The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-09-02

vens recapitulated the facts above stated. and
desired the correction to be made that Mr..
Forney asked if such corrections were usual
under similar circumstances, and was informed
by Mr.. Patton that verbal and unlmportant
changes were often made, and that such cor
rection would be made in the Senate /; that Mr..
Forney supposed the proposed change to be I'M
important and at length yielded to the request
and directed Mr. Sproule to make it ; that at
this time the engrOssed bill, the original bill,
and the enrolled bill, were all in the Clerks
Office, the bill having been enrolled, as is Gus
tomary, in advance Of the passage through both
Houses !; that Mr. SprOulc accordingly imme-
dately substituted the word "and' for the word
.or, in the third section of the enGrossed bill.
and in this form it passed the Senate, was sign
ed by the Presiding Officers of both Houses, land
approved by the President.
Your committee, therefore, report that the
text Of the bill in question was changed after it
passed the House in one particular, to wit by
substituting the word 'and' for the word or
between the words q" constituted and organ
ized," in the third section, and they believe
that the foregoing statement explains the mode
and circumstances of the change. They have,
in addition, taken testimony with view to de-
tcrminc whether any of the parties connected
with the alteration were impelled by corrupt
motives, or intended to practice fraud on the
House; and, after careful review of all the
evidence, they have to report that they do not
find such motives or intentions, but. on the con-
trary, from the evidence, they distinctly acquit
them of any criminal or improper purpose.
Your committee report that Mr.. Stevens sup
posed, under his information in regard to the
prevailing custom in both Houses, that it was
proper to make the change, to carry out the I'M
executed intention when the bill was reported
to the House, and that the clerk Of the House
directed the change under the influence OF the
! same sentiments.
But while your committee make this report
in regard to the motives Of the parties, they
would express in strong language their con-
/ viction that any unauthorized change in the
text of bill or resolution of the House, no
matter what the intentions of the parties may
be, is of the most dangerous tendency and in
this view OF the case, they express the opinion
that the change in question deserves severe
censure. To Mr.. SprOule your committee at
tach no blame. US he uctcd under the direction
of his superior.
! They deem it proper to add that the evil
dcncc shows that changes and corrections,
which are considered merely verbal and UNI
| important, are sometimes now made i'll both
| Houses, and they venture to call the attention
of the House to this custom as highly pcrnic-
ious in its tendencies, aud calculated to pro-
duce the most ill., furious results In the opinion Of
your committee it is highly censurablc in any
member or officer Of the House to make any
change, even the most unmportant, in any bill
or resolution which has received the anction of
/ this body.
h.orina mnon Tho chance IN tha trxt If tho Iii
after its cngrossmcnt and passage through the
House. and this may be thought to exhaust the
uu'y nnpoSG n upoh 'ncm ny aie itso,uuon a., VI
lIouse, mon the question whether anv lcrisla-
ton is proper, or if so in what form it shall be
taken; but lnasmuch as the text OF the act, now
IN ,hi ~ 10 n.y. ~ ny 'oi IL
majority of the committee are of oninion that
the word " and" for the word ''or'' is material
IN It's legal effect ,thcy suppose IL To he WITHIN
.,iG sIopo "hu sp.at. u 'no isso,atGn u'
view to remedy the error if IL Shall he tine nlca-
sure of the House to take such action as it may
think to be in It's power to place the text OF the
ao ot Al 'Ac eA'o' III Ill Al WHICH ~ p0s"eo 'n'
nv
ANe nousc "'ocp'eu INC iePois VI '"c "'joi
lty, aud by vote OF % to -, discharged the
committee from the further consideration of
the subject The minority report. presented
h., u,, o,,;. n C,,,I,,,H 49,. -.
Aion' i1o"is ~ 0'n'p'cii: "oes ho' vary 'ii''-
teriaiiy from inc report u the majority except
in the suggestion made as to what should be
the action of the House. It presents a differ
ant hill, far tho correction IF tho ol,oro,;o, and
oa,', e.. A., asn,;', ". a. ;s,.;,.'. :','1
asks ior TIE continuance VI inc lh'estlSatioh
until the next session. Neither the majority
nor the minority recommend the perpetrat;on
Of 60 oross an outrao. unop .our territorv &c
~ ~ g.
INC repeal Vi INC grant, anu yeti was repeaic'i
and the property holders and business men OF
+ Minnesota are made to suffer in the dcprccia-
t;o, of THAR ,ocs.sS;ors and ,,o ,im;,ntion .,
Wv. r1e','0'., '"o a''iU" ~
thcir ihcohc' pecausc VI INC llIiia'crlai su'sti-
tuition of the word "and'' for the word "or'!
1t must he apparent to every intelligent
mind that the alteration did mot furnish any
.
eAouse "ha'c'ci iol 'hc ao''oh VI Congress
, Mr. Stephens, OF Georgia, (not Gen. Stevens
ofMich.,) an experienced legislator and sound
LAWYER. in discussing the mnterialitv of ,bc al.
- " wiz -
/. lcration' hpohc 's iolio"s'