerk
ito be presented to the Senate. The day after
lit passedth the House, | think, though it might
have been the day after that, but before it
passed the Senate, | know, Git did not pass
the Senate until the 2Sth Of June General
Patton, the first cngrossing clerk of the
Senate, spoke to me, | think, in relation to
the bill, and the word cor" in it, and sub
sequcntly, on the same day, General Ste
vens, Of Michigan, accompanied by General
! Patton, came to me in relation the matter.
General Stevens at first insisted that the
word 'and' was in the original; but being
convinced that he was wrong on that point,
he said that the word "Or' was verbal cr-
ror; that he thought that he had changed
it, and that as changed the committee had
adopted it; that he certainly considered that
it had passed in that shape, with the word
''and' in it,) and that he had voted upon it
under that IMPRESSION; that it was his III
tcntion to have changed it, and he thought
! he had done so; that he could havcit altered
in the Senate, but it put them to unncces-
tary delay. We convcrsed further on the
matter, and it was agreed to submit it to
Col. Forncy. We adjourned to Col. For
ney's room-Gencral Stevens, General Pat
ton, think, and myself. General Stevens
repeated about the same statements to Col.
Forney that he did to me, and desired to
have the change made, remark;ng, cit ought
to be made" The matter was talked over,
the bill examine ;, &c. Colonel Forney,
turning to General Patton, q think it was
t.ths time, aSkcl him what was the prac
tice in the Senate; to which General Patton
replied, eve frequently make such aItcra-
tons" We all regarded it as a verbal CT:
ror. 1t was evident that General Stevens
so regarded it, and believed that such an a!
tcration was perfectly legitimate and proper
Regarding it, then, as a mere verbal altcra
ton, and on his representation | viewed ii
in the same light. Colonel Forney remark
ed that he could not see how it materially
affected the BILL and as it was not matcria
and would prevent delay, the alteration he
thought would be proper.
After General Stevens retired, CoiOne
Forncy locked at the bill and said to me-
''Thc alteration desired is not a material ONT
is it, Mr. Sproulc?' or words to that effect
to which answered | thought not, or coul>
not see how it could be. lie then said.-
"Wcll, l suppose the alteration may as wei
be made" l did not then, nor until tn
disclosure of the whole circumstances of tn
case, how it could materially affect the bill
We are compelled to make frequent unin
portant alterations in our bills. For ,instanc
it is almost impossible to copy accuratel
G some of the bills and amendments to bill
written by some embcrs We are oblige
1 to go in search of the member offering thel
and have them read to us; if he cannot b
| found, we make them out as we'll as we Cal
and if we are wrong we make the neeC ssar
correction. Again, in amendments, oite
e an unimpOrtant word, but one necessary t
the completion of the sentence, is lei
r out, through the haste in which ament
mcnts are sometimes drawn up. AS an e,
h ample, an amendment was offered to til
t light house bill in this manner; 'to be c,
pended under direction of the Sec'y {
/ War; it was written in the cngrossed bi
l. thus "to be expended under the directio
n of the Secretary of War; thus putting
the word "the" twice, and writing the wOr
. Coorotorr IN fill ;nctooI of obIrnviati nr !